Friday, June 18, 2010

Nonconformity


Living how we choose to live, while not nearly as plain and nonconformist as others, still makes us different from the majority of Americans. We stand out. We endure questions and questioning remarks. We are sometimes left out. We often choose to be left out.

Generally, we live quietly yet purposefully; not choosing to put others down or to criticize others for their choices. Our deliberate life will speak for itself.

There are, however, times when our voice should be heard.

I really like the following quote ~

"Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker.
Expose your ideas to the dangers of controversy.
Speak your mind and fear less the label of 'crackpot' than the stigma of conformity.
And on issues that seem important to you,
stand up and be counted at any cost."
~ Thomas J. Watson (1874 - 1956)

Warm wishes, Tonya

23 comments:

  1. Now that is a great quote. Conformity is easy, independent thinking and taking the path less traveled, well that always has it's challenges. But oh the rewards :)

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  2. i couldn't agree with you more! and i think i have to borrow that quote. excellent...

    our family is the same way...sometimes it's hard to find others around us who view the world in even a similar way, but we are happy and love our life. thanks so much for the wise words!

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  3. I agree that most any lifestyle different from what an ordinary American thinks is normal. Gets questioned, we live in a nation that is too quick to judge others and I feel when they do that they are medlin where they have no business. I feel the choices we make to live more simply are gracious and our lives are better and more meaningful.Hats off to you for your beautiful choices continue and pay those who question or put down no attention.

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  4. Fab post. Hooray for living the simple life! :)

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  5. I like this! Thank you for this post (I seemed to need it at this moment)

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  6. So great! Many of us would not be where we are today if we had given in to conformity!

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  7. Beautiful quote! I choose not to be in the fray either. Simplicity in living life can be a reality for anyone who decides to take that leap. I ran into a cashier the other day that was very concerned for my children's social and academic progress because we were homeschoolers. I could not believe it! It is amazing the questions people will ask out of curiosity or maybe just to give their opinion when it was not even asked for. My family and I are so much happier leading a simpler life. We are praying about a house in the country~so that we may have a little tiny farm, too. God bless, Rose

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  8. Love the quote! It's not always easy but the payoff is sooo worth it.

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  9. Fabulous post. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and strength!

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  10. Yep, that describes us. People see us as a walking freak show. We homeschool, don't watch tv, my girls and I wear dresses, I eat raw food...the list goes on and on. We don't quite fit into any group. That's okay. We're our own group.

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  11. love love this quote! this path often seems lonely yet i wouldn't trade our intentional choices for anything.

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  12. great quote. this seems to be a theme in what I'm reading today. I'm pretty well known as a crack-pot, I'm just fortunate some love me anyway!

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  13. Great post! I love hearing your thoughts on this subject.

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  14. When you are feeling alone and mercilessly assessed and judged by others, remember there are a whole lot of us with love and acceptance for you here.

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  15. Thank you for sharing that inspiring and encouraging quotation. Living not in the mainstream and in your own stream is definitely a challenge but it is so well worth it. As we try to do so in our lives, we notice the constant bombardment of pressure to do as others think and do. It's amazing really. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

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  16. Beautiful, Tonya- and I know how you feel- I feel that way too!

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  17. Wow! A beautiful quote. At any cost... any cost... that is something to think about. It goes with a lot of the things I'm considering about our lives right now. thanks for sharing.

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  18. I envy your simpler lifestyle, and try to never judge another person. I think I've taught my children as well, hope so. Judge not..

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  19. These sentiments have been on my mind lately.

    Thanks for putting some perspective on it all.

    Namaste, Nicole

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  20. that is a powerful quote. thanks for sharing.

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