Uncommon

When he was a boy, Aristotle Onasis’ father said to him, “Carry a notepad with you wherever you go. And when you meet a man, write down how much time he is worth.”

From now until the day you die, be anything you wish, my friend.

But never insult the hand of nature that bore you, by becoming Common.

Never think like your neighbor.

Do not believe the “leaders” of your industry.

Do not subscribe to what is written in textbooks.

If they walk West, you walk East.

If they say Yes, you say No.

I warn you against the tide that washes through all of mankind. The pull of being “normal.” The urge to consent to the status quo.

I have said it before and I will exuberantly say it again: Greatness Walks Alone.

Why are things structured in this way?

Why is this the case?

Allow me to begin with an analogy.

I grew up playing basketball. And I found that when I had an open shot with a lot of time and space, it was harder to make the shot.

Although theoretically it should be easier, “theory” is best relegated to textbooks.

For reality is the product of things that are beyond logic.

I found that when a defender was running toward me, it was far easier to make the shot.

And the reason this was so is because his rushing toward me gave me a compressed amount of time and space, and I could React rather than “think.”

But more importantly, seeing him running toward me provided a sort of backdrop to hit against. I had something against which to time my shot.

A golf ball is much easier to see in a dark and cloudy sky than it is in a clear blue one.

Contrast makes invisible things visible.

And it might be the same with Common vs Uncommon.

The vast majority of human beings in this world are . . . Common.

They do nothing extraordinary with their lives.

They do not cultivate the talents that lie latent within them.

They do not walk their own path.

They live a life of Spinal Reflex.

They reflexively go with the crowd.

They reflexively believe what others believe.

They reflexively do things just because others are doing them.

Corporations are the same.

Professional sports teams are the same.

Educational institutions are the same.

Everyone and everything is the same.

But that is wonderful for the Uncommon man.

For now he has a Backdrop against which to stand.

When the herds of masses are walking a particular way it becomes very easy to see which way is opposite.

I cannot for a moment believe that nature intended for the majority of human beings to become common.

But perhaps it arranged things in such a way that if they unfortunately did decide to become common, they should walk so uniformly that they pave the way for The Uncommon.

Whomever is reading this discourse, I will speak directly to you now.

Yes, YOU!

I am Not here to convince you to be Uncommon.

For the man with Uncommon DNA needs no convincing.

I will only say that to be common isn’t a sin or a shame.

It’s unforgivable.

For it has been a waste of nature’s precious resources.

If a man has lived as a common man, then perhaps he will make certain not to die as one.

For it is only in doing so that will he die with a smile on his face.