“Normality is a paved road: It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.” – quote Vincent Van Gogh –Image: Android Jones
What is it like to be considered ‘normal’ or to live a ‘normal’ life?
Pretty boring, I’ll bet.
That doesn’t say much for us as a collective does it that we prefer boring to non-boring?
But NORMAL is how most societies function. When social behaviors waver and go awry, that’s when societal dysfunction occurs—that is when societies either fall or are torn apart.
However individually how much forced NORMALITY can we stand before we crumple into a corner heap defeated?
When Krishnamurti describes TRUTH as a “Pathless Land”, how do you then register Van Gogh’s comment of “normality is a paved road?”
Taken together I’d guess that continuing on with Van Gogh’s thought would be a pretty accurate assumption: “…It’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it.”
So if you want flowers in your life, you may need to veer off the ‘normal’ pavement and start forging your own way through the underbrush. You’ll have to ‘find your own truth’ in a way that feels right for you.
You can be normal to want happiness in your life, but how one defines happiness may not be the same for everyone.
So do we crave “normality”—fitting in to the group at large—or do we crave feeling happy and purposeful about our own life direction? And is there a difference?
Only you can answer that question as best it describes your personal situation.
Example: In an argument do you ‘go along to get along’ with your partner or your social group, or do you ‘butt heads’ to stand your ground and get your way especially when you feel strongly about the issue at hand?
And is that the normal behavior for your situation? Is that behavior right or wrong either way?
Take the time to examine your NORMAL to determine if that particular mode of operation is in your best interest or if it’s time to change things up a bit.
Who knows, maybe you’d prefer a leisurely stroll on a hard level surface to cover the distance faster, or maybe you’d actually accept a rougher terrain if you can enjoy flowers sprouting all along the way.
Or maybe you now crave variety in your travels and ‘normal’ just doesn’t do it for you any longer so you’re looking for a completely different geography that GPS doesn’t even cover.
It is YOUR choice because it’s YOUR life. You decide what works best for you. You will FEEL it when you find your preferred mode of operation.
And you will know if it’s right for you by how peaceful it makes you feel inside.
FINDING YOUR TRUTH 