A lot of times in our lives, when we are due to take steps or make decisions that will turn out life-changing, it is easy to get distracted or coerced in a way. See, with those kinds of decisions, it is best if you do not listen to the hums of the standards that have been set by the society, or feel indebted enough to your parents or relatives to do what they want or even feel it is what you should do as a duty of some sort. The reason is this, it is your journey, your life and no one will be held responsible for it more than you. So, you need to step up and decide what makes your soul happy and keep at it no matter the hate and the consequences that may follow.
When you take this bold decision to become a lone wolf in pursuit of your desires, to stand out of the crowd even when it isn’t convenient, be rest assured the world may be against you. But here are some pointers that will help you through those times.
Backlash
You would need to understand that even if you were considered special when you take that decision to stand out, you will receive a generous amount of backlash. Whether it is from your parents and family or from society or the community you are a part of. You need to know that you will face a lot of killjoys and buzz kills and a lot of people who will want to talk you down and make you feel like 2 cents but you need to understand that what they’re projecting onto you is how they feel about themselves and so it has nothing to do with you. If perhaps they have always seen themselves following the crowd all their life and have never made any independent decision, they will see you as someone who threatens their way of life and this will breed feelings of resentment which they will project onto you. You need to recognize this and move on from them without sweating it.
Ask
You would need to ask yourself difficult questions like what you truly and really want. This question will need to be asked over and over because our paths are not static. People grow up and change. When you pick out a path, the destination stays the same but the logistics could change so you need to stay true to your soul. You need to constantly evolve and keep yourself in check with this question.
Love
Love is something you cannot do without. You would need to love yourself more than anyone else. Be your own best friend. Taking the path of the lone wolf and embracing your dreams for what they are can be very lonely. You would need to be your biggest encouragement and your greatest fan. This is the only way you can succeed on this path. Learn how to be compassionate with yourself and help yourself grow.
Knowledge
Eventually, you would need to learn more about yourself. You’d need to know your weaknesses and your strengths and just be self-aware and conscious. Lao Tzu once said, “He who know others is wise, he who knows himself is enlightened”. When you come to a place of self-discovery, you can confidently walk your path.
Fear
Walking the path of the wolf will bring you face to face with fear and this isn’t entirely a bad thing. This is because fear brings a whole lot of motivation so you would need to look the fear in the face and still push anyway. So, let that fear push you forward. Reaffirm yourself and keep moving, never wavering. Amidst the fear, encourage yourself on because it won’t last.
Adventure
When you choose this path, you choose freedom. This means you have pushed through the barriers that popular opinions and the society previously had on you. It means you are entitled to explore and embrace your inner crazy. Unleash it and let it all out. There’s no reason to remain tame anymore so you explore, you exploit, you explode and just live while at it.
Most times, people make taking decisions about your dreams look simple and so exhilarating but in actual fact, it consists of a bunch of nights where you’d cry yourself to sleep and others where you cannot contain your joy. It is like a paradox really. A beautiful paradox.
