Don't Follow the Crowd

DON’T FOLLOW THE CROWD With any faithful expectation they have any better idea where theyrnare going.rnEven if some in the crowd do have a sense of direction it will notrnnecessarily be yours. Everyone has a destiny to pursue that isrnindependent of other people.rnThis destiny is more profound than romantic love or simplyrnperpetuating the human race. If you think you have discovered thernreal meaning of your life by falling in love and raising children thenrnyou may be disappointed. You might have found one meaning but itrnis not, necessarily, the meaning.rnRomantic love is worth seeking for the happiness it will hopefullyrnprovide, at least in the short-term, but romantic love is not allimportant.rnWithout the meaningful purpose in your life which is yourrndestiny it will not be enough. Hence, the initial radiance of it dulls,rndiscord and disenchantment set it and the divorce lawyers move tornbigger houses. However close you feel to someone, your personalrndestiny is just that - it is detached from other people and unique tornyou. Unless your life partner can help you search for and then achievernyour life’s special journey then you may be better off on your own.rnOf course, you may say I don’t want to be on my own or that beingrna husband and father or wife and mother is enough for me. That thisrnpersonal destiny stuff sounds selfish and too big a sacrifice for myrntaste. That, of course, is your right and masses of people in the worldrnexercise it. Whether these masses are truly fulfilled and happy is thernquestion you need to ask yourself. You would also be right in thinkingrnit takes sacrifice and a little selfishness. But the fact remains that truernpersonal happiness comes from within not without and your own truernpurpose is an essential part of who you are, your personal identity; thernreason for and meaning of your being. It is a given of your life that you will sometimes face difficulty whateverrndecisions you do or do not make. This being self-evident why notrnface life’s difficulties with the strength and resolve of knowing yournare on your true path with the mental freedom, conviction and clearrnsightedness that brings. Your dreams may have a price but isn’t thererna larger toll to pay in not living them?rnI grant you it is easier to follow the crowd. It is safer to fit in, therernis less thinking to be done, less personal responsibility to shoulderrnand more people to share the blame when things go wrong. I canrnunderstand why most of us are seduced. To follow your individualrnpath takes courage and you must be prepared (but not destined) tornsacrifice conventional ideas of comfort and security. However, thernrewards can be worldly as well as spiritual. Uniqueness and specialismrnis a valuable commodity in the 21st century. Today, the greater financialrnrewards are not to be found as a ubiquitous cog in the industrial/rncommercial wheel but by offering something different, somethingrnrare. Dare I suggest - something individual and unique. ‘Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it – boldness hasrngenius, power and magic in it.’ Goethe.rnAction: Know that in fulfilling you personal destiny you are beingrntrue to yourself which is the only honest way to be true to others.rnBe courageous and live the life that is yours, the life that has beenrnpreordained for you.rnCall of the Soul. www.nigelbrett.com