Everyday Canvas

"Average" is AOK!

Prompt:
"I'm intimidated by the fear of being average."
Taylor Swift
Write about what intimidates you for your Blog entry today.

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What would intimidate me would be if I hurt someone willingly or unwillingly or did something wrong to mess up anyone's plans or relationships. But life happens and sometimes, without knowingly, I might have done that and might again do it.

As to the quote...Well, Taylor Swift is sweet, talented, and looks great on stage, but I can guarantee you that I have never ever in my entire life wanted to be like her. I'd rather be average and do what I like to do without any hoopla.

In addition, I believe that no one is the same as any other. In our own ways, we are all unique. We may have similarities but the "average idea" stops there. I also believe Taylor Swift mixed up being average with being mediocre. So sorry for her that she has such a deeply ingrained concern or fear that has infiltrated her being.

The way I see it, her fear might have stemmed from parental or societal pressures, personal goals that ran amok, and her comparison of herself with others. In its core, this fear is a desire for validation and recognition possibly gained in childhood when a person becomes conditioned to seek praise and approval.

In addition, once becoming recognized, the social media heightens this fear by presenting altered versions of a person's reality, where she leads a picture-perfect life. Unfortunately, hoping for any shift in such a perspective is almost impossible once a person becomes addicted to societal fame and achievement (in other words, public applause).

I think, instead, living authentically--even if it seems average on the surface--leads to true or, at least, better fulfillment in life. For me, true success lies in reevaluating false values and priorities, and then, pursuing passions with a purpose, rather than becoming "intimidated by being average."


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