How many times have we heard this expression spoken to us”
“You are special.”
Everyone, right?
How about this one?
“You are unique, just like everybody else.”
A smartypants way of putting perspective on the fact that you are unique, but that unto itself is a paradoxical awareness that being unique makes you no longer unique. Individual and collective truth collide and nothing happens. The two ricochet off each other like billiard balls and carom about the pool table of life.
Lately I’ve been dealing with my own narcissism and struggles with getting my book out there. It has been good to see the impact I have had so far. The people who have read it and spoke to me about it have had almost universal glowing responses. They’ve all gotten something deeper out of the adventure, and that is what I hoped would happen. I desire to make this series something more than just a popcorn nom-fest, and have things to it that stick around with you for long after. Ideas that make you consider the world a little different, or maybe be that “Shakabuken” that changes your entire perspective on life.
What author doesn’t want that, right? Yeah, you know it. I see it in your face.
It’s that desire to live up to the accolade “You are special”.
But then comes the sharper edge realization as you watch your book rank drop, and you question whether or not what you wrote was any damn good. You go through the stages of ‘poser syndrome’ just like every other artist in the world and you come to realize another universal truth out there.
“I may be special, but the world don’t care.”
There’s not much you can do to make the world care either. Why? Because there are almost 8 billion other people in the world wanting to declare “I am special” too, and that just means you are another spike in the static of the global zeitgeist. Just another set of subatomic collisions producing incalculable numbers of quarks beyond that which go unnoticed
But, what we do not always know is that when we are that one particle that starts a chain reaction. Plus, we have the benefit of being fired out of the proton gun of personal will as many times as we choose to try. Fire. Nothing. Fire. Nothing. Fire. Something? No nothing. Fire again. And again, and again, again again.
But then you hit something and the chain reaction starts. Now the world sits up and takes notice because your idea, your creation is impacting the world in a way that cannot be ignored. You are breaking down the status quo, releasing energy into the world and creating or destroying to bring about something new. In a world of static, new is always good. New means something is happening that can be interacted with.
Or perhaps you are the particle just sitting there till something hits you and how you respond to it is what does the trick. Sometimes you are in the right place at the right time when the right particle just nails you in the keister and you light up the world around you with your reaction, be it good or bad. Just remember, for every quark created, you could be a cute or charmed reaction.
pew pew pew.
So, be aware of these simple facts.
You are special
The world doesn’t care
But that shouldn’t stop you either.
And if you keep trying, someday, you may change the world on purpose or just by being in the way of someone else who is.
You must log in to post a comment.