One of my favorite quotes of all time is:

“The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves.  And you have to be strong enough to say, if the culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it.  Create your own.”

This is a quote by a man named Morrie Schwartz, a retired college professor who taught great lessons right up until his death.  He became recognized by offering candid, heartfelt insight into many of the philosophical questions that so many of us ask ourselves (or should be asking ourselves ) about life, work, community, relationships, aging, and death. And he offered all of this insight from a unique perspective.  Most importantly he offered it with love for the world.  The reason I like this quote so much is because it gives me the confidence and the motivation to follow my own star.  It instills in me the belief that following along with society is not always the best thing to do.  As long as the path you chose includes proper values and beliefs, we should each follow our own course.  We are subject to the same outside culture as our neighbors, but we also have the choice to accept this as reality, or to create our own.

It is such a simple quote, but it can provoke an abundance of comments and stories.  This comment can be applied to the proverbial Rat Race that is talked about so often.  We are cultured to believe that following the path of getting a job, getting married, buying a house, having children, etc, is the way that life should be lived in order to end up as a success.  What Morrie is saying is that just because other people are doing it, does not necessarily make it right for you.  We have to create our own definition of success and live our life in pursuit of this goal.

Your definition of success may be different from what society deems it to be, but that should not deter you from believing in your definition.  The Rat Race is a great playing field for those who truly want to be involved in the game of Corporate America, but it might be the wrong path to take if you are following a different goal.  The problem, however, lies in the fact that this traditional culture is everywhere, and you are smacked in the face with it everyday.  The reason Morrie says you have to be strong enough is because in order to remain on your own path, you have to be incredibly strong to survive the winds that are trying to blow you onto the path that the rest of society is following.

Create Your Own Culture.  Enjoy Your Ride.

Photo c/o mitchalbom.com