I Wonder What People Think Of Me
I'm not your usual forty something year old ...
People often give me that strange questioning look...
I've never conformed to the norm.....
I like to push the boundaries...
I don't just look outside the box...there is no box....
I remember one work colleague
..when she first met me...she said "your so far off the wall...your on someone else's wall"
(i since found out she too is living a life on someone else's wall too....hi Katie!!)...(not that she will ever read that btw....she knows nothing about the crazy world of ep)...
But i digress....
People who get to know me...the real me.. Will tell you I'm a great person...with a great heart...who works hard
..and gives everything to everyone...
But on first encounter...i wonder what you thought of me....
Hehe....
What started this post for me...was a quote....
Grabs copy and paste machine....
Drags it over (blimey ...thats heavier than i thought)....
Here we go...
Ill leave this here
..
Blessed are the weird people–poets, misfits, writers, mystics…painters & troubadours–for they teach us to see the world through different eyes.”
Jacob Nordby
Yes, it’s an honour and compliment actually to be considered misfits by the society because it shows we are being true to our authentic self. Each of us is born unique, yet the society tends to favour conformity, so those who are bound by the society norms tend to lose their unique identity and authenticity. We are in the society but not of the society, and when we are true to our soul and rise above the norms and limitations of the society with our creativity and magnificence, some members of the society may get jealous and label us “weird” and “misfits”.
It’s actually a compliment, come to think of it, as it shows we have retained our originality and not lose our soul for the sake of gaining the world. We are also in good company with other pioneers, inventors and trail blazers in history such as Martin Luther King Jr, Carl Sagan, Mahatma Gandhi and Vincent Van Gogh. The society usually pays tribute to these brilliant people only long after they are gone, and that’s because the society is slow to catch up and realise their tremendous value in helping the world to think and see differently.
Having said that, we are not trying to be different and we just happen to be different in the eyes of the society when we are being true to our authentic and original self. I am aware that sometimes the society may want to encourage people to be creative by saying “dare to be different” but somehow the message may come across as saying “try to be different for the sake of being different”. I think a better way to look at it is to be our true and original self-identity. In that way, whether we end up being same or being different from other people doesn’t really matter so long as we are being true to ourselves.
In short, it is not so much about trying to be different but rather to not follow the system (or pattern or mindset) of the society (such as eating fast food/junk food, subscribing to consumerism, running the rat race, etc) and be responsible for our own well-being.
“I think the greatest people in (our) society carve niches that represent the unique ex<x>pression of their combination of talent.”
Neil deGrasse Tyson
