Heroes Not Zombies

When I was a GP (a Family Doctor) I had a pony tail but once I became a grandfather I cut it off. One of my patients brought her daughter to see me where I work now (Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital) having been to consult me herself several years ago. She said her husband asked her where she was going today and she replied “To see Dr Leckridge at the Homeopathic Hospital”. He said, “Oh, that hippie doctor!” “What do you mean?” she asked. “The one with the pony tail,” he replied. “Oh, he doesn’t have a pony tail any more” she told him and he replied “Aye, but it’ll still be on the inside!!”

“I hope it is!” she said to me.

Conforming is a zombie way of life in my opinion. It’s good to know your uniqueness and to be yourself. There’s a great post on this across on lifehack today. It’s written by Adrian Savage who writes the great Slow Leadership blog. I love his conclusion –

Conformity has very little to recommend it. Trust yourself and trust others. Our world has so little trust even a little more is precious. If you can’t trust who you are—the naturally valuable, curious, interesting, and exciting person you were born to be—why should anyone else trust you?

Mediocrity and inner frustration are the true price of conforming. Only those with the courage openly to live their dreams can ever hope to find lasting satisfaction with their lives.

I also love the quote he’s chosen from Rollo May’s “Man’s Search for Himself”

“The opposite of courage in our society is not cowardice…it is conformity.”

Go on, trust yourself, and be the hero of your own life story.