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“The woman who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no one has ever been.” –Albert Einstein
Trends come with each season. Socially accepted ideas of how to live our lives evolve and change with each generation. Popular culture is, at its core, a tremendous mass of people following a certain product, type of music or way of living.
The part about each of these that doesn’t fit with living a fulfilling life is that others are dictating how we should go about our lives. The media, advertising, tradition, current social culture, the people we might surround ourselves with, are expecting us not to stand out because if we do, then what?
One of the aspects of the quote above that I adore is that Einstein himself uttered it. While it is a very simple concept that he shares, so full of common sense, it is an idea that many are unable to master and thus, choose to recede back into the crowd.
After all, perceivably, it can be at times lonely for those who choose to no longer be a follower, but instead lead the life that many may not be choosing at the time. I mention that it is perceived as being a lonely place because in my experience, it seems that if someone doesn’t understand something or they themselves are afraid of it, they label it with a negative connotation.
The truth of the matter is, many people choose to wallow in their loneliness when they are alone, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Taking the chance on ourselves to strike out and follow the beat of our own drum is a gift to ourselves. Now, I won’t sugarcoat it and say that in stepping out, each of us will experience great success immediately, far from it more likely, but the alternative is living someone else’s definition of what life should be and as we all can imagine, that breeds nothing but discontent in a variety of forms. In order to find ourselves in places we’ve never been, we must travel our own path even when we don’t know exactly where it will lead us.
I truly believe that we lessen our true potential when we shrink to fit inside someone else’s belief of what we should be, how we should live and what we should believe. If we are willing to put forth the strength to be true to ourselves, to follow where our hearts, passions and talents lead us, I can almost guarantee that at times we will be alone, but if we choose to seek out those who are like-minded, if we choose to seek out others who support our efforts instead of discount your voice, we won’t feel lonely, we will be doing ourselves a favor.
In other words, instead of allowing the fear of being lonely pull us back to what we know we don’t want, use this fear to empower us to push forward until we find what we’ve been looking for. We all have the strength inside of us to choose our own paths, for some its more easily accessible, but all of us can help it to grow by exercising its power on a regular basis.
Have a beautiful Monday and fabulous first week of March.
Thank you again, for stopping by The Simply Luxurious Life. May you find the strength you seek to live your own fulfilling and contented life.
This is so true and so appropriate for the next phase of my life. I know what I want to do but the question is where. I travel around the world, am living in Asia for the second time but something is pulling me elsewhere. I’m going to listen to my instincts, they’ve always opened doors in the most interesting places.
http://www.nearandfar.wordpress.com
I have had so many people in my life say to me “wh don’t you just become a teacher?” What is I don’t WANT to be a teacher (no offense to teachers)! I just want to do my own thing and that is what I am doing…
Sometimes I need to read things like this to assure me that I am doing the right thing…
GREAT post!
<3 Cara
Lilac and Grey
It is hard to follow your own path, especially when others don’t understand, but I have always taken the scenic route in life and get there in the end. My mum loves that one to sum me up. Thank you for all your though provoking words and thoughts when we all get a little bog down in the day to day, and always accented so beautifully. Thank you and have a wonderful week. axx
This post and quote are memorable…thank you!
I was very impacted with AE’s wonderful comment. It is so true!!!!! We need to talk to our young women about this! We need to tell them about their unique own selves, and celebrate! Thanks for this great post.
I am now in my 50’s and know this truth well. When I was concerned about what others thought it made me unhappy and unsatisfied. It is much more fulfilling to be myself… warts and all.
Beautiful, gracious post.
Yvonne
Wow you’ve written beautiful words and thoughts with which I totally agree. Its good to read and letting me think it over again, thank you.
This is so perfect for where I am right now. I’ve been spending a lot of time alone in meditation, on retreat, reading spiritual text, avoiding men and just re-connecting with myself and my spirit. I have gone places no one has been and its all inside my soul.
Loved this post!
Joanna
Joanna – Thank you. I’m so happy you found something that resonated. 🙂
Laura – You are an inspiration. So many people would benefit more than they realize from doing what you are undertaking.
Yvonne – you said it perfectly – the peace and contentment comes from being who we were truly meant to be, not what others believe we should be.
What a great post! It inspires me to keep going forward, reinventing myself knowing that being a work in progress, even in my 50’s,is a good thing. I never close doors, if I can help it and am always ready for the next adventure. In fact, I’m about ready for one now!
I have encouraged my 16 year old daughter to always be a leader, to be proud of being unique and never to say she is sorry for who she is. Because of this she is finding her path much sooner than I did. It’s not a path I might have chosen for her since she is determined to be a Marine, get her education to be in the C.I.A. or something similar. Not for me, but I never, ever discourage her. We have to give our young women the space to define themselves in ways that might not have been possible for us.
Thanks for this….I needed it today!
Thank you, I have never wanted to follow the crowd. I have been fighting to find my own destiny. It’s only now in my 30’s I have been able to get some peace and quiet without someone looking over my shoulder saying- get a better job, wear better clothes, visit better places. I am happy with my simple life. I love the music I find, the part time jobs I do to support my needs, and the friends I have.