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Be of Good Courage, and Do It.

Some days I wake up, get dressed, look in the mirror, and wish that for the day, I could quit being different. Why can't I, just for a day, fit in? I wonder. I get tired of sticking out like a sore thumb. It would be nice, sometimes, just to fit in and be "normal," wouldn't it?
Do you know this feeling? If so, this is for you.
Being different is hard. Being unique is really quite lonely. Even though there are friends who can support and encourage you, and sometimes you find yourself in a place where being unique includes no pressure, ultimately, you have to face this world. You have to do it every day. And you have to do it alone.
Great people never have fit in. the road to greatness is a lonely one, whether your road leads to taking an active, high-up role in changing the world, or whether it leads to quiet achievement of excellence. Nobody can walk that road for you; the fact is, no mortal man can even fully walk it with you. If they could, it wouldn't be a path that leads to greatness; it would lead to mediocrity. (Mediocrity isn't lonely.) In seeking moral, academic, or personal excellence, you will always be a misfit in a world that smiles on below-average performance in all these areas.
This road is lonely, but it must be walked nonetheless. Along this road lies adventure and purpose--in fact, the road is adventure and purpose. This road is living to your fullest potential and realizing your dreams. Making them come true. Making them live and breathe.
I'm young, and I have big dreams. I cannot be content with a road of mediocrity; I want to soar. I want to see the world... and not just places, but people, cultures. More accurately, I don't want just to see, but to hear, smell, feel, taste, dance to, love, and really, truly experience the world. I want to learn and become and change, and in turn, I want to see others learn and become and change. I'm just one, but I'm going to leave my mark on this good Earth. The road to excellence--or "being unique"--is my duty, mission, and adventure, and I accept it with open arms. 
And all of this begins...
                      ...in the morning...
                                              ...when I wish...
                                                                   ...I could fit in. 
For the adventurer, fitting in is not an option. Excellent people must and will stand out every single day of their lives, no matter how uncomfortable it can be, no matter how tired and worn-down they feel. Adventure is a way of life. 
Face every day like an adventure: stand out, even when it's hard. Don't let others scare you out of being "different". Your life's mission--your quest--begins today. And tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that...
Your own path of excellence, like your life, will be unique to you. It will be lonely; but if it wasn't lonely and hard, it wouldn't be worth anything. "Arise, for this matter belongeth unto thee:...be of good courage, and do it." 

 (Inspired by Julia H. Great post, my friend!)
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Comments

  1. UnknownFebruary 19, 2013 at 3:43 PM

    Wow... that was exactly what I needed to hear today Chip!
    That was beautiful! thanks! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. CatherineFebruary 26, 2013 at 4:17 PM

      Thanks for telling me, Nate! :D That makes my heart happy. (: Glad you liked it!

      Delete

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