Courage and Conformity

The most natural manner of living life is also the most unsuccessful.

Whoa, think about that last sentence. Do you agree with it? Throughout your life from the time you were just a wee little tot, you were taught and expected to do what? You were taught and expected to be like everyone else. Sure you may have heard phrases like you are unique and original but how much was this truly encouraged and to what extent?


For many of the most successful in life, it seems they spent a certain part of their life learning to fit in, only to spend the latter part learning to express their uniqueness. Who wins? Uniqueness, originality, one-of-a-kindness, the real you (singular).


Don’t concern yourself with what is considered to be the norm when you seek to do great things. Great things are not the norm, thus they are great. With some 95% of the population doing ‘normal’ things, you can expect to face some resistance along your path to what you consider to be success.


Get this into your head right now before you even begin. If you’ve already begun but find yourself at a roadblock, congratulate yourself for finding this wise advice now before you threw in the towel. Resistance is a necessary factor in achieving great success.


Without resistance in weight training, you would build no muscle mass. Without resistance in electricity, you would have no light or heat. Resistance is not a bad thing. Resistance is what gives the creative element in you opportunity to shine through acceleration. The very meaning of standing out is to overcome resistance. The greater the resistance you overcome, the greater you will stand out in the eyes of others and yourself.


Take your manner of living more seriously. Going with the flow of others has definite benefits in many areas, but when it comes to creating a better life than average, you need to think in better than average ways. If you’re lost as to how to go about things in a more than average way, look to the examples that most stand out in your perspective.


Study the best athletes. Study the best in business. Study the spiritual masters. Study anyone who you admire. Know that in so doing their wisdom will rub off on you. This will help you get started in the right direction, but know something more.


Whoever you follow to get started, may be only the beginning. There is nothing to stop you from taking off from that point and creating your own path which goes even further. This is what life is really about. In truth this should be the natural manner of living. Sadly, however, this manner of living takes courage in a society that breeds conformity.


It was Rollo May who said that the opposite of courage is not cowardice, but conformity. I do believe this is true. Conformity is the enemy of creative spirit. The creative spirit wishes to soar while conformity keeps us grounded. Conformity may have its place, but it is not in the realm of making change for the better. If you want to improve your life, you’ve got to think of new ideas and be willing to apply them.



Live your Dreams,

Jeffrey Brandt

Author of Close Your Eyes to Find Your Way: A Guide to Discovering Your Higher Self.








All writings here are copyrighted by Jeffrey Brandt. You may not use them without written permission but you may link to the posts or give out a link to the posts. If you enjoy the content of this blog, you can find more by Jeffrey Brandt by visiting Jeffrey Brandt Products.