When everyone zigs, zag.
I have never been a fan of conformity. For one reason or another, I have often found myself in several unusual situations is my brief life of 25 years. And almost always, such situations have faced the most absurd decisions possible, courtesy, yours truly!
I have failed more times than I have succeeded in almost everything I’ve ever done. But I am not sorry about my failures because the successes have always been worth it.
Over the years, I have developed a way of..living (?). When everyone zigs, zag. If you’re willing to go where very few have been, you must be ready to do things that most people would never think or gather enough courage to do.
You get a salmon when you against the current, not when you go with it.
Now, I’m not saying, just because you run against the tide, you always get the salmon. In fact, most times, you’ll slip on an algae-infested piece of stone, you’ll find your face submerged accompanied by the feeling of dying a not-so-glorious death. But the times you do get salmon, you’ll get a big one. And you’ll enjoy it way more than any other salmon you would have netted if you were going in the other direction.
For those who don’t see an ally in metaphors, think of the salmon as the things you want. The algae-infested piece of stone represents the societal norms and general expectations.
When everyone else zigs, zag. It doesn’t mean you stop eating because everyone else eats thrice a day. It simply means not doing things just because other people (yes, this includes your parents and friends too) demand or expect you to do. Eat twice a day if that works for you.
Take chances. Pick something that tickles your fantasy.
And fail often.
Failure has taught me more than success. When you succeed, you almost always continue repeating whatever steps led to your success. But failure is a great opportunity to explore whatever you were working on.
The 8-year old would never have been able to solve Sudoku puzzles in under 5 minutes if I hadn’t failed miserably at solving my second one after having finished a half-done Sudoku the first time around. The first success made me slightly comfortable with the idea of giving Sudoku puzzles a go. The first failure made me dig deeper into how the numbers are arranged in the puzzle which then enabled me to solve them again and again. In the car, on the bed, on the top of a bus, everywhere.
When everyone zigs, zag. Try exploring the unknown. Don’t put down unusual ideas. Don’t stop yourself from thinking the weird stuff. It’s not weird if it works. You’ll only know when you try. Question things. Take risks. And find your own reasons.
And for the love of everything that’s sacred to you, don’t do things just because you’re expected to do them. Instead, do things you’re invested in. Things that you believe in. Things that make you wake up early and go to bed late. Do them. When everyone zigs, zag if that is what makes you happy because life is too short to do otherwise.
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com on May 4, 2018.
