When the whole world is running toward a cliff, he who is running in the opposite direction appears to have lost his mind.
~~~~~~~~~~~ C. S. Lewis
Somewhere around 7th or 8th grade, we lost all desire to be different. Fitting in was our refuge from the giant chemical attack we call puberty. Being different was equal parts courage and stupidity. What about now? Is it still safer to blend in? Or have we finally figured out that by trusting ourselves and our Maker---daring to be different---we discover that new and better ideas don't emerge from conformity?
We ought not spend our lives doing only what others do. That's what leads to the time-honored tradition of every parent asking "Well, if all your friends were going to jump off a cliff...." We contribute more in our families, our friendships, at work, by offering new perspectives, different ideas. There are also times when we must take a stand, those times when our gut instinct (our viscera, if you want to be all uppity) tells us that what the crowd is doing is wrong.
What new idea have I bottled up that can make the world around me better?
PS I swear to God if any of you uses the expression "thinking outside the box" I'll have you banned. As your mom said, "Just try me."
Blessings and love to you.
NT
Proverbs 3:5-6
In memory of Allen Jones, who figured out that his old ideas didn't work out all that well. So he tried new ones.
protestia.com
