Just What Exactly is a “Normal” Life?

The longer I live, talking and being with people, the more I realize that there is no one-way-only-lifestyle that is completely normal. 

For instance, my present lifestyle seems absolutely normal to me. But President Trump probably feels the same way about his lifestyle. So does the grandmother who is living in the poverty-stricken Brick Kiln District in Pakistan. Each person feels that their accustomed style of living is pretty close to normal. Anything else has a tendency to make us feel overwhelmed, awkward, anxious, or out of place. Notice I didn’t say typical, just…normal.  

But let yourself become exposed to a different style of living and other surroundings, where you can observe happy, contented people living their daily lives, and you can become acutely aware of something. You will see that differences in lifestyle and location, wealthier or poorer, is not the creator of happiness or discontentment. 

Those feelings are a choice and have to come from within.

For example, I recently spent an evening on a horse farm, with a family that was so contented and happy with their lives. Lives that include sixteen hours of hard outdoor work, every day. But believe me, they loved their lifestyle.

Earlier this past week I listened to a pastor and his wife speaking compassionately of the hardships several people in their church were undergoing. In spite of the emotional pain and stress as they walked through it all with these friends, they love their life and they love that they are involved and needed. You could not blast that couple out of their ministry with a cannonball.

My point is this: find your own normal. Find the desire and passion that is inborn in you, and go for it. Anything different from that purpose driven lifestyle could likely be the dream of someone else…but not yours. Dream long and hard. Take the time to find that spark within you. Fan it in to a flame. Then set out to do what is necessary to put it into action. 

Remember folks, life here on earth is short. The average age of dying is now 73.8 years, give or take a few years in terms of male or female.  And also know this, even that span of life is broken into several groups. Babyhood, elementary, teen, adult, and finally, senior citizen years. You don’t have an unbroken 73.8 years to accomplish what you are dreaming. What you could do in your teens is very likely not a viable possibility when you are a silver-haired senior. 

So take advantage of being the age you are right now.  Because as of tonight, the age you are today is never going to roll around again.  Take your courage in hand, step out and begin living your God-given dream, (just do it within the confines of your current age group.)

Go live your own individual true normal.