“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
I think that human beings are naturally hard-wired to conform and stay safe in our tribes. We don’t like to stand out too much, we like to blend in to the crowd, play it safe and stay small.
As much as we like to think of ourselves as individuals, the fact is that we’re driven to fit in; on a primal level we feel safe just following the crowd and going with the flow.
That means that a 75-year-old woman will typically not dress like a 15-year-old, for example. She doesn’t belong to that tribe and may be alienated by her own if she were to dress like that, right?
Listen, it’s not always that obvious; mostly, we don’t even realize we are conforming. We do what others do because others do it, not because we have consciously and thoughtfully chosen it. It’s just “what is done.”
Don’t get me wrong. Conformity is not all bad. It’s far from bad to stop at red traffic lights or drive on the correct side of the road. Like everything in life, conformity and individuality is a balancing act. The golden middle road is the path to success.
So when does conformity sabotage your success, your ability to live a full and meaningful life—your life?
Maybe you grew up wanting to be a world-class chef, or an inventor, or a writer. Maybe you still do. Maybe you dreamt of somehow changing the world, or starting your own business, or living a life of abundance, or actualizing your creative ideas. So what happened to all those dreams?
You got comfy in your comfort zone.
Conforming to the norms that society puts forth to live in the “real world,” is so comfortable it lulls us to sleep. You “stop daydreaming,” you “become realistic,” your race to pay the bills, stay on top of your responsibilities, and before you knew it, your childhood dreams are little more than dust in the breeze.
What’s missing from the equation is creative and critical, free thinking. We so cling to “the norms” that we miss discovering what we, ourselves, truly think and truly want.
But here’s the question. Are you really comfortable or do your dreams tug at your heart?
Our true selves never really go away. They lie in wait for the day they can be set free to live the passionate, authentic, inspired life for which they were created.
When you honor those yearnings that come packaged inside of your talents and abilities, life in the old box gets so uncomfortable that getting out is the only option. Stepping out of comfort zone to think outside of the box and explore solutions in the unknown world requires boldness, creativity and faith. New solutions, more expansion and exciting possibility awaits you on the outside.
Create and align with a vision that both excites you and drives you forward.
Tap into the infinite potential of the abundant you, the inventor you, the creative you. Within you exists all the resources you could ever need.
Because somewhere inside you, in the unlimited vastness of your highest self, there is another version of you who didn’t give up on those dreams…