Question Authority? I think so!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/70731452@N04/6403101327

We have been told many things in life.  Some of them are correct and some are way off base.  There are some who follow blindly and others who ask the questions when warranted.  Where do you fall on all of this?  Do you take everything you hear as gospel?  Do you blindly follow others simply because you have been taught to do this?  Do you take a stand when you know that things have gone crazy even at the risk of standing all alone?  I have been accused of muddying up the waters from time to time.  I have even been accused of being an instigator, although I think that is a pretty strong term and I don't really feel as though that is who I am.  I am simply one who will not take what others say without first looking at it logically and basing my decisions on what I know to be true.

The whole issue of following or leading, falling into lock step with others, simply because everyone else is doing it, or being your own person, is what I want you to look at this morning.  It's easy for me to sit here and tell you why you need to be your own person.  What isn't easy is getting you to the point where you are willing to fall onto your own sword because of what you believe.  Questioning authority is not just something that you see on a bumper sticker: questioning authority is something we all need to be doing.  Now let me say one thing, and let me make this crystal clear:  questioning authority is not something we do just to be an idiot, or something we do just to prove we are better then someone else.  We question authority because what you may be seeing is not in line with your own belief system and therefore worthy of your discourse.

I have been called a rebel in the past, but that is because people have not always seen that my way of doing things is simply that, my way.  It may not always be the right way, at least in other people's eyes, but it is right in my own eyes.  When we give into the pressure that others exert over us simply because they desire us to be like them, then we are giving away what is ours and that is never a good thing. When someone has an issue with what you believe, with what you honor, and with what you desire, then that is their issue and not yours.  Now I have seen people take questioning authority to a whole new level of absurdity, and I am not saying this is right or wrong.  It is my hope that there is a method to their madness, and they have a reason for doing what they are doing.  Just as I would not want one questioning why I do things, I give people the benefit of the doubt and just simply trust that they are doing what they believe they should be doing.

There are some very obstinate people walking the planet these days, and their whole reason for being is to disrupt or upset whatever is going on.  They have no real interest in the outcome except to say they want to be the one who puts everything into a tail spin simply because they are that ornery. We all know people like this, and quite frankly they tend to get under my skin.  I'm all for sticking to my guns, but there comes a time when even I have to give in to the pressure and just let things happen the way they are going to happen and see what comes next.  To sit there and fight city hall just for the sake of fighting is stupid.  It is a waste of time, and utterly mind numbing truth be told.  If you are the contrarian, the consumer advocate for all things, the "get out of my way and let me do what has to be done" kind of person, I recommend that you have a fairly tight grip on reality and not just be the boy that cried wolf.

I guess this all comes from a place where I find myself and that place is being tired of hearing how this is how we have always done things.  Oh sure, there are those who confess and want us to believe that they think outside the box, but when all is said and done they have gone along with everyone else and nothing ever changes.  We are in a time when we need to start questioning why this is done a certain way or why do we allow other things to happen the way they happen.  If all you want to do is go along for the ride, then you really have no say in where you end up.  If on the other hand you desire to be the one who directs and determines where things go, then I suggest you start thinking about how you would do things, and just go ahead and be bold and do it your way.  Contrary to popular belief, most people have the ability to do things right and often they are never given the chance to prove themselves because others are too worried about giving up control.

I really detest conformity.  It puts everything into a supposedly nice little box, at least that is what most people think. What it does is trap us into continuing things a certain way because we have not had the balls to question authority and stand up and tell others that things have to change.  Question Authority?  Oh yes most assuredly, I say yes.  I am so tired of towing the line, especially when that line is nothing more than a noose around the neck of individuality and ingenuity.  I will no longer be relegated to staying in my little box.  I will no longer be subject to idiotic sanctions or rules that serve no purpose other than keeping people pushed down.  Oh yes it is time to question authority.  If you have a problem with that then might I suggest you think about the last time you had a great idea and were told that you needn't worry about it because that was not in your job description.  How were you feeling in that moment?  Did it give you warm fuzzies knowing that your ideas were tossed on the dung heap before ever giving it a respectful review?

Stick to your guns, stick to your beliefs, and don't give up.  Sooner or later the rest of those around you will see you for who you really are and just maybe that will give them the strength to be who they are.  It only takes one person to begin a new movement or trend.  Might I suggest that you be the keeper of the dream and show others how it is done.  Yes it may come with some bruising, but in the end it will be worth every bit of what you have gone through.