Leave Mediocrity in 2023

Remove this cancer while you can

Hi friends. Welcome to the YouTopian Journey. Today’s issue discusses why you must leave mediocrity behind as we enter 2024.

If you aren’t subscribed, make sure to do so. Better yet, become a paid subscriber for access to our full archive, most of which is paywalled.

Also make sure to give this post a like as it truly helps and contributes to our growth.

---

YOU CANNOT STAY MEDIOCRE

“The danger of the past was that men became slaves. The danger of the future is that men may become robots.”-Erich Fromm, The Sane Society

2023 is ending. We are entering a world where AI will be omnipresent, geopolitical changes will be constant, economic troubles may only increase, and the future is uncertain.

In other words, the status quo.

The only way to break free from this status quo is to cut the chord of mediocrity. To end average. This is paramount for not only being successful, but maintaining a measure of sanity.

And to break free from the chains of mediocrity, you must leave the mediocre majority behind. This herd will only hold you back. Call it what you want. The herd, the tribe, the mob, the masses of conformity that make up the majority of society. The people that tell you to play it safe, to follow directions, to stay in your lane, to never rock the boat. They don’t have a path because they are too busy blindly following the path of others. If they are not in a position of authority, they appoint themselves to one. The “Karens” who insist, the mediocre who desire a position of power but do not have the skills to obtain it. The mentally fragile who believe themselves strong. The cowards who think themselves brave. The stupid who think themselves intelligent. They must have their voice heard, even when their words cut like a knife to the one who seeks to walk their own path. This is often the result of unlived life, of chances untaken, and of gifts not properly used, a dangerous and potent mix. 

Yet, leave them behind you must.

“To have more you must first be more.”-Goethe

The world is only going to get more difficult. Competition is only going to increase.

2024 will belong to those who leave average behind. Who desire to be more.

Who don’t wish to be defined as mediocre.

Is that you?

If so, you must be prepared for the road ahead.

"The more stupid and mediocre the masses, the more mercilessly do they persecute those who are simple enough to strive to mitigate their mediocrity and stupidity"-Charles Richet, The Follies of Mankind

---

STRIVE FOR MORE

"The man who fears ridicule will never go far, for good or ill: he remains on this side of his talents, and even if he has genius, he is doomed to mediocrity."-Emil Cioran

If you want to be more, then you must act the part.

Success doesn’t come easy. There is a cost. The road you pave is filled with obstacles. The tolls you encounter must be paid.

There is no negotiation.

You must pay.

This price cannot be avoided. It cannot be faked. It cannot be postponed.

The mediocre believe it can. They buy followers. They use AI to generate their thoughts. They make themselves look like experts.

But this quickly falls apart when they encounter friction of any kind.

Understand that you cannot cut corners with excellence. Only the average want shortcuts. You however, do not.

If you want to be an expert, then you will need to accumulate knowledge.

If you want to be successful, then you will need to work for it.

If you want to be known for something, then you will need the accomplishments to back it up.

“lf you’re going to deal with reality, you’re going to have to make one big discovery: Reality is something that belongs to you as an individual. If you wanna grow up, which most people don’t, the thing to do is take responsibility for your own reality and deal with it on your own terms. Don’t expect that because you pay some money to somebody else or take a pledge or join a club or run down the street or wear a special bunch of clothes or play a certain sport or even drink Perrier water, it’s going to take care of everything for you.”-Frank Zappa

Leaving mediocrity behind requires countless hours dedicated to your goal. This means sacrificing leisure time, hobbies, and personal relationships. It means focusing on your work while everyone else is having fun. It means staring at the blank screen rather than scrolling through social media. Late nights, early mornings, and weekends spent working become the norm. While you can outsource much of the work, you cannot mitigate all of it. Your new squad will bear the names, stress, anxiety, and burnout. Your new colors will be black and blue.

2024 demands this of you. If you aren’t up to the task, I can promise you that someone else is.

Someone else wants to be at a different place in their life, their career, and their world.

Someone else isn’t binging their life away.

Someone else isn’t scrolling to oblivion.

Someone else isn’t making excuses.

Someone else isn’t setting limits to the frontiers of their possibilities.

Someone else isn’t waiting for the right circumstances.

There is nothing stopping you from becoming the person that you are meant to be.

Don’t wait until January 1st.

Begin today.

You will be better for it, I promise.

“The difference between genius and mediocrity is that genius looks at work through a telescope, mediocrity through a microscope; the one sees only possibilities, the other sees only limitations.”-Edward E. Purinton, Efficient Living.

---

SHARE THIS

I know that there are people in your network who need to read this and leave mediocrity behind as we go into 2024. By sharing this, you can support them in their journey.

Shaun