post written by: Marc
The Art of Forging Your Own Path
This guest post was written by Diggy, author of Upgrade Reality.
No two people are identical, not even identical twins. Everyone is a one-of-a-kind. And do you know what a one-of-a-kind is worth? Priceless! Yes, this means YOU are priceless.
From the day we are born and open our eyes, we start to grow into the person we will ultimately become as a result of the environment we are exposed to and the experiences we endure. And although our parents and mentors have a large impact on our upbringing, we rarely walk the exact path they had in mind for us.
There is only one success: To be able to spend your life in your own way.
- Christopher Morely
Don’t Be Someone Else’s Puppet
Contrary to the way many people behave, we do not have to do what other people tell us to do all of the time. We are constantly under siege from family, friends, strangers and the media to act, behave and live in certain ways. But despite all of these external influences, we have the ultimate choice to make our own decisions.
Be True To Yourself
“Be true to yourself or you aren’t true to anyone.”
This is a powerful quote my mother told me a long time ago. And whenever I make a decision I try to stick to it. It is one thing to lie to other people, but it is much worse to lie to yourself. Many people get into the habit of ignoring their true desires and instead they just do what they believe is expected of them by others. I promise you, this path will only lead to failure on all fronts.
Find and Follow Your Own Values
If you want to please somebody, be honest. Do what they ask of you only when their values and expectations align with yours, and not because you merely want to impress them. Do not study to be a lawyer because your parents have been telling you to since you were ten years old. Instead, become a pilot, or an engineer, or whatever, because it’s your passion. In other words, figure out what makes you tick and pursue it!
Leave the Comfort of Your Nest
Never forget the definition of insanity: Doing the same thing every day of every month of every year, and expecting different results. If you want to truly live, and not merely exist, you have to leave the comfort of your nest. You have to forge your own path through the uncharted waters around you - for it is these uncharted waters that will eventually lead you to the shores of your goals.
Make Choices and Take Risks
The best way to forge your own path and live a life of fulfillment is to listen to your heart and overcome your natural fears. You’ll never get to the place you want to be if you’re afraid to make the necessary choices to get there.
Do not be afraid of what someone will think of you or say to you if you express your passion and tell them what you really want to do with your life. Do not be afraid to make a choice that seems a little risky – everything in life, even getting out of bed in the morning, involves risk. If you intend to live, you have to accept risks.
Conclusion
It’s your life to live and your life to enjoy, no one else’s. Nobody on this planet walks the exact same path as you, and this is precisely what makes life so remarkable and fun. Although others may be able to show you parts of the path, you must take the initiative to walk it on your own. Because as Morpheus said in The Matrix, “Neo, sooner or later you’re going to realize, just as I did, that there’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.”
So stay true to yourself, follow your instincts, and listen to your heart every step of the way.
Diggy is the author of UpgradeReality.com, a blog that explores the beauty and simplicity of self-improvement. If you enjoyed this post then consider subscribing to his RSS feed.
Photo by: Guilherme Cecílio
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28 Comments
October 26th, 2009 at 1:13 am
Hey Marc & Angel
Thanks so much for the opportunity to post on your wonderful blog! I really appreciate it and hope your readers enjoy it
Have a wonderful week!
Diggy
October 26th, 2009 at 2:58 am
Diggy, good stuff! Also, on “Find and follow your own values” I’d add “have a style all your own.
No
emoticons, Diggy? 
Cheers!
October 26th, 2009 at 3:53 am
I think forging your own path is a rare thing. Most people don’t really know that their own values are and this makes it hard for them to find their path.
So instead, they often resort to society, peer groups, family, media to tell them what their path should be. The only problem is, then they’re not really living their lives, just an extension of someone’s else life. Can’t get very happy this way.
Eduard
October 26th, 2009 at 4:05 am
Hello Diggy. Thanks for this informative post. I agree that everybody on the earth is born differently. Although we may may have similar traits, we all walk different journeys.
These tips - thinking for yourself, being true to yourself, following your own values instead of others, taking risks, getting out of your comfort zone, and taking risks - are solid ideas on becoming more independent and creating one’s own journey towards success.
October 26th, 2009 at 4:49 am
Nice work Diggy.
I think one thing I’ve struggled is figuring out which path I want to take. I’ve always been “the quiet kid” who likes to just sit back, read a good book, and have long conversations with just a few friends, but the problem with that is it doesn’t lead you to many new experiences, so you really have to make your own choices.
But there are some certain situations where I feel at peace, so I’m learning from those where I want to go in life. And luckily no path is set in stone, so that’s comforting.
October 26th, 2009 at 5:04 am
A nice reminder of what’s important on this Monday morning. Thanks!
October 26th, 2009 at 6:52 am
Excellent guest post, Diggy! Loved it!
October 26th, 2009 at 7:42 am
Diggy, well done! And nice to read you here! A great call to be true to yourself and forge your own path in life, for all of us.
Cheers!
Miche
October 26th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Couldn’t agree more man. If you aren’t true to yourself then who are you?
Great tips and reminders.
October 26th, 2009 at 10:08 am
@Diggy:
You bet! I truly enjoyed this article. You are more than welcome to submit another guest post anytime.
Thanks so much for the inspiration.
October 26th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Hey Diggy,
Great post–I couldn’t agree more with following your own drummer and taking risks–knowing that new things feel unconfortable at first.
The trick is always the first step…
Take Care,
Jill
October 26th, 2009 at 7:55 pm
What a wonderful article. True freedom is only achieved when we are following our own path. Anything else is a form of bondage.
October 27th, 2009 at 12:00 am
“Be true to yourself or you aren’t true to anyone.” What a powerful qoute. It takes courage to be true to yoruself, it takes risk, but it is the only way for us to be truly happy.. Great article, thanks!
October 27th, 2009 at 7:39 am
i really like the picture of the guy standing in the desert. where can i get a wallpaper sized version?
Thanks a lot
October 27th, 2009 at 10:26 am
Wonderful post about taking your own path. This is something I have done over the last few years. It always takes a leap of faith, and facing the unknown. But if you go with your gut, you will go the right direction.
Thanks again!
Dayne
October 27th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
Hi Diggy,
Inspiring post. I have a quote that I keep on my computer monitor and it is “Stand up to your obstacles and do something about them. You will find that they haven’t half the strength you think they have. ”
Thought it fits in well with the theme of your post.
Best,
Bob
October 30th, 2009 at 8:01 am
[…] The Art of Forging Your Own Path […]
October 30th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Great post Diggy. You are so right…Sometimes the best advice anyone can give you is to “Just Do You”. Yes, we can look to the advice and guidance of other people, but at some point we all have to find and follow our own truth.
October 30th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Staying true to yourself is hard. I’ve made many mistakes of what I thought was true to me, but was actually a self created mirage. That’s why we must continue to take risks, otherwise we become afraid. When we realize that failure is all a part of the process then we know that not taking risks is actually more detrimental to our overall happiness.
October 30th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
The section where you talk about risk is key. I wrote a guest post recently for Matt Jabs at Debt Free Adventure that compares the risks of starting a business vs the risks of being an employee that ties in nicely with your post: http://www.debtfreeadventure.com/2009/10/is-entrepreneurship-riskier-than-employment/
October 31st, 2009 at 9:51 am
Great post. I needed this today. All of my life I have tried to be like someone else, or wanted to be different. I am my own person!
Dallas
October 31st, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Awesome! You are the man!
October 31st, 2009 at 4:46 pm
Be Yourself in a world that where identity is a major issue.
Good article!
November 16th, 2009 at 12:33 am
I have enjoyed reading this, it is good to be true to oneself , but how many do they fail and sell their soul to the demands and conditionings of society? no guts no glory. Nice post
November 17th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
Really good advice. Follow your path and you will be happy! Let’s hope all of us pursuit our dreams, and that we are happy when we accomplish them.
December 22nd, 2009 at 5:15 am
I did few mistakes before by surrendering my choices and still paying for them.
I wrote a similar article on my blog.
Check here
December 30th, 2009 at 6:57 am
[…] The Art of Forging Your Own Path […]
May 30th, 2010 at 8:17 am
great post! I wish I had discovered your blog last year when I was going through some hard times…. it would have put many things in my life into perspective.
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