Go For The Gold

The definition of normal is of average or ordinary intelligence, or conforming to a standard or type.

It’s well and good if this is what a person aspires to be yet I make the case for striving for excellence.

The stigma then has nothing to do with having others think you’re “crazy.” More likely, so-called normal people don’t want individuals with mental illnesses to succeed because when we do it reinforces their own insecurities about what they can do. Not a lot of people who covet having a normal life appreciate another person coming along who’s driven to excel.

They know we’re often more competent, more driven, more normal than the average person.

The traditional playing field that others compete on in society hasn’t been level for people with MIs. The fact is so-called normals designated the rules of that playing field and set it up so people with SZ couldn’t compete.

This is why for going on 9 years I’ve talked in my blogs and at HealthCentral about competing against yourself, because when you compete against yourself the playing field is truly level: you own that particular piece of land you’ve chosen as your playing field.

One of my favorite quotes from the book Imagine is: “It’s not enough to be good when you can be great.”

I say: kick the stigma to Mars. Boot it out of your life by daring to be yourself.

Dare to set your sights higher for what you want to do in your life. No victory you achieve can ever be taken from you. Own your achievements.

It’s just as easy to dream big as it is to settle for less.

So why not go for the gold?