Dear reader,
Growing up, if there was one thing I never wanted to be, it was "average."
- "Be extraordinary."
- "Don't be a cog in the machine."
- "Don't join the rat race."
- "Be your own boss."
- "Build your own thing."
These were among some of the things I heard everywhere. And by "everywhere," I mean the internet. I am the internet generation, after all.
So that was what I always wanted: to become extraordinary.
If you go and read some of my early writings, you will notice this theme.
But recently, I've been revisiting the beliefs I had begun to consider laws.
One of the first questions that followed was: "What does being ordinary even mean?"
"That's silly! Being average is being average — 9-5 and all that," my instinct fought back.
But when I followed up, I realized "average" needed a definition. And that's where things got interesting.
Average is, by definition, the median of a population. An ordinary, relatable person. Usually has a stable job, takes a few vacations a year with their family. It means having characteristics that fit the standard norm — not sitting at extreme highs or lows.
And as I dug deeper, I found that being average also means accepting the life you have, instead of constantly measuring it against someone else's.
Huh. Interesting.
There's a subtlety here though: being average ≠ being below average.
Below average is struggling to survive. Being unhealthy, or unable to support your family. Burning out frequently. Having no savings, no investments, and an overall life that isn't getting any better.
When I consider that, being average doesn't sound so bad. I don't need to be ultra wealthy. I just need to provide a good life for my family. That's enough.
This doesn't mean I stop growing. It doesn't mean I stop working hard. It means I stop comparing my life to others'. The only comparison that matters now is with myself. I work hard to be better than I was. I learn things to create impact and do good work — not to "get a better job than that guy."
What I'm doing didn't change. I don't work any less hard. But my "why" did. Now I'm working hard for myself, not to "not be average."
I hope that gave you something interesting to think about over the weekend.
See you next week.
Warmly,
Suraj