Why Live the Generic Life

There are certain things the girls refuse to buy generic - Diet Coke, mayonnaise, salad dressings, as well as certain specialty foods.  These things not only have to be name brands, but certain brands, as well.   Actually, I’m not sure when the last time I saw a generic label in our food pantry.  No matter how much I harp about how much money they could save by going with a generic brand, they simply won’t budge.

“It just doesn’t taste as good as this brand.  It’s worth the cost, trust me,” one of them will say.

“Once you’ve tasted both, you’ll understand the difference,” added another.  I can understand.  I feel the same way about my scotch and cigars.

There are some that take this approach to life.  They are satisfied with the generic version where they just blend in with everyone around them.  They do what everyone else does, think what everyone else thinks, and believes what the masses believe.  They are safer that way.  No one ever challenges them or their views and they are never ridiculed because they never step out of the box.  They avoid the risk of standing out and challenging the status quo.

In Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift, Sean and Han are standing on a building rooftop looking down at the crowded street.  Han says to Sean, “Look at all the people down there.  They follow the rules out of fear.”  Han may have meant the laws of the land, but I don’t.  I mean those restrictions people force upon you to make you just like them.  I mean living the generic life.

Don’t be afraid to stand out, to be different.  If you’re chasing your dream, then you’ve already broken ahead of the pack.  To be honest, it’s generic to have a dream or even to talk about it.  Everyone has something they wish they could do whether it’s a hobby, a career, or a way of life.  We hear them talk about “when I get older I’m going to…” but that’s all they do, talk about a future time.  The American dream of a house with a white picket fence, 2.5 kids, a dog and a cat is even generic, nowadays.  Paint the fence purple, have six kids and get a goat, if you want.  The American Dream is really about following your own passions and reaching your goals - success!  It’s not about a neighborhood of lookalike houses.  It’s not about being like everyone else, but being you.

Generic food does the job.  You get fed, are nourished, and some of it even tastes somewhat decent even if bland.  What doesn’t have a flavorful quality to it you can, over time, learn to enjoy.  However, the more expensive name brand stuff has the zest your taste buds will enjoy and reward you for.  As soon as you take that first bite, you’ll know the difference and find it tasteless to go back to the cheaper, nondescript food.

Life is that way. You’ll live, accomplish some things and even have fun doing it. The humdrum of generic daily life will become routine and you’ll get used to it, probably never realizing that anything is missing. However, once you stop blending in, once you dare to reach for your dream and take that leap into a life of extraordinary chance and excitement, living it to the fullest and on your terms, you will never wish to return. The generic life will lack the flavor that now fills your spirit and nothing else will do. Trust me; it is worth the higher cost.

Don’t live behind the generic out of fear. Take the risk of standing out and chasing your dreams. Face the naysayers that would shove you back into their mold and soar above the clouds. Life will taste so much better if you do.

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