Written by Have you ever felt that you were meant to do something more? Have you had experiences that, in your mind’s eye, should have been right but come to find that you were upended for some reason? It is wild, but the universe will tell you about the moves you have made, if they are conducive to your destiny, or if you are forcing a square peg into a round hole.
Many people die without recognizing their destiny because they have been led to believe they should be a part of society’s status quo. It convinces many to mix in with the herd instead of finding individuality. The tugging one feels and the agitation received appears to be a challenge or grief of some nature. Evangelical Christian pastor Charles R. Swindoll once said, “We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” (Swindoll)
Scientists and numerous people have said humans have a 400 trillion to 1 chance of being born. What we are now; means that we have either settled to become what society wanted us to be or pursued the opportunities to race toward our destinies. We have beat out versions of ourselves while traveling to the egg to do some amazing things. Some sperm cells contain the knowledge to be able to cure diseases, invent things to advance humanity’s progress, or even help solve world peace; now that you are on this planet, what have you decided to become?
The late Dr. Myles Munroe said, “The wealthiest place in the world is not the gold mines of South America or the oil fields of Iraq or Iran. They are not the diamond mines of South Africa or the banks of the world. The wealthiest place on the planet is just down the road. It is the cemetery. There lie buried companies that were never started, inventions that were never made, bestselling books that were never written, and masterpieces that were never painted. In the cemetery is buried the greatest treasure of untapped potential.” (Munroe)
Because we have all hit the lottery of life, as I call it, I firmly believe that we all have something great in us that can be an asset to our fellow man. The world has led us to think that fitting into society is more important than breaking out to find a better version of ourselves. It is a reason that many die without finding their potential.
Humans do not want to be made to look like an outlier or a pariah. Doing so means that we must reject many traditions we have been influenced by and reject the status quo that has labeled people as expected because they have chosen to fit into society’s lexicon. The situations that may cause you some form of grief (not referring to the death of a loved one) may be telling you that you are going in the wrong direction.
For example, constant job rejections, job loss, divorce, loss of friends or familiar relationships, or even relocations may be signs that you are destined for more. For instance, many know that a bad breakup or divorce can open the doorway to a more fruitful and viable relationship. Look at this different scenario; Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was slated to go pro in the NFL but got hurt, which tabled his NFL dreams. Now he is an A-List celebrity actor. As Swindoll discussed, some circumstances may appear challenging but can ultimately yield incredible results. It shows that our paths may shift from our initial desires, but that shift may present a better opportunity.
Back to my initial premise. It is a question that one must ask themselves. “Am I meant to create or meant to labor?” Many people will not find the better version of themselves when feeling like they are meant to labor and exist. That feeling of “I could be doing more” creeps in, and we do one of two things: Either we continue to suppress it or buck the status quo and follow our hearts into that “unknown” abyss. Oddly enough, there is no guarantee with either choice. One just means that you have settled for an existence dictated by life, and the other means that you are willing to take a risk on that “tugging feeling.” Neither is wrong, but both come with a series of consequences. The consequences are based on the choices made.
The way a situation is seen is often how it will play out. If you choose to stay within the status quo of life, then be prepared if changes to what you thought your life would become occur. Your predictability and life may run counter in this scenario. There is no guarantee that you will maintain the life course that you have had. On the other hand, the quest for freedom may be ripe with delays, pitfalls, and unpredictability.
Still, self-belief and faith will make one resilient and allows an opportunity to pivot and create a life more conducive to one they truly want. Again, there is no guarantee, but life is predicated on the journey instead of the end-game result. Some rely on what they have seen through tradition to predict their outcomes in life. We have seen that in a family of doctors, many in that family follow the tradition. Still, the family may ostracize the decision if one chooses to become a firefighter. In a 2016 article in the journal Elsevier, Dr’s Yates and de Oliveira discuss how tradition can be an important aspect of decision-making. They cite research done by psychologists in the Journal of Applied Psychology as stating, “ ‘‘Tight” cultures have many norms that are strictly enforced socially, whereas loose cultures have fewer norms which may be violated to some degree without penalty.” (Gelfand et al.)
Going against the grain of tradition and society is challenging. It is a big part of why many do not. We “fall in line” with expectations. However, it may not be in our best self-interest. It is what tradition says is best versus what the heart and mind state. Some people will view their creativity as a hobby that should not be explored. The perceived “safety and security” of following the herd trumps the decision to become the outlier.
Outliers that become successful are considered “superhuman or extra smart” by society’s standards, and it is not to take anything away from their talent. People need to see that in addition to the talent that others possess, they also possess values of self-belief and the innate ability to shut out the noise of the masses. To seek your creative side instead of becoming a laborer means that one must openly go against the voices begging for them to come back and fight the same ones that ostracize them for leaving the herd in the first place.
Ishiro Kashimi spoke of this in his book, The Courage to be Disliked. Often one must agree to be “disliked,” making their dreams happen. I refer to several people who have dared, and the results have become stellar. Jay Z is one example. In 1996, he could not get a record deal. Several labels rejected him. He started Roc A Fella Records and is now the first hip-hop billionaire in history. Likewise, J.K. Rowling was rejected by 12 publishers for her Harry Potter book. Despite numerous rejections, she became a billionaire by holding on to her dream, and her Harry Potter books are cemented in history. Both could have given up on their dreams and fallen back into the herd to meet society’s standards of them. Still, it was their faith in their talents, ability to navigate through rejection, hard work, and persistence that now have them in that “superhuman” category that many consider them.
The moniker of the laborer is seen as admirable by society’s standards, and there is nothing wrong with that label at all, but it does mean that one has chosen not to explore their creative side. Because of this choice, many will die with their potential inside of them and litter the graveyards with their potential magnificence. As Dr. Munroe discussed, the graveyard is full of people that never lived up to their potential and ended up dying with it. Do not be one of these people. You have greatness in you. We all do. Even if you choose to be a laborer, explore your creative side, and see where that potential will take you. Allow yourself the chance to explore the greatness that is within you.
Bibliography
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Munroe, Myles Dr. “The Wealthiest Place in the World Is Not the Gold Mines of South America or the Oil Fields of Iraq or Iran.” Good Reads, ND, www.goodreads.com/quotes/9196732-the-wealthiest-place-in-the-world-is-not-the-gold. Accessed 27 May 2023.
Munroe, Myles Dr. [Speaker] The Wealthiest Place on Earth. Dr. Myles Munroe (Powerful Motivational Clip), Kingdom Grace Podcast, Blue Host, Oct 5, 2019 https://www.podcastics.com/podcast/episode/the-wealthiest-place-on-earth-dr-myles-munroe-powerful-motivational-clip-37084/, May 28, 2023,
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Kashimi, Ichiro, and Fumitake Koga . The Courage to Be Disliked: How to Free Yourself, Change Your Life, and Achieve Real Happiness. 1st ed., Atria, 2018, https://doi.org/9781501197277.
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