Are YOU

1. 83

   gmwilliamsposted 11 years ago

   There are people who live by OTHERS.  They live life the way others tell them to.  They follow others' rules and dictums.  They do not make waves and are nondescript.    Then there are those who are quite independent and live life on their own terms.   They are the creators and innovators.   They make their own rules and break barriers.  The latter are the ones who will be remembered while the former will just fade and be forgotten.   Which person are YOU?

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   1. 60

      Jo_Goldsmith11posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I am the most stubborn and bull headed realist you may ever meet. I don't like words "can't, shouldn't, no, and not allowed".  I dance to the beating drum of what my heart tells me is just, right, and how CAN I accomplish something. What a world it would be if we could be supportive of the "obediant little solider boys and girls". If we who have the strength to be courageous and unnerving tenancity to look and say "watch me". We could have more creators and innovaters than what one would think we have. They are waiting for the hand to pull them up out of the rabbit hole. The carrot of an honest chance and then the reward of a happy soul because it has been nurtured cultivated and exercised the "Yes, I can muscles. This is the type of action towards the changes we all deserve.   This is a great question.
      Take care.

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      1. 88

         Cardisaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         lol. I am Taurus, sign of the bull but I don't put up with BS. I am determined, stubborn and bull headed!
         
         I don't let anyone dictate what I do in life...no one.
         
         BTW, I am back on HP! I will be damn if I let some arrogant people stop me from doing what's best for me. To hell with crappy unhappy people!

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         1. 60

            Jo_Goldsmith11posted 10 years agoin reply to this

            Yea! Welcome back Cardisa! I will stop by. Keep on keeping on.

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   2. 0

      Sarra Garrettposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I'm the rule breaker and say it as I see it type of person.  Makes for some enemies but also makes for people to respect me and my thoughts.  My mouth has gotten me into more trouble than I can count lol.  Sometimes the truth hurts but I don't go around deliberately hurting people.  Forging new paths is the way to go.

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      1. 83

         gmwilliamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         + a multilllion percent in agreement.

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2. 87

   Zelkiiroposted 11 years ago

   I've always been a follower. Doesn't really bother me, I'm not someone worth remembering anyway.

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   1. 83

      gmwilliamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      You are worth remembering, make some waves and noise.  Make YOUR voice heard.

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      Beth37posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      lol

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   3. 60

      Jo_Goldsmith11posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Zelkiiro,
      
      You are a Miracle! Who could write the way you do? Express it the way that even a fifth grader could understand. Your guiding principals and pure heart will help you reach all you dream of. You are most certainly worth more than all the tea in china, or the money in the world. You matter and are an important part of a collection of the tapestry that makes human kind stand up and say "I never thought of it that way".  Believe in yourself!
      I believe in you!

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      Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      That still cracks me up.

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3. 62

   Lisa HWposted 11 years ago

   I'm not sure how much of an "innovator" I am, and I don't know how "descript" (as opposed to non-descript) I am, but I'm not above making socially acceptable waves; and I've definitely never been one to just go with what "whoever" (or even "everyone") says when it comes to what I do or think.  I'm not the type to go tie myself to a tree or to city hall (or do any of those kinds of displays of protest, etc.).  I think there are more effective ways of trying make change, get justice, etc.  But, no...   I'm not one to be "just fine" with just accepting things as they are, or injustices.  "Just accepting" is one of the most destructive things in society and in individual lives.

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4. 78

   Mighty Momposted 11 years ago

   Another thought-provoking thread, gmwilliams!
   
   I'm with Lisa HW on this.
   I believe we can make ripples in our own little ponds that do make change in other people's lives.
   Doesn't have to be on a grand scale to be important.
   I also know from experience (mine and others') that being a rule-breaker/nonconformist is not
   necessarily a good thing. It can be quite destructive, in fact. But certainly makes you stand out from the sheeple!
   
   A motto I'm loving these days, and trying to follow more is:
   To Thine Own Self Be True.
   MM
   P.S. Zelkiiro - You are quite memorable here on HP!

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   1. 83

      gmwilliamsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank YOU, MM, I try to do my best.

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5. 83

   psycheskinnerposted 11 years ago

   Generally people who don't care at all about social standards and what other people think are not very nice people.  Being independent is not a virtue in itself, it is all about what you do with it.

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      Beth37posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I like that a lot.

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6. 96

   theraggededgeposted 11 years ago

   Ahh.... go with the flow...

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7. 67

   StitchTheDamnedposted 11 years ago

   I had always been a leader. Took many leadership roles all through high school and college. I am now a supervisor for my career.
   I am 24-years-old and already in a career position because of my determination and leadership ability.
   I've learned, though that it is also important to follow every now and then. A great leader knows when to give the leadership to someone else when it is needed.

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   1. 60

      Jo_Goldsmith11posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      A-men sister!

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8. 74

   Reality Bytesposted 11 years ago

   Always question authority, just cause they say it does not make it true!
   
   I have only followed one person in my life without question, a martial arts teacher that pretty much raised me.  It was this man that made me who I am today!

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9. 0

   ahorsebackposted 11 years ago

   I have this belief that the old saying .  The "Vast silent moral majority " is still the norm in America .  By that I mean , humble , concerned , caring  , involved , un-egotistical ,...........The best people in this country are like my friend Bill ,  someone who has donated his time and resources for about  sixty years now , humbly  playing "santa " ,  delivering christmas packages to the poor , wheelchairs  , hospital beads ,   canes , walkers  , driving dissabled Vets to the V.A. hospital ! On and on and on ,   .........He is the best we have to offer !  not someone more inclined to narscicistic  anti establishment , or anti-authority mentality..

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   1. 74

      Reality Bytesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I operate a small thrift store in the worst section of one of the top twenty most violent cities in the United States.  I provide adult and childrens clothes, food, household items and various knickknacks.  I also help others sell their unwanted items.  I sustain myself on minimal sustenance in order to provide for others.   
      
      No thanks to any establishment or authority!

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      1. 60

         Jo_Goldsmith11posted 11 years agoin reply to this

         This is what makes you a *hero* to so many! You know,  without the kind things you do to make your difference. They would be without and go without. The hearts would turn cold and a problem formed to where it is in the state we are in today.
         
         My son's once said "It is better to need and have, then it is to have and not need". It broke my heart because only a mom or someone with your heart could understand.  This is for you. 
         
         

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      Brenda Durhamposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Cool post;  well said;  I agree. 

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10. 89

    WryLiltposted 10 years ago

    No one could ever accuse me of following the rules.
    
    Actually, they could. I like following rules because it makes it easier to learn how to break them.

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       Jo_Goldsmith11posted 10 years agoin reply to this

       This is an interesting perspective. May I ask, what drives you to wish to learn how to break them?  Are the rules you learn how to break for everyone? Or are they for just the *minority*? 
       Thank you for stimulating my tired brain   Blessings.

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       1. 89

          WryLiltposted 10 years agoin reply to this

          I've found that abiding by the rules often makes people unable to see outside them. I think that although most rules are there for a good reason, they don't account for every situation. Everyone needs to learn when to follow the rules and when to break them.

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11. 61

    foemenoposted 10 years ago

    HOW ORIGINAL GO FAST AND CLIMB A MOUNTAIN COME BACK WITH SOME VISION!!

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    1. 60

       Jo_Goldsmith11posted 10 years agoin reply to this

       who me? Can I have a rest before I continue this climb?
       geeze! 

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12. 72

    seanorjohnposted 10 years ago

    I go my own way but am usually lost in confusion.

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       Beth37posted 10 years agoin reply to this

       haha, that's funny too.

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13. 40

    ChristinSposted 10 years ago

    I will work hard to get along with others, but I don't stand down from my convictions and I am a rugged individualist.  After years of putting up with other people's rules and working in a corporate office full of stupid regulations and phonyisms I ran away in rebellion and have never looked back!
    
    I am a loving person who puts up with a lot, but I do not change my core for anyone and I do not tolerate disrespect or those who feel they have to be better than others etc.  My biggest pet peeve are those who can only point fingers at others and never look honestly at themselves.  I also believe that at their core people are all extremely valuable and if they were allowed to, every person would have something unique and wonderful to contribute to this Earth.  Unfortunately there are powers that be that want herds of people who are easily influenced and individuality is not only not celebrated it is demonized by many institutions.
    
    I believe part of what makes a person strong is the ability to look at themselves honestly, assess, correct, and adjust sails as needed. They feel that unshakable urge to just be who they are and live their truth.  Followers tend to ride in the wake and that's fine the world needs all types, but I have had a "rebel gene" in me since birth.  I cannot believe what I am told just because I am told to, much to the dismay of many who were around me as I grew up I might add lol.  I angered many a teacher and religious leader in my youth while in private school and I still seem to stir up trouble today with my passions

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14. 93

    LongTimeMotherposted 10 years ago

    lol. I am a greater believer that there is an exception to every rule. It is not in my nature to live a life that simply joins the dots laid out by somebody else.

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15. 82

    Rafiniposted 10 years ago

    I'd have to say I'm stuck somewhere in the middle. 
    
    By nature I am quite independent and do as I please when I please but have struggled to live life according to my own rules or on my own terms.  By virtue of ancestral guidance & personal experiences (some mother, more religious grandmother, school, classmates, ex-husbands controlling family) throughout life I have learned to not make waves, to follow the rules. 
    
    Recently I rediscovered one of my favorite questions - something my mother taught me - from when I was an elementary school child:  "Says who?"  Who says I can't color outside the lines?  Who says I can't color a green sky and pink grass?  Who says I have to use the conventional & expected methods of...anything?
    
    An odd way of "challenging authority" but there it is.

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16. 85

    Denise Handlonposted 10 years ago

    Aww, I used to be a people pleaser until I realized that it wasn't serving me very well...I'm much more the opposite now. 

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    1. 83

       gmwilliamsposted 10 years agoin reply to this

       GOOD FOR YOU!

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