My Seth Godin homage for Christmas…
…
“I don’t like the way it looks…” she said with a grimace.
“Just drink it, it tastes good, honestly.” I replied, cajoling. “It will fill you up and it’s good for you.”
We have been programmed to expect everything to look good and taste good and be comfortable. Why? We have been overtly pushed into comfort zones by giant industrial combines for which sameness and consistency is profit.
We have a fear of uncertainty.
Why?
The things that are worthwhile in this life are typically uncertain. We turn to religion and government and law for the sameness and smooth governing hand of structure and institution. Because we can’t stomach the chaos. The chaos scares us.
But, the chaos is where the good stuff is.
Don’t abdicate you freedom, especially your freedom of thought and action for comfort.
It is not the chaos that is bad. It is our inability to deal with and live with the chaos that limits our lives.
To venture out into the chaos is scary. To do something different outside the doors of the institutions of life is terrifying.
What are we afraid of?
We are afraid that we will have to have hard conversations. We are afraid that people will not like us. We are afraid of being cast out of the tribe.
But we can form our own tribe. And we can start with ourselves.
Why not flip that fear on its head? Why not seek out and embrace the chaos, the difference and the path outside the walls?
Expect the hard conversations.
Expect the pushback and instead of recoiling from the disapproving glances see them as a sign that you might be on the right track. Use the disapproval of the institutions as your roadmap through the chaos.
Flip it on its head.
The lumpy green smoothie might be the best thing you ever had.
Great Christmas evening thoughts. As evidenced from my recent musical theatre audition quasi-debacle, all those social media successory type quotes about life beginning outside your comfort zone are TRUE but the physical feeling of discomfort when actually going outside your comfort zone is PAINFUL. The kind of pain that will hopefully lead to growth …… time will tell. And thank you for sharing my interview with Roxanne; it was truly a treat to chat with her.