Accessorize, customize, innovize, you-i-tize! Don’t always follow the rules laid out to you by your supposed superiors or betters. Does it matter that others think you’re right or wrong? Is it necessary that you follow society’s rules 24/7? What happens if you do? Do you get brownie points on your invisible scorecard in the sky?
Many rules are simply social constructs that we ourselves give power. The meanings we apply to these rules forces us to adhere and succumb to social pressures if we fall even a single step out of bounds.
So what? Challenge the earth. Challenge the sky. Go against the reality that constricts you so. The fear of rejection and embarrassment will try and block your path, but make sure to act anyway. I’ve been made insecure multiple times from actions that I knew would give me strange looks. In the end though, everything turned out fine.
Here are some tips to get the ball rolling. It’s not hard to add your own personal spin:
- Play your favorite songs in the company of others, regardless of they may think.
- Sing in public if you feel like singing. However, don’t stop there. Sing in your own hip, sweet style.
- If you have a good idea, make it known. When the listeners laugh, proceed to show them up.
- Customize whatever you own. Use stickers, markers, and crayons if necessary.
- Negativity almost never produces good results. Be optimistic, positive, and forever hopeful.
- Being realistic is boring because that’s how everyone tends to think: realistically. Become a dreamer. Color outside the lines.
- Switch your daily routine up a bit. Instead of watching TV in the morning, go for a run or lie down by the beach to catch the sea/lake air.
- Remember there’s no RIGHT way of doing things. Write your own definitions to words or phrases to meanings you’re not content with.
- Be creative. Take the scenic route to work, tomorrow morning.
- Hang up posters in your room. Just because you’re grown up doesn’t mean you can’t personalize your living space.
- Start up a conversation with someone you don’t know and leave behind the “don’t talk to strangers” mindset. Life’s too short to be afraid of meeting new people.
The worst thing you can do is never venture outside of the lines. You’ll never know what is possible if you don’t.
“Each one of you has something no one else has, or has ever had: your fingerprints, your brain, your heart. Be an individual. Be unique. Stand out. Make noise. Make someone notice. That’s the power of individuals.” – Jon Bon Jovi
Great post. And you’re so right about one thing in particular: being realistic IS boring!
positively present´s last blog ..celebrating one year of positively present!
Right on, Dani! Change reality one step at a time.
Love this. You already know I’m about coloring outside of the lines. It is definitely okay to be different. What also amazes me is how when we were children, we were taught not to talk to strangers, but now that we’re older, its actually promoted and really the only way for us to get ahead in life. We certainly can’t continue to live in our past. Its good to know where we came from, but we have to step outside of our box in more ways than way.
It’s like nobody’s a stranger anymore. It’s very astonishing the rate at which this rule has changed within society. As we continue to evolve, society’s rules evolve with it, but it takes one person to step out of the mold in order for these rules to change.
I like this line,
“The fear of rejection and embarrassment will try and block your path, but make sure to act anyway.”
Great inspiration to start the morning! Excellent work!
Bamboo Forest – PunIntended´s last blog ..Use ‘The Art of War’ to Overcome Any Bad Habit
No problem, Bamboo. This will no longer be a problem for me in a few weeks. Thinking stalls action. Don’t think about rejection when you act and you’ll be plenty rewarded.
Well said! Like Dani,I especially love the line: “Being realistic is boring.” Dream big, so that you may live big. Rock on, John!
Jay Schryer´s last blog ..Daydream Believer
Thanks my man. We aren’t ones for living a lifestyle of sameness. Break the mold. Live on the edge.
As Oscar wilde said ” Be yourself everyone else is taken”. Live by this rule, die by this rule!!
Nice post john!
Jonathan Figaro´s last blog ..You Can Suck On These Positive Nu…
Ha ha, nice. You have no choice but to be yourself. Thanks my friend.
i like the idea of doing what you want with disregard to people’s presence, eventually that can help people become more confident
More people should apply this idea more often. Just try it and see how it goes.
Great post. Ever since I saw the movie Avatar I’ve been realizing that there is nothing unique about how we live. We all follow a cookie-cutter lifestyle. In Avatar each of the Na-vi had their own style. It was liberating.
I purpose to start living my life of my own design. We only do this right so why do what everyone expects?
Victor Boba´s last blog ..Don’t Force Your Goals
Welcome to the blog, Victor! I really wish I had seen the Avatar movie. Everyone expects you to live a certain way and achieve a certain level of success. But who other than you can determine and attain what you want? It’s your life. Live it YOUR way.
This post is RIGHT UP MY ALLEY! Thanks John… as usual a very informative post and certainly worth sharing.
I particularly like the “you-i-tize” statement.
Darren Sproat´s last blog ..Try Shutting Your Mouth
I was trying to break the mold with ‘you-i-tize’. My life. My words. My style.
Great post and great topic. I couldn’t agree more that you really do just have to do things your own way and express yourself the way you desire.
Sibyl – alternaview´s last blog ..One of the Best Ways to Deal with Difficult People…And get what you need
The hard part about doing this is the flak you’re going to get for stepping “out of line’. Get ready to deal with opposition, before you try and change your path.
“Don’t think about rejection when you act and you’ll be plenty rewarded.”
More food for thought. Rock on! Shuffle, left, right, left… KO!
Booya!
Bamboo Forest – PunIntended´s last blog ..Ode to The ‘Epic Beard Man’ Who Whooped Ass
You’ve got it man ha ha
Ah, but the public school system spends years beating the creativity out of the students and the teachers. I love your ideas.
Erin´s last blog ..Sweet Release
Thanks so much Erin. Something really has to be done about the public school system.
I used to not want to grow up. One day I thought about it again and I realized two things:
-What does being an adult mean? To most people it seems to mean to have a job and fit in, have a family and do like everyone else. I saw that it actually meant to take responsibility for your life.
-And this leads to the second point. Being an adult doesn’t mean you have to change – it means you gain an incredible amount of freedom to do whatever you want. It’s just that most people don’t seem to use it.. ah..
It’s similar to the philosophy of Parkour.