Face It: Following the Leader Will Get You Nowhere

Do you lead, follow, or get out of the way?

Feb 1, 2022

rear view of girl with blonde hair wearing dress walking through grassy field

If you usually find yourself compelled to question the advice or opinions of others, you may actually be a person with a mind of your own.

Somewhat of a rarity these days, because it means you recognize your own intuition is the better guide. You’ve learned to trust yourself — to respect your inner power will guide you in the right direction. Like an ancient touchstone, your own thoughts and feedback have become a reliable compass — in sync with your personal magnetic field.

Following your own truth isn’t always easy, even when it feels natural.

When we sense internal uneasiness, it’s a signal to be more aware. Because there are always those who want to steer you in a different direction — to another ideology or their way of thinking. Motivated by the need to justify their personal position, attitude, or opinion, they often preach submission and complacency to rationalize their lack of accomplishment.

To retain our individuality, it’s important to identify, cultivate, and maintain our personal beliefs and values as we evaluate the ongoing narrative — making sure it still feels right.

The key is to continue being open to the story of others. New and different ideas provide an opportunity for reflection — and consideration of alternatives. The closest we’ll ever come to experiencing a shared reality is to realize the paradox of so many different people — each with their own beliefs and experiences — residing under the same umbrella of common needs and limited resources.

It’s the very nature of diversity — that eclectic mix of perceptions and viewpoints — that makes life interesting and encourages us to continue learning and growing. Which is why we can’t completely ignore the thoughts of others. In fact, if we invite them in, we can spin them around in our brains for a while — like a mental centrifuge separating new insight from the irrelevant and extraneous noise.

As humans, we have natural curiosities, questions needing to be answered, ideas that must be expressed and explored.

And the intangible filters we’ve installed in our personal thinking process will ultimately sift out the unrelated and unessential. However, as part of that process – trusting in ourselves to keep things in balance – we must realize our own filters need to be cleaned from time to time. Or changed completely …

Our world isn’t stagnant.

Unless we make the conscious decision to chart our own course, we may, by default, find ourselves taking our place in the line — standing in hypnotized stasis behind a leader we can no longer see or hear, complacent to simply exist without purpose or contribution.

It’s a frightening thought — subscribing to another’s dogma without knowing who we’re following, or where we’ll eventually end up. What happens when the leader steps aside or ceases to exist? Who will quietly slip in to conduct the orchestra?

Step out of line, every day.

Test your own beliefs. Be brave enough to stretch the elastic edges of your life - and make positive changes and adjustments along the way.

You have the power to navigate your personal path — in the right direction.

In health & happiness,

Jill Reid

Jill Reid is the author of Real Life, Discover Your Personal Truth, Life in Small Doses, and Please God, Make Me A Writer. Her books, videos, and newsletter explore life, relationships, health, and personal success strategies for working through the challenges of everyday life.