It’s impossible for us to be able to forecast our destiny with total accuracy, but we do have control over our choice of which roads we take to travel there.
However, in today’s society, there seems to be so much pressure to do the same as the person next to you: to have the same type of job, house, car, relationship, etc. What’s wrong with diversity and us all being a bit different from each other?
We can choose to travel down the same road that everyone else travels down. It’s an easy path because it has been walked on so many times by millions of people. There are no significant obstacles in the way, and it’s well sign-posted. It’s predictable, and there are no major unexpected twists or turns. But, for some of us, it’s so boring! It is flat; there are no flowers because they have been trodden on and died, and it’s crowded because there are so many people following the same path.Alternatively, we can choose to create our own road. Yes, there may be rocks we need to walk around, fences to climb over, and it might even be lonely at times. But along the way, we will discover who we are and what we are capable of. As we admire the beautiful wildflowers, we will be heading more directly to our unique destination.
When people are brave and decide to travel their own path, rather than receiving support or encouragement, other people’s general reaction is usually quite negative. This may come from a place of jealousy because their friends and family haven’t had the courage or tenacity to step off the comfortable road. You know the story; someone drops out of school because they know that way of learning doesn’t suit them. There are derogatory comments from the parents, family members, even friends: everyone has an opinion. The general consensus is that they’ll never amount to anything because a standardized education is so important… then suddenly, they find their niche, and things slot into place! For example, maybe they’ve got a particular talent that is more practical than academic. But they definitely wouldn’t have been successful if they’d stayed on the regular road.
Unfortunately, it seems to be money that is the biggest measure of ‘success’ nowadays. Even if individuals are happy and content with what they have, if their bank balance isn’t full and they don’t drive the right car, wear designer clothes or live in the best suburb, they’re not truly successful in the eyes of society.
This is so sad, but we see and hear it everywhere, every day. It’s like people feel they have an automatic right to pass judgment on other people and an equal right to share their thoughts with others. Where does that self-righteousness come from in some people? Why do they think they’re any better qualified to make comments about other’s lives? Are theirs so flawless and perfect? But the truth is that a lot of people do think they’ve got everything under control. They feel like they’re sprinting along the road well-traveled and that they’re going to win the gold medal. What’s ironic is that most of us haven’t even left the starting block yet.
People are afraid of diversity and anything that is different. They feel threatening by it, so pass a judgment that it will fail, as this makes them feel safer and more comfortable. But then they have to eat their words when it turns out that the different path has led the person who dared to take it to an amazing destination.
Whycan’t we just be happy for people, no matter which road they’re on or how they’re choosing to live their life if they’re not breaking any laws or hurting anyone? Should we really be so concerned about how much money our neighbor has if they pay their bills and don’t resort to robbing banks? They say that money makes the world go round, and yes, if you’re starving and living on the streets, then even a small amount of money could make a huge difference to your life. However, society has got really caught up in cash equaling status.
Human nature can be ugly. We live to extremes, and we have a tendency to exploit everything. We are not creatures of ‘just enough’, we want more and more of something until we wake up one day, and there’s none of it left. Sadly, when it comes to money and material things, some people will never be satisfied. They will never feel that they have enough, and they will always strive to obtain more – often to the detriment of other people. We forget that ‘pride goes before a fall’ and often our pride blinds us to the simple things that we could cherish for free, such as time with family, spectacular rainbows, etc., if we weren’t too busy judging others and striving for our subsequent financial gain.
I remember being told by a teacher back in high school that people are a copy and representation of each other. I often wonder if this is why we worry so much about what other people think of us and expect from us. In addition to daily pressures to earn big money, modern society places an unreasonably high standard on aesthetics. More people are undergoing plastic surgery, fad diets, body modification operations, etc., than ever before. Plus, many people have mental health issues due to all of these societal pressures.
Canyou imagine what the world would be like if mirrors and reflective surfaces didn’t exist? Would we care what we looked like if we couldn’t see ourselves? If we didn’t have cameras, social media, films, TV, or magazines, would skin and haircare products exist? Would anyone have invented hair straighteners or mascara? And as for Yves Saint Laurent and Ralph Lauren? Well, they may have had to try and create an alternative untraveled road!
