Why Be Normal?

"Life is too short to be normal."

-- Dave Ramsey

Do you know Dave Ramsey? He's the guy who started Financial Peace University and whose mission is to help people get out of debt, save money, and enjoy life. In his context "normal" is the debt-ridden, economically insecure life of most consumers. And, I agree with him -- who wants to be normal in that way?

But let's take normal a step or two further. In almost all contexts, not just financial, normal is simply a synonym for mediocre. It's normal to go through life experiencing anger, jealousy, fear and boredom. Most people do it, so it must be normal, it must be OK. It's normal to dislike your job, lose the zest and passion in your relationships, be overweight, take prescription drugs out the yin yang, watch hours and hours of TV daily, and retire at 65.

But who really cares what's normal? Normal is the cookie cutter mentality of one size fits all. It's the path of least resistance, but also the path of least fulfillment. To design and live a life beyond the norm takes awareness, creativity, intuition, and courage. It takes getting to know yourself better than you know the latest USA Today poll. It takes realizing every single day that life is way too short to waste in the center of the herd.

So today you really don't have to do anything, just think. Think about all the ways you've sacrificed your individuality on the alter of normalcy. Even make a list if it helps you gain some clarity. And just about the time you start getting super depressed because you've stifled yourself for so long in the pursuit of fitting in, shift gears and think about all the fun, new ways that you can choose to be you. From something as small as a new hairstyle to as large as quitting your job and pursuing a new career, from choosing to wear that Homer Simpson bowling shirt that's been hanging in the back your closet to church to coming out of the closet altogether, from taking a long weekend to moving half way around the world -- brainstorm your steps out of Normal Land.

And then tomorrow simply take one step, no matter how tentative, no matter how small, into your new life.