Alternative Pathways Lead... Where?

Today I was sitting in chuch listening to the sermon when I heard a rustling noise coming from the direction of the sanctuary entrance. Now, our entrance is three sets of double doors; one set is propped open to allow entry (and exit) and the other two sets have drapes hung over them... to add to the particular mood of the sanctuary I assume. Knowing this, you could imagine my surprise to see someone coming into the sanctuary, fighting through the drapes. It was an elderly woman (whom I did not recognize) and she was a bit flustered by the difficulty she was having. I'm watching this woman struggle and looking at the wide-open doors ten feet to her left and I couldn't help but wonder if she was suffering from dementia.

A few hours later... as I was thinking about what I had seen earlier, it occurred to me that I had witnessed a metaphor to my life, and I'm sure countless others' lives who have chosen to go against the grain of mainstreamed society. Throughout my life I've been faced with the decision to take the path society has typically chosen (or the path the ignorantly think is best for me) or the path that few people think I can't handle. More often than not, I've taken the path that draws the reaction "that dude is nuts, he'll never make it..." from many people. Taking these seemingly difficult paths, however, have always rewarded me greatly in the end and have revealed characteristics and strengths within me that I didn't know existed.

I'm reminded of Robert Frost's immortal poem The Road Not Taken, and the lines:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

There are two types of people in the world: leaders and followers. Leaders are fearless trailblazers who only become more determined if someone doubts their capabilities. It is these people who leave a lasting impact wherever they go, for better or for worse. It is these people who refuse to let their lives be determined by the perceptions society has of them. Some of us, unfortunately, have irrational stigmas attached to us for simply being who we are. These stigmas govern the 'easy' paths determined for us by soceity, paths that, if we continue to take them, will perpetuate those irrational stigmas. Chosing those alternative pathways, and being confident that you will be successful, forces society to reevaluate how they view you as an individual. One occurrence challenging a person's cognitive perception of a particular person or idea may not be enough to force them to alter their view, but if their cognitive perceptions are challenged enough, eventually they will change.

With this said, do not choose to follow the difficult path to change society... follow those paths for your own benefit. Challenge yourself and you will grow mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically... you will become a man or woman that you will be truly happy with. Everything else in life is just gravy!