There's no path to follow

The path less traveled has still borne other’s feet. The truly brave forge into uncharted territory. A path of their own.

When learning Jazz the mantra is “Imitate; assimilate then innovate.”

As we learn, we leverage the knowledge of others. We imitate their behaviour; their ideas; their ways; in order to understand, build our own knowledge and grow. Once we integrate the new information to our own frame, we assimilate and make it our own. We are then ready to innovate and we begin to forge our own path.

The real innovators, the visionaries, the “crazy ones”, the ones who break the rules, disrupt the status quo and truly make a difference, often stand alone in their sovereignty, open to ridicule by popular culture and the current memetic and value paradigm. Copernicus, Tesla, Van Gogh, Lennon, Einstein did not fit the social norm, sometimes outcast by society and often misunderstood.

They are the creatives. Their lives are works of art, as they cut a path never walked before and stood for what they thought and what they believed. Original thinkers. Unafraid. Prepared to fail. Putting themselves out there for all to see and all to ridicule.

Breaking paradigms, questioning long-held assumptions and provoking conversations that result in change can be a painful, if not deadly pursuit. However, the world needs people who are prepared to stand up against the norms, push boundaries, challenge the predominant authority and demonstrate new ways of living and being.

Have you ever had an idea only to observe it’s arrival into the world sometime after? Sometimes, we question ourselves, hesitate, wait to see if anyone else sees what we see before we act; before we forge out into the unknown. Self-doubt? Lack of belief? Fear of stepping out of line? Forging new pathways into the unknown requires courage, resilience and unwavering belief in your vision and ideas.

Updated and republished from Medium Aug 2015