Who's the fool now?

What are you most afraid of? Snakes? Well, I can agree with you there, but there's something else. Rabid dogs? Sure. But our daily actions are rarely influenced by the constant fear of rabid dogs.

Think about your day to day, moment to moment decision making. Is there an underlying fear that influences your choices?

How comfortable are you with "outside the box" thinking? Do you consider unlikely or creative options only when it's acceptable to the group you are in?

I think most of us have a significant fear of looking foolish or having our credibility or intelligence criticized. For some, it prompts them to boast about what they do know. They're an expert on everything, at least in their own minds. Others will avoid speaking all together. And then there are those who feel compelled to shoot down others as a preemptive strike or a diversion away from themselves.

But all of this happens on a subconscious level, usually. We just speak or don't speak, do or don't do, and don't pause to understand what may be going on underneath. In time, we find ourselves far from where we wish to be or need to be and wondering how we got so far off track.

What have you avoided, dismissed, not considered or ignored because of a fear of being exposed as a fool?

Choosing to live well requires us to consider our daily motivations, think about how we are impacting other people, and select the path that is true for our circumstances whether it is conventional or not. Now, this is not to say that conventional ways are always wrong. Simply put, there are times when we must go our own way and trust our gut.

To risk being considered a fool when going against what is commonly accepted is actually character building. It builds strength, confidence, tenacity, and depth.

We tease about the eccentrics, geeks and odd-balls in this world. But who has the last laugh? Bill Gates. Doc Brown. Albert Einstein. Rogue scientists who make discoveries that impact millions. The mom who finds a solution to her child's struggle despite less than satisfying answers from the experts.
Relentless. Unswerving. Committed. Clear. They reap the rewards.

Are you focused outwardly on conventional acceptance, or are you focused inwardly on truth regardless of your community's (family, church, work, club, etc.) commonly held attitudes?

When you're feeling the truth lead you down a different path but you are pressured by the "group think", remind yourself that in the end you may be the one saying;
"Who's the fool now?"