It’s Time to Flip the Script

Let’s go for normal

Since graduating college in 2014, I’ve lived in Cameroon for six months, Washington, DC for three years, Colorado for 18 months, and now live in a van (by choice).

I’ve been a United States Peace Corps Volunteer (elected to terminate my service super early), a data analyst for a car insurance company, a communications professional for an education non-profit, and continue making off-and-on attempts at starting a coaching business.

I’ve gotten married, trained for and attempted to run a marathon (walk/ran the last 4.5 miles), written 30,000 words in less than three days (then deleted the file and lit my notes on fire), gone to Disney World and Universal Studios twice, had a climbing gym membership for a hot second (I hate heights), took cold showers for 2.5 years, and participated in Toastmasters clubs for about the same amount of time.

As I sat outside staring out into the Badlands National Forest today, I was overcome by one very important thought: I couldn’t feel more normal. And, it made me smile.

So many of us live each day desiring to be unique, distinguishable from the crowd, something that makes people who encounter us pause and say “remarkable.”

Chasing that desire will never bear fruit.

Everything I’ve listed out above—some things not super unusual, others more so—is the result of doing the exact opposite of chasing an identity. Rather, I’ve chosen to create my own life based on my individual interests without caring one iota about what others may think about my choices.

And, I have a beautiful partner who has been doing the same.

This, to me, is normal. Everything I’ve done in my 20’s is normal. Everything someone else does that exists outside their interests and circumstances is abnormal.

To make choices that go against what makes you happy is quite possibly the most remarkable thing anyone can do. And, a lot of people do just that every day.

Try the opposite for a minute. Try to simply do what you feel like doing. Then, do it again, and again, and again until it becomes such an ingrained habit that following your interests is simply who you are.

It will be the most normal feeling you’ve ever experienced in your life. Every weight you’ve ever felt on your shoulders about doing or being more will dissolve in an instant.

It’s really difficult to express when sitting in this utopia of normal, but believe me when I tell you that there is no better way to live.

My life vision (something I revisit on an annual basis) is “to maximize the kinetic energy of the unremarkable.” And, it’s the first time I’ve kept my vision in place for more than one year. It still resonates with me now and unless something major shifts my mindset, it will likely continue guiding me for years to come.