The idea that one might derive satisfaction from his or her successful work, because that work is ingenious, beautiful, or just pleasing, has become ridiculed.
-Niklaus Wirth
The fear to be ridiculed or to be the “black sheep” is one of the biggest fears and the most common. To fit into societies norms and to be socially accepted is where the majority feels comfortable. This mindset stifles ingenuity and creates an environment of “followers”. Dreamers are foolish, creativity is madness and adventurous people are unstable hippies.
I always say I don’t like to be home for too long; I often drift back into living a routined life. Comfort is not good if you want to achieve anything worthwhile. You must allow yourself to come out of your comfort zone. “Have you ever seen an athlete become better by avoiding competitions to relax or an artist sharpen his talents by painting the same picture over and over again?”
“What are you most afraid off?” Many named more than one, and 41 percent of them gave “speaking before a group” as number one. Way down in sixth place was death. Twice as many people were afraid of speaking in public as were afraid of dying. So, death is only remotely disturbing, but speaking in front of others scares the pants off us. Why do so many people fear speaking before a group more than they fear death, war, prison, disease, Stephen King novels, or driving on the freeway? I think Wood Allen hit on something important. Death is one of the few things that can be done as easily lying down. The difference between sex and death is that, with death, you can do it alone and no one is going to make fun of you.” Our worst fear is not really speaking in front of a group. It’s fear of being laughed at- of being ridiculed.”
– Kitta Reeds
I met a plumber who came to do some work on one of my mother’s properties. This man was a very interesting fellow. I kept his company and chatted to him while he was at “work” but it didn’t seem like work to him, he had no expression of frustration or annoyance. He simply just did what he came to do. We conversed and I learnt he had a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. He woke up one day and decided sitting down in an air conditioned office wasn’t the ideal occupation for him. He left his job to be a plumber. Most folks wouldn’t understand this bold move. When you care less about what people think of you decisions become easier and you make the choice to suit yourself which aids to your happiness.
He worked in almost all of the states in the United States working his trade and I was even more amazed when he opted to live with some Amish people in Pennsylvania just to experience how they ‘lived”. Quite an extraordinary combination, a Caribbean man living with the Amish but he said he enjoyed every minute of it. This man wasn’t afraid to live out of his comfort zone, he actually welcome adventure simultaneously he was embracing applicable knowledge, experience, social skills and many other traits that can’t be taught. The most important lesson here is he didn’t allow the judgement of others hinder his happiness or progress.
Wanting to do it was much more powerful than the fright.
-Charlotte Gainsburg
A Journey Of Learning--Life 