My whole life I’ve struggled to be normal, but I’ve come to realize that there is no such thing as normal among people. What’s considered normal varies between families, cultures and socioeconomic class, but even then no two people are exactly the same. So trying to be normal is like trying to be all things to all people, which is a maddening, useless waste of time, energy and emotion. Instead, I just want to be me; the me who never wants to grow up or grow old; the me who loves with my whole heart, regardless of the risk; the me who has learned to let go of the hurt, forgive and embrace peace; the me who is in fact happily normal based on how God has wired me to be. Trying to be someone else is exhausting and depressing!
God didn’t create us as Robot’s, expecting us all to act the same way, He made us to be unique. We are all born with a unique personality. We are all born with a capacity to learn and do great things. We are all born curious about our world. But, unfortunately, we aren’t all born into families that embrace and encourage individuality. Many times, we are expected to behave like everyone else….aka, be normal. This can lead to a lot of guilt and shame. The same is also true in our School Systems, which is why many parents are choosing to homeschool their children. I applaud these wise parents who understand that children should be free to learn and grow according to their unique personality, and not simply retain facts that will not serve them later in life.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
If the opposite of normal is abnormal, then let’s all begin to embrace our abnormalities. Learn to color outside the lines, think outside the box, dance in the rain, march to the beat of your own drum. Discover what makes you happy, and if it doesn’t harm anyone else, do It! Maybe other’s won’t think you’re crazy, maybe they will applaud (even if only silently) your free spirit and maybe, just maybe they’ll want to try it too.
Well said! I agree 100%. I recently wrote, "There is no zest in sameness" and "There is little bliss to be had within the status quo". I have been practicing medicine for 26 years and I have yet to see "normal". I don't know what normal looks like because I have never been able to witness it. Everyone has issues. Everyone. A great deal of living life on life's terms, it seems, is learning to be comfortable in your own skin and helping others to get comfortable in theirs.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your feedback Clark, I totally agree!! What's key is determining our own normal, who we are and what works for us, and not letting someone else define it for us. (Jumping out of a plane is totally normal for me....) Once we are secure in who we are, we are free to help other's in a more positive and accepting way.
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