Daily Mood Quote
Day 25 – May 29, 2011
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.
~Henry David Thoreau
This morning, I watched a great video by Alexandra Robbins, author of “The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth: Quirk Theory”. Her point of view was “how awesome it is to be different?” In a world that pushes with so much emphasis on conformity, its sometimes difficult to embrace our individuality. The fact of the matter is the pressure to conform is as old as mankind. Perhaps it comes from our need for survival, because man worked in teams to secure dinner for the families. Those who stuck out (or worked alone) usually became the dinner in the wild of the prehistoric world. Like other ancient behaviors, this particular trait has run its course. It is no longer a survival advantage to blend in, or to be one of the drones.
Many of us march to a different drummer, or in this case, beat. Not the least of which is Lady Gaga. On American Idol's season finale, Lady Gaga's performance, though a bit over the top, was for the young audience and definitely different. Too hot for me. A different drummer to be certain. Although she is a media sensation and wildly successful, she, in a March 2010 interview with BBCI, revealed that she too considers herself an outcast. It is her difference that makes her a superstar. I enjoy Lady Gaga's music, it's fun and full of energy, but as a product of another generation, her videos cause me to blush.
The simple facts are that, without the contributions of “unique” individuals, we just might still be stuck chasing our food with sticks. We are all given unique gifts and its from those gifts many would consider “quirky” and “different” that the great leaps of mankind have occurred. This includes the computer, pad, laptop, or Smart phone that you are currently reading this on. That all began with a couple of outsiders named Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. Not mainstream guys to be certain, yet today for better or worse, we all see them as iconic.
Robert Carradine (Lewis) in Revenge of the Nerds said not so eloquently… "Because when it comes to standing out you will find…. There's a lot more of us than there are of you.... Any of you that have ever felt stepped on, left out, picked on, put down, whether you think you're a nerd or not, why don't you just come down here and join us. Okay? Come on.”
Embrace the difference, it makes a difference.
What unique gift do you have that you will embrace today?
Tune in tomorrow to read the daily mood quote
Thank you for reading
No comments:
Post a Comment