You're Not Normal – Chapter 8: Taking the Red Pill (The Next Level)

You're not Normal.

Hear me out!

I'm here to tell you you're not normal. I'm also here to tell you that that's a good thing. An essential thing, something that should be embraced rather than shyed away from or hidden.

You're not abnormal (as far as I know anyway… you could be, I may have never met you… you could actually be some sort of nutter)…

But you are not 'regular' in the traditional sense. I know I'm not and I'm guessing not for you too and I can assure you, it's ok. In fact it's great!

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I am basing this on the fact you are reading a report like this, you may also have read my first book and may potentially be a regular or occasional visitor to my blog.

I'm also guessing if you're reading this you will have read similar type things and plan to read more in the future. Perhaps you're at the start of your journey or advanced down the track… or somewhere in between.

You could of course just be someone who knows me and read through just to see what the hell I was gibbering on about. That's ok too.

But to read through this type of material tells me a lot. It tells me you are interested in finding out about a different way… a better way. You're interested in perhaps improving yourself but more importantly improving your situation in the world.

It tells me you may be looking for a little more freedom but may not quite know how to go about attaining it. It tells me that you want to have a little more fun and eliminate boredom and conformity to a status quo that really isn't the way.

This is all super duper. And I'm glad you are on this journey and making that little bit of effort even if it is just the first step. There will be many more. It will be hard work, but ultimately rewarding. It has to be.

Anyway, why aren't we normal?

Because we do things differently than the 'average' person. We think differently, we question things, we seek a better way, we avoid conformity when it's not appropriate for us… we don't follow the common herd like the rest of the sheep as 'that's the way things are', we object to being slaves to the system and blindly nod a along like some pathetic drone… and sometimes, just sometimes, we act a little crazy.

Crazy for whom? That's a good question.

The average Joe and Joanna live a certain life. They have it mapped out. There is some deviation on the set life plan allowed but only within certain societal reasons.

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For example, you can go traveling in your gap year, to certain places. But not after 30, at that stage you should really be settled down. Of course you should, Eastenders said so… unless you're some sort of renegade maverick drop-out with issues.

As an aside – if there is one piece of advice I could offer anyone at any age is to travel. Travel, travel, travel. You can afford it, you can have the time. It is possible and it is fairly easy. There is no excuse. You will never have lived if you don't.

The above is so important I've emphasised it with bold, italics and asterisks. Underline may have been overkill. It's possibly the most important part of this and any other book ever.

There are certain jobs people do, jobs that carry recognition. Not necessarily because they're enjoyable and fulfilling. And if you were to quit that safe, steady position it would be deemed reckless.

You must do well at school in order to get to the next stage of education and again to the next stage. This then 'ensures' (which it doesn't by the way… do you know any uni graduates in menial jobs? Probably 95%, but I digress) you get a good job in a reputable company.

You then work your way up to a higher paid position, more responsibility etc. You get a house, car, wife/husband, mortgage and some shiny objects so you can show your neighbours how great you are.

You then have your 25 days annual leave (or whatever's agreed with your employer… 2 weeks in America [shocked face]! Unacceptable) but only when the powers that be allow you to take them.

You will have drinks at the weekend in the same bar with the same people. You will holiday in the Canary Islands or similar, or the equivalent for your part of the world.

You will work at least 45 years in order to reach retirement and spend the last of your days at the lowest of your health and well-being probably drawing on a pittance to do so. The chances are you may have to keep on working.

Would it not be better to have that free time earlier in your life? Surely.

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Those 45 years will probably be fairly terrible as you aren't generally living with any passion or purpose… just going through the motions.

There will be good times, sure, but overall you will feel a little empty and there may well be times where it all seems a little pointless.

Screw that! What I've just described is unacceptable. For me, DEFINITLEY, and I'm guessing for you too.

Which brings me back to my point…

We are not normal and proud of that fact.

We want to earn cash but for the right reasons.

We want freedom and choices; both for us and our families and friends.

We want to do what we want to do when we want to do it… so long as there is no harm to others then there is absolutely no conceivable reason why this shouldn't be the case.

You see things, and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were, and I say, 'Why not?' ~ George Bernard Shaw

We want to travel the world, have many adventures, meet great people, sample the delights of this crazy world and not get caught up in the humdrum of existence.

Work when we want to work, on projects that we want to work on… that we are passionate about and have a positive influence on us and the world at large.

Sleep when we want to sleep, drink when we want to drink, eat when we want and the foods that we like.

We don't place any importance on a biological age, a geographical location, the money we have or earn or the (temporary) position we may be in to earn it.

Remember the friendly 'blue pill heads' and the 'not much crowd' from the first book? We are not them. Also, they may look at us with a little confusion…

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“Why is he doing that?”
“Why is she going there”
“What's the point in that, shouldn't they be doing this”
“He's bloody lost it. Who's he think he is, Richard Branson?!”
“She's throwing it all away, she had a good thing there”
“Why are you not coming to the pub, are you stupid?!”

I could write many of these but I think you get the idea.

We may do things differently, as mentioned earlier, we are after different results.

To be better and obtain more or get somewhere closer to meeting our ideals it's the only way it can be. I wrote a recent article on productivity and sacrifice, forsaking drinking beers in the sun to try and make some strides forward and achieve something noteworthy.

It's not for everyone.

Realise that you do have to pay a price. Not everyone is cut out for this. Perhaps you're not but I don't know you, so perhaps you are.

The point is, the majority of people like outlined above aren't cut out for a life of anything more than mediocrity. It's not necessarily their fault, it's partly conditioning which they haven't set about reversing.

I have also been conditioned in the same way but have worked hard over a number of years to try and get things around to my way.

By the way, there's nothing wrong with people living like that above, in fact it means more opportunity and fun for us.

It's not easy. Something has to give and you will 'fail' miserably many times.

But persevere and the best fruit at the top of the tree is yours. The keys to the kingdom are at your mercy.

At least that's what I tell myself ;)

There are many others in history that weren't normal either. Famous names as well as 'regular' Jack and Jills who dared to dream and did something different and a little special.

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Paulo Coelho

I recently listened to an audio and have read some material on the writer Paulo Coelho. You may know him as the author of The Alchemist, a very famous book. If you're not familiar with it, then get familiar with it.

In fact get familiar with some more of his work, I intend to read more from him.

Anyway, in this audio I listened to as well as something I read it was said that Paulo was put in a mental institute when he was growing up.

Do you know why?

Because he wanted to be a writer rather than the career his parents had in mind. This was considered crazy as no-one could make a career and money out of writing. He needed to forget this and concentrate on the 'correct' path laid out for him.

This was deemed so 'out there' that he was actually institutionalised for a time.

Now that's insane.

Those who danced were thought to be quite insane by those who couldn't hear the music ~ Angela Monet

As we know, he has done fairly well in his crazy pursuit and continues to do so.

He brings joy to many, inspires many (including me) and causes people who read his books to think a little. Imagine if he'd listened to his parents and those of the establishment to quash his ideas.

It was also great to hear/read the great Coelho also procrastinates when he sits down to write.

He too checks emails, Facebook, Twitter, fart-arses around for several hours first. He then decides to dedicate half an hour to the task so that he can look himself in the mirror. Of course after 5/10 minutes he's in a state of flow and the ideas are coming thick and fast and he just keeps on typing…

Hope for us all.

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The Wright Brothers & Thomas Edison

Now here are some people who were insane. They had to be, surely… going by what we know now and certainly what they did and didn't know then.

These fellas named Wilbur and Orville Wright purported an idea that they would bend metal and fly people across oceans in this invention. Madness.

But somewhere along the line it happened. It's allowed me to get back and forth to Spain in recent months. I still marvel at this feat of engineering as I'm sat on a plane. 'How the hell is this happening?', I continue to think to myself.

Then there was a chap by the name of Thomas Edison. Spoke some nonsense about flicking a switch then a room would light up from a receptacle in the middle of the room. Somewhere along the line it happened. It's what's allowing me to see what I'm typing now.

Once again, how the hell does this work?! Who knows, who cares to be fair. But this guy had an idea, a vision, a mission, call it what you will, and saw it through.

They say he 'failed' way over 1000 times. Most people would have probably given up after the first, a few more may have made it to 5 and majority would have thrown in the towel by 10… much less a 100.

History is hazy but it was certainly over 1000 attempts. But this guy was never giving up, he would have probably died trying.

He reportedly said something along the lines of:

I have not failed 1,000 times. I have successfully discovered 1,000 ways to NOT make a light bulb

Which makes it all the more preposterous that you can't do and achieve what you would like. If they can do that – yes, extreme examples, but – then you can achieve the smaller dreams you may have for yourself and those around you.

This was all deemed 'unrealistic'. In some ways understandably so. You need to be a little 'unrealistic' also compared to what others may believe possible.

Being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity ~ Will Smith

And a little more from Mr Smith…

Just decide – what it's gonna be, how you're gonna be, how you're gonna do it. Just decide. From that point you do what you have to […] This is what I believe and I’m willing to die for it… it's that simple.

Ok, now let's wrap this whole shebang up!