When you’re curious if someone’s life experience holds something significant for you, one simple question can reveal a lot: “What do you do differently than almost everyone else—even though hardly anyone ever takes the time to understand why?”
If their answer sparks inspiration—if it triggers positive emotions that make you want to try something new or experience life in a different way—you’ve struck gold. That’s a conversation worth diving into further.
In my experience, what people do differently reveals more about them than what they do in conventional ways. Most folks have a herd mentality. Or rather, a school mentality. They swim wherever the swarm decides to swim and eat whatever their fellow fish consider tasty. Even when one of their peers gets gobbled up by a bigger fish, they still cling to the safety of the group. They don’t want to stand out. And they don’t want to risk showing that they’re not part of the pack.
BREAKING NEWS: You’re not a fish, so fish rules don’t apply. As a human being, you’re part of a social network and society at large. Sure, it’s important to get along with others, but you can afford to be DIFFERENT. The right kind of DIFFERENT doesn’t make you an outcast—it makes you an outlier, and that can be a major advantage.
The average person tends to do many things I wouldn’t choose, producing outcomes I don’t think are worth the time and energy invested. That’s why it’s crucial for me to avoid getting caught up in an average-centered mindset. I know many people whose lives revolve around mainstream day-to-day—what some might call “normies”—and I enjoy getting along with them. But I always make sure to distinguish their standards from my own.
Most people never truly do what they want or experience what they secretly crave. They don’t pursue their dreams—they settle for compromises. They can’t handle the initial loneliness that comes with blazing your own trail instead of following the herd. And they miss out on the rewards of doing things differently and reaping a level of personal freedom most people don’t even dare to aim for.
Now, you might be wondering: What does it actually look like to “make ‘DIFFERENT’ your greatest ally?” That depends on your situation and goals.
For me, it’s about rising earlier than most, dedicating a significant part of my day to practices and routines that most people have never explored or even heard of, eating in ways that don’t numb my senses, and spending time in nature. It’s about using uncommon thought strategies and mental models, applying awareness techniques, and building, honing, and expanding an outside-the-box skillset that allows me to do the kind of work I do.
In short—without ever having set this as a goal—I live a life that’s basically the opposite of what I’ve been taught a “normal” life should look like.
