Are We All Just “Ordinary” People?

They say it’s easy you know, to choose left or right. They say it’s the same as any two choices, like black or white, straight or curved, up or down, or even wet and dry. They say it’s simple, like making toast. Pop in the bread and press the button, right? Well what if the toaster oven cooks too fast? What if the bread gets stuck and before you know it your toast topped with jam is instead toast topped with fire, and you can’t get the smoke alarm to stop blasting with fury as thick selfish smoke fills this air.

Image Credit: Gaols

No, I don’t think anything is simple. Simple minded people are often those who believe that one ordinary person can’t make a difference. Really? Then what exactly defines “ordinary” to them, I’d like to know. To me “ordinary” is just a word made up by those in power or in wealth to make others below them feel insignificant, unimportant, and unable to also rise up to the same level of glory, or riches, or fame. To me “ordinary” is a challenge. A challenge to be become better, to matter more, and to prove to those people who think you never can be something that they are indeed wrong. To me “ordinary” doesn’t even exist.

Defining ordinary is futile, because there are no limits on an individual’s potential, only limits on his conscious. The greatness of a man lies not in his physical capabilities or the length of his limbs, but in the size of his heart and the strength of his mind. Take a look at nature for example. Colossal trees were not always towering in the sky. Yes, I know they are not human, they don’t have minds and bodies. They cannot speak to us, they cannot hold us, give us a firm handshake or open the door for us, but they are indeed alive. And they can indeed teach us something. Trees start just like us, a small seed in this huge world, a single bit of dust in a sea of sand. The difference between them and us is that they grow slowly, but with patience, and they never stop growing taller. They are always going in the right direction; up. Maybe we’re just going a little too fast, and if we took a second and thought about it, we could all grow to our potential too. It’s time that we realize that the only thing blocking us from our dreams and goals is our minds, and the presumption we inherit in society to “know our place” and to “stay within our limits” of what seems logical, rational, and reasonable.

Anyone can make a difference in this world. It doesn’t matter where you come from, what you do, or how much money you make. It doesn’t matter if you were raised to be the greatest that ever lived or looked down upon all of your life as a “nothing”. What truly matters is what’s inside. Natural talent can only take a person so far. When talent runs out, hard work comes to the rescue. Without hard work, you’ll never reach the finish line and your car will run out of gas with 100 meters to go on the straightaway.

Greatness comes within, and it is proven by the body, but it is driven by the heart. Never let anyone convince you otherwise. After all, it only takes one candle to light up a dark room. Don’t let your fire go out. Even when others try to squash it, even when it goes lower and lower, and the wax dripping down with vengeance and force seems so heavy your wick can almost stand no longer, stay standing. And never, ever, ever, let anyone put your spark out. You matter. We all matter.

“What lies behind us and what lies before is small compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

About the Author
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Kelly is a staff writer here at “The Hudsucker”. She is currently a senior at George Mason University finishing up her B.A. in English and writes at her own blog, “How I See It“. Kelly hopes to be a professional writer and author some day that not only inspires but helps change the world for the better. Follow Kelly on Twitter as @Kelly_Kavanaugh.