Living the traditional socially acceptable life is a great option for many people. But it’s rarely suited for soul seekers, creators, or highly sensitives.
I consider myself to be each of these things, so I’m speaking as one of you here. And I’ve found societal norms to be pretty damaging to the happiness and harmony of most of us.
It’s also incredibly limiting. We may not fit the mold, but there’s a lot we can do and a lot we can offer the world. If only we had the time and space to be us.
This post is going to touch on why societal norms aren’t a good fit for most soul seekers, creators, and highly sensitives, and take a look at how we an break free to create happy and fulfilling lives.
Why Societal Norms Aren’t Made for Us
Societal norms were designed with the majority of people in mind.
In America, this means corporate/office, nine-to-five jobs, ladder climbing, fast pace environments, and celebrations that typically involve large groups of people and loud music. It can also mean a culture where our job is a part of our identity. And this is just to name a few.
These are things that may work for most of society, but they typically don’t work well for soul seekers, creators, and highly sensitives.
Speaking from personal experience, I’ve found the nine-to-five to be soul crushing and limiting. I’ve found keeping other people’s schedules makes me feel controlled and unfulfilled.
Parties with large groups of people and loud music are not my idea of a good time. In fact, they suck my energy dry in a matter of hours.
And I’ve never felt so connected to the work I’ve done for someone else that I’d want it to be a part of my identity.
These are my personal experiences, but I don’t think I’m alone in this.
Ultimately, social norms don’t support our callings
Most people simply aren’t called down unconventional paths.
And to some degree, that’s good. To have a functioning society, we need people who enjoy fixing cars, marketing products, working with money, fighting fires, etc.
Though, for what it’s worth, it’s also okay if you have one of the jobs above (or something similar) and like it, but also feel called to something more. You’re allowed to have diverse interests and callings.
But because soul seekers, creators, and highly sensitives are in the minority, society simply wasn’t created with our callings in mind. So these callings are often minimized, called “unrealistic,” or just seem like too hard of a journey to even attempt.
But the thing is, it doesn’t have to be this way. Especially in the age of the internet where you have the potential to access so many people who may be interested in what we have to offer.
Since societal norms weren’t designed for us, they can feel stifling, and even anxiety inducing.
But the good news is, we have the power to break free.
How to Break Free
Start small
If you’ve been living in social norms for most of your life, or if there’s a handful that have dominated your life, breaking free may sound as intimidating as does exciting. But it doesn’t have to be.
Pick one small societal norm that gets under your skin in some fashion. Maybe it’s something that gives you anxiety and adds no benefit to your life. Maybe it’s something that just feels like a dumb waste of your time. It can literally be anything.
Then find a way to make a change or set a boundary that eliminates this thing from your life.
For instance, we live in a pretty fast-paced world, where instant responses have become the norm.
But if your phone constantly going off and pulling on your attention is driving you nuts, try turning off your notifications for everything except texts and phone calls.
Whatever small change you make, if it makes you happier, see if there’s another small thing you can modify.
I bet you’ll find as you make those small changes, your happiness will increase and you’ll be empowered to make even more drastic changes.
Let go of the idea that your life “needs” to look a certain way
If you’re anything like me, you probably grew up with a pretty specific (and similar) idea of what life is supposed to look like.
You go to school, then college. Then you get a job that has set hours and work it for most of your life. And while you do that, you’ll meet someone, get married, have kids, etc.
But the thing is, your life doesn’t have to look like that.
It also doesn’t have to include a “stable” “normal” job (which you can still lose without warning), or anything else you were told you’d be screwed without.
When you let go of the things you were told you needed to have or needed to be, you make room for the things you want to have and the person you want to be.
This is where the fun begins!
Get clear on how you would LOVE your life to look
If you didn’t have to play by society’s rules, what would your life look like?
Would you build your own business? Start making music? Become an intuitive healer?
The possibilities are endless.
Set time aside to really figure out what you would love your life to look like.
What would you like to do? Who would you like to be?
This should be a fun process! Let yourself dream, and don’t get bogged down on the “how.”
Take some concrete steps toward making that a reality
Now it’s time to ride the momentum of the previous points to bring your dream reality to life!
When you follow your calling, whatever it may be, you’ll find a path is created for you to succeed. You’ll find that the things you need to survive and thrive are provided for you.
I believe that. I’ve also found it’s been true for me.
So, now that you’re clear on what you want, and you’ve seen how small changes have the power to enrich your life, try creating a plan to bring it into your reality.
It’s okay if you don’t know every single step of the plan right now. The deeper you get into your new life, the more you’ll learn and the more people you’ll meet to help and guide you.
You also don’t have to quit your job, sell your house, or do anything similarly drastic if that does not feel good to you.
If does, then by all means go for it. You do you. But you don’t have to upend your life in a single week to create your dream life. Instead, you can take consistent steps forward and allow the transformation to happen over time.
You can start with taking a class, giving your free time to something more creative, or something similar then go from there.
The key is that you commit to living your life, not the life society said you should be living. If you continue to take meaningful steps forward, you will find your world and life will start to come alive.
A tarot reading can help!
If you’re ready to break free of society and forge your own path, a tarot reading can help!
Tarot can be a powerful tool to help you connect with your own inner guidance and wisdom.
My readings aren’t designed to tell you your future. Instead, they’ll provide you with the confidence, clarity, and empowerment you need to take action and create a life that aligns with your soul.
I’ve got reading options specifically for Soul Seekers, Creators, and Highly Sensitive People.
I also have a Life Transformation reading if you’re really looking to create meaningful change in your life and write your own story.
For more on my Tarot philosophy, you can can check out the About page.
If you’d like to know even more about me and why I’m so passionate about helping soul seekers, creators, and highly sensitives create their best and most fulfilling lives, you can read my story here.
How have you found that society isn’t made for you? What’s one way you’d love to break free from society? Tell me about it in the comments!
