In this weekly series, we’ll offer up a little wordly inspiration to kick-off your week.
Some simple wisdom, elegant and accessible. From one soul to another.
We hope it helps you ease into your morning.
xo

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Following the Crowd

I grew up thinking that in order to be accepted, in order to be liked, I had to be a sheep.
A white, fluffy, cute little four-legged sheep. I had to join (and follow) the herd.
Standing out? Well that was social suicide.

Where did I get such a frightening and erroneous belief?
It was all around me.
Culturally. At home. At church. At school. In the grocery store checkout line. In Seventeen Magazine. Everywhere.

I’d venture to say that most of us at some time or another have believed that the safest way of being in the world, is to follow the crowd.
And yet, that is a complete lie.

Take a look at a few of the great men and women who we, as a human race, often celebrate:
Amelia Earhart.
Albert Einstein.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Mother Teresa.
Elon Musk.
Maya Angelou.
Jane Goodall.
Steve Jobs.
Tom Ford.
(ok that last one might just be me)

What do all of these names have in common?
They did things their own way.
They went against the grain, against the societal norm(core) and dared to do the impossible, dared to innovate.
Some thought they were geniuses.
Most thought they were mad.

Though we’re often urged to “be authentic” and find your uniqueness, especially in the personal growth space, following (or more like being part of) the crowd has its place.
It’s vital that we don’t get so caught up in our own stuff, that we miss out on being part of our community.
It’s important to create and sustain friendships and relationships of all kinds.
We all need to feel connected to those around us. We are social creatures, this is true.

However, that doesn’t mean that we need to lose ourselves. It doesn’t mean we should bend to the ideals of the masses.

I don’t believe in the majority. I don’t believe in asking for everyone’s opinion. I don’t believe in consensus.
Why?
Because it dumbs down the results. It stifles creativity. And it dilutes the purity of what’s real and what’s true (for you).

What does not following the crowd look like in my life?
It means that I listen to my intuition. I cultivate my sixth sense daily, by taking long pauses to “listen” to what my soul is trying to say.
It looks like ignoring the wisdom / advice / best practices from thought leaders, if it just doesn’t ring true in my heart.
It shows up as a lot more No’s than Yes’s.
It means that I STOP taking online courses, going to seminars and workshops and conferences, because really . . . I already know what needs to be done.
It looks like not reading copious blog posts, articles and books, and instead, create my own.
It shows up in many ways, large and small. And at the heart of it all is being my own true north, my own advocate and listening to my gut.

The moral of the story?
Follow-the-leader is best left to kindergarten classrooms.

Please. Be a leader.
In your OWN life.
Be a visionary.
Create. Create. Create. Rinse. Repeat.
Be the kind of person we want to celebrate.
Innovate. Turn the tide. Change the world.

But whatever you do, don’t blindly or mindlessly follow the crowd.
Sheep are cute and all, but we don’t really need any more of them.
We need more of YOU.

Questions + thoughts to muse on this week:
Where in your life are you following, instead of leading? How might you turn the tables and become more of a leader in your own life? Find one thing you can do TODAY, to curb your tendency to follow the pack.

xo