For the days when I think too much about myself I am writing this blog with excerpts taken from "Average versus Exceptional" by Dragos Roua.
Average versus Exceptional
Being an average person surely gives you a bit of safety. Average is cozy. You don’t get too much resistance from society, as long as you fit in the limits. In fact, being average guarantees that society will support you rather than reject you.
Exceptional is risky. Risk is dangerous. Risk can not only put you in danger but it can be extended to your close group, to your community, to the entire society. This is why exceptional people are usually rejected by society. Being exceptional is surely an exciting path but it can also be filled with trouble.
Being average is usually easier; all you have to do is follow the rules. Go to school, graduate, get a job, get married. But this will not guarantee in any form that you will be successful, or that you will live a fulfilling life. It will be safe and you’ll survive. It’s the easy way.
Being exceptional is usually harder, because instead of rules you will have to follow your dreams. This will not guarantee that you’ll be successful either but you will surely live a fulfilling life. Following your dreams is better than following their rules. But it will be difficult and you may fail. Many times. It’s the hardest way.
Being average is indulging. You may have the abilities, the talents or the call to become exceptional, but you maintain yourself in a field of laziness and mediocrity. Why? Because you like living safely, without taking risks in a comfortable space. You indulge yourself with an underrated lifestyle, with an illusion of safety constantly reinforced by the respect of the rules.
Being exceptional is no lazy afternoon or slow party week-end. It’s constantly getting out of the comfort zone and trying something new. It’s restless and exhausting. It’s challenging and full of surprises. Living an exceptional life will give you a lot of pressure and confrontation. Breaking the rules in order to achieve something bigger is no easy task.
Average is faster. You’re walking on somebody else’s footsteps, you move quicker. So many other people were there before, so you don’t have much to do than dumbly move forward. You’ll soon have a job, a paycheck, a mortgage, a car, a house, a family. Sooner than you expect.
Exceptional is slower. You’re walking on fresh territory. You discover your own path with each step and you advance slower. Nobody chose the path you chose, so you’re actually building a road. You’ll hardly have a job, a paycheck, a mortgage, a car, a house or a family in the traditional way of speaking. But you’ll do it your way.
There is an inner pressure of the average over the exceptional. The average will always try to manage the exceptional, to derail, to confuse, to stop it. Because being exceptional is a danger to the established order and you must be aware of that. You are threatening the rules.
Average is based on rules. If there are no rules, the average cannot exist. This is why being exceptional is constantly pushed away. If you chose to be exceptional, be prepared to face not only your inner limitations but a constant pressure from the outside world. You have to win a double battle: with you and with them.
The good news is that being average or being exceptional are just choices. There’s no genetic imprint that says you’re going to be an average person or you’re going to be an exceptional one. Everything is choice.
It was my choice to live my life as I wanted. And I had my share of rejection and criticism from society, that’s for sure. But I’m still living it the same way. And guess what: I don’t have an average income, an average relationship, an average health, an average career. Its way much better than average.
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