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The Search for Normality

Guest post by: Jim Stovall

Article Overview: Recently, I heard about a group of advertising agencies that constantly seek what they call a "normal" city or town. Apparently, what they are looking for is the demographically perfect example of the United States. They spend a great deal of time searching for this elusive pocket of normality. Even when they find a city or town that they deem to be normal, within a year or two they have to move on, because the existing site is-for whatever reason-no longer "normal."

The Search for Normality

Recently, I heard about a group of advertising agencies that constantly seek what they call a "normal" city or town. Apparently, what they are looking for is the demographically perfect example of the United States. They spend a great deal of time searching for this elusive pocket of normality. Even when they find a city or town that they deem to be normal, within a year or two they have to move on, because the existing site is-for whatever reason-no longer "normal."

As young children, we are all born as separate and distinct creative individuals. No matter what you may hear to the contrary, our society does not reward or appreciate unique individuals. We are taught at an early age to conform in every way so we will not stand out from the crowd. In essence, we are taught to be "normal."

This process of normalizing everyone is akin to seeking the lowest common human denominator. This is to say, if you never stand out you will certainly never be outstanding. I will always remember being diagnosed with the disease that eventually resulted in my blindness. After it became apparent that I would slowly lose my sight and I would not be "normal," I remember my father saying, "Although you will never be normal, normal is really not

anything worth aspiring to."

Although we would all agree with this in principle, as a society we still reward normality. While I would not advocate becoming anti-social, I do think that greatness comes from individual, creative expression. Think of all the things that you do throughout your day. Ask yourself what would happen if you began performing a few of these tasks at a higher-than-normal level. Look at the mentors or people whose performance you aspire to. You will find that the real achievers in this world rarely do anything "normally." They perform a few critical tasks at the highest possible level and, quite often, ignore or delegate mundane tasks to others.

Monuments are never erected to "normal" people. They are erected to people dedicated to doing one thing exceedingly well. Find that thing in your life, and avoid the temptation to be "normal."

Today's the day.

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Article Tags: achievement, Jim Stovall, normality



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