“When in Rome,” they say, “you should do as the Romans do!” Does this same philosophy apply if you are in Cape Town? Or Sydney? Or Toronto? And what is it that Romans do anyway? Well, they eat a lot of pasta, drive a lot of motor-scooters, and watch a lot of football. I enjoy all of the above, but I also enjoy a variety of things, from food to people to adventure to perspective. I don’t make a habit of living in the shadows of other folks, but I do make a conscious effort to lead by my own example.

Every person is different; so is every inch of the planet. Anywhere we go, we will find a diverse custom or way of doing things. Just the same, people like repetition and uniformity. That is why cities and shopping centers are so similar. Almost anywhere we travel in the world we can get the same food and buy the same drinks. It’s as if we value consistency more than excellence. Some folks don’t care whether it’s great, as long as it’s average. Why settle for mediocrity when you can achieve brilliance? I know of many people who are content with the ordinary, the mundane, and the unchanging. They pride themselves on never having been anywhere outside of their own back yard or tasting a delicatessen they do not know how to spell. While this is not a dreadful thing – it is not a developing thing either. Enhancement and growth can only come with accepting and employing change.

Change is an inevitable part of life. The more you resist, the less you mature. The more you think, the less you will understand. The more you worry, the less you will enjoy life. We are not obliged to communicate with one another, stretch our intellect to maximum capacity, or transform our lives to another’s way of being. There is no law that says we must keep on making things happen or that our lives mean less if we don’t. It is though, essential to be happy. Dare to be different and give yourself the room you need to discover YOU.

It’s one thing to live in sympathy with your surroundings; it’s another to be so conscious of your contemporaries that you can only see what’s expected of you, not what you personally feel you ought to or want to do. When its all said and done, how much of your soul are you really selling? How much of others expectations are you settling for? How much room are you giving yourself to roam and decide on what’s best for only you? Don’t follow someone else’s example; CREATE your own. Embrace your space and the power of your NOW.

Love and Light for your Tuesday.