Choosing A Life Less Ordinary

When you think about the kind of life you want to live, what is it that you most want to see happen for yourself? Now, I want you to honestly ask yourself if you’re doing what it takes to make that vision happen. Are you taking the action and the chances you need to take in order to make your most deeply held dreams and ambitions come true? Or are you choosing the safe route, the one that everyone except you thinks you should take? Are you on track to creating the life you really want, or are you choosing instead to travel the safe road? Because the thing is, if you want to live a life less ordinary, then you have to do something beyond the ordinary; you have to be willing to risk the road less travelled, to go beyond your fears and do the things that others aren’t willing to do.

If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary. ~Jim Rohn

I’ve posted before about how the greatest risk we can take in life is to choose to take no risks at all. When we avoid all risks, living our lives in fear of something going wrong, or in fear of not being capable of our ambitions, we end up not living our lives at all. Fear is a powerful thing, and it causes so many of us to abandon the hopes and dreams that we hold most dear. When our own doubts are pounding at the doors of our hearts, we become susceptible to all the well-meaning advice of those around us who tell us to forget it; that the road we travel is too hard; that the odds are against us; that we are irresponsible for putting our dreams ahead of other’s feelings; that we need to face reality, forget our dreams, and just do what everyone else does.

Choosing a life less ordinary

But when you have a dream beating within your heart, giving it up out of fear, or giving in to other people’s should’s and ought to’s, we lose a part our ourselves. When you feel yourself called to a path that is different from the norm, it’s not something that you can easily ignore or supress, no matter how much other people might want you to. But if your path leads you in a different direction than everyone you know, then you have to be willing to do something different than everyone you know in order to reach that destination. Doing what everyone else does, thinking the way everyone else does, and talking about what everyone else does can only get you what everyone else has. Do the ordinary things, get the ordinary life. Want a life less ordinary? Then do the less ordinary things. Follow the less ordinary path.

Is it easy? Hell no. Your faith will be tested. Your courage will be tested. Your resolve will be tested. You’re breaking new ground, going places few people dare go. That scares the people around you, and scared people, like scared animals, bite. You’ll get flak from every side. You’ll be insulted and derided and beaten down, until you’re willing to shift your focus, let go of what’s not serving your vision, and start looking for the others like yourself who are also choosing a different path. In them you will find your support and the encouragement you need to come to terms with the path you’ve chosen; to know without doubt that it is the right one for you, and to find the strength to continue on your journey.

An authentic life – a life lived boldly, fearlessly and fully, is not the easiest of options available to you. It’s far easier to take the well-travelled safe route and live the life that you are expected to live. But if that’s not making you happy, then maybe it’s time to reconsider the usual. Maybe it’s time to consider a different path and a different life; a life in which you become everything that you know you can be… a life less ordinary.

photo credit: pixabay.com cc

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