Ditch The Caveman Thinking
Getting kicked out of the group feels horrible on a deep level.
In our past, we only had our local group. To get kicked out meant certain death.
But today, we have the luxury of choosing who we hang out with. We can choose who we work for, what clubs we join, etc.
But since our instincts are still living in the stone age, where they were developed, it doesn’t always feel this way.
It’s similar to trying to diet, when you’ve got a fridge filled with goodies. You can consciously try all you want to avoid putting another frozen burrito in the microwave, but when your caveman decides to eat, you’re going to eat.
You’ll tell yourself common lies like, “It’s just this once,” or, “Well, I REALLY get started tomorrow,” or, “Well, as long as I’ve got these burritos, I may as well eat them.”
The truth is our inner caveman is a highly skilled con artist that would make P.T. Barnum green with envy.
Whenever we’re in a group, it can feel incredibly difficult to speak up, or go against the flow, or hold fast to your ideas when people are looking at you as if you’ve gone nuts.
It can feel comfortable to sit around and wait for something to happen. Something safe, something that won’t rock the boat. Something that won’t require you to go out on a limb and risk social exposure.
Be What Everybody Is Waiting For
But when you step up and go against the flow, and take a leadership position, something very interesting will happen.
When I was in junior high school I made an interesting discovery. Me and a buddy were sitting in a class, waiting for the bell to ring. We started talking like kids do, how everybody is an obedient sheep, etc.
We decided to “rebel” and stand up BEFORE the bell rang. But as soon as we did, so did everybody else.
The wonderful truth is that YOU can BECOME that “thing” that everybody is waiting to happen.
When you throw caution to the wind, stand up and assert your ideas, people will follow. Maybe not right away, but you’d be surprised how little effort it takes. They may be a bit timid at first, and give you a bit of resistance. Once you overcome that, what happens next is pretty amazing.
The truth is that most of us are terrified to lead. Terrified to make decisions. Terrified to make a mistake in front of everybody.
Which is why when YOU decide to be the leader, the rewards will be enormous.