Are You Afraid To Be Different?

[MajestyJo]

Are you afraid to be different?

On the path of evolution, we move from being a willing and obedient member of the group to wanting to take control over our own lives.

This is a necessary but difficult transition.

Andrew Schneider says, "At this point we are afraid of being ourselves. We are afraid of being unique and different. We are afraid of being individually powerful, and even successful. For all of these things stand against the old ways that told us that conformity was
right and individualism was wrong.

"For as long as we possibly can, we make a compromise. We try to live both lives - the dependent tribal life and the independent personal life - as contradictory and opposite as they are.

"We want approval from others. We want to be accepted and popular. We seek this comfort to overcome our fear and feel more secure. ...So, at times when we conform, we don't feel the fear of living. But we might lose the new sense of adventure, discovery, daring and enthusiasm for life that the questioning and questing have brought us."

"Nature never repeats herself, and the possibilities of one human soul will never be found in another."

-- Elizabeth Cady Stanton

From Higher Awareness - reproduction is permitted



This brought a lot of thought, followed by some meditation to see if that fear was still there. Some days, it still can. The people pleaser can still come out, and I fear what people are going to say, will they accept me, will they like me for who I am.

I told my first bridge partner in my site that I had something to tell him before he agreed to play with me. (FEAR) I told him that I was a recovering alcoholic, and I had been clean and sober for several years. He said, "I didn't think people with alcoholism could recover.?" I have no problem with the fact, as long as you know how to play bridge.

What is normal? I cycle on the washing machine. I use to act normal for an alcoholic. Thanks to recovery, I try to the best of my ability, to live as a recovering alcoholic, free from the hopeless state of mind and body. I had an elder in AA, tell me that it took 8 years in recovery to be 'normal' and able to live like an Earthling!