" You will conform!"
That is something that my father told me when I was young. He wanted me to act more like the other kids. I had a couple cousins and from hanging out with them I knew my brother and sister and I were just a bit different than them. I didn't really understand why at the time but lets chalk it up to the idea that my cousins were raised by parents that were a little bit more "proper." My parents allowed me to have some fun so naturally I was a bit wild, I think its human nature. But when I would go to my cousins house there was just as much studying as there was playing. I really didn't give two shits about reading The Lion The Witch And The Wardrobe. I didn't understand why they were playing a dresser anyways. So basically my cousins house was boring, and I didn't want to be like them.
Still to this day there is great pressure to conform to the norms and standards around you. I do believe there is a healthy balance but doing something just because everyone else is doing it is a very dangerous idea and you really shouldn't follow anything blindly. I think uniqueness and individuality is great. I don't think you should strive to fit in with peers, but rather fight to stand out... of course that is only if you want to stand out. I don't really try to fit in or stand out and I like it that way. I am just a regular person trying to live a life with purpose.
In April it will mark 3 years of self employment via the internet. I have dabbled in many different areas of the internet space and it has been a wonderful journey. I have been happier than every with my work and my lifestyle and now I find myself on a seemingly never ending journey to live a life of purpose. I have spent too many years sitting idle just living with no real goals or plans. I felt happy in the moment but I didn't really have a purpose. Just work and try to have fun. Even though I have found enough income to sustain my lifestyle there is still this idea that some people have that what I do isn't a real job and that it doesn't help the economy. I know these people are obviously lacking understanding of simple economics but its mind boggling the pressure society puts on you to "be employed."
In the end, we really are the creators of the world around us. You might not be able to change things around you instantly, but if you truly intend to change them and you work at it then you can change your world around you. If someone else on the planet can do it, so can you. Break free of the mould. To live a different life, you must travel a different path. Remember that. Thank you for reading!