Before we are born our lives have been prescribed for us with such keen instructions. 

Go to school, get good grades, and choose a profession that is sure to help you achieve financial success- shall I say, doctor, lawyer, broker, engineer. After you complete school find a spouse, buy a house, and raise 2.5 kids together- oh and live happily ever after for the rest.of. your. life.

This guidance on how to live a good life has been passed down for GENERATIONS. And most of us abide by these rules- Why? Because it’s too risky otherwise when a ‘blueprint’ for life outside of the norm has not been ‘drafted’. If we take a closer look at history some of the most notable figures didn’t follow the traditional blueprint-they decided to color outside the lines to achieve ‘success’. 

Following the traditional blueprint for most is a sure bet--“I can’t fail” if I follow this path. 

But I ask how can someone teach you a flourishing life when their minds have been enslaved to the same narrative for years. 

I do not recall consciously accepting this blueprint. I was conditioned and influenced by this defined logic. 

Dare we question this logic? We should…

We have defined our lives and judge others by what we do and how many dollars occupy our accounts. Did you go to college? What college? Where do you live? What kind of car do you drive? And the most interesting part is that we want to appear as if we have it all together. We feed into this outdated narrative that we must have the money, the cars, the looks, the house to feel accepted. If these possessions gave us any glimmer of happiness, then depression would not be at an all-time high. Studies have shown that happiness does not increase that much based on material wealth. 

We should question the system that has persuaded us to believe that following our own life path does not equate to a ‘good life’. Says who? People who do not continue to expand their minds after college? People who rarely read books and refuse to learn from others? People who are stuck in time and a mindset based on when they were raised? People whose subconscious is so persuaded by the narrative that it is part of their beliefs? People who surround themselves with like-minded people so they can never be scrutinized?

I question this path. Why follow a path that does not lead to a flourishing life for YOU. If the accepted path does allow you to flourish, continue onward. But if you are not feeling rewarded, enlightened, joyful, or happy you should redefine what is right for you. 

When you share your new path with those conditioned by the ‘accepted’ path there might be silence in the room, around the table, on the phone or via email. March Forward. Those individuals do not get to live your life so why should they define it? 

Life is short and the last time I checked was temporary. Time is a resource. You only get so much time on this earth to live your best life and create the story of your life as you meant it to be.