It’s been a while since I posted about LOM, so let’s go deep with this post. 🥴

Since “Life On the Margins” can mean many different things to different people, I want to spend some time today trying to get you to understand where I personally am coming from when I say I am living my life on the margins.

Let’s look at some of the possibilities:

1) One way to describe “Life On the Margins” means how you choose to live your life:

• Life beyond the mainstream
• Life off the beaten path
• The unconventional life
• The outsider’s life
• The independent path
• Living beyond convention
• A life apart
• The road less traveled
• Life at the edges

2) A second way is from a creative or philosophical perspective

• The edge of possibility
• Where new ideas begin
• The creative frontier
• Beyond the familiar
• The fertile edge
• Life at the frontier
• The view from the edge
• The overlooked world

3) A third way means simply wanting to be different:

• Intentional nonconformity
• The art of living differently
• A life of deliberate distinction
• Living on your own terms
• The freedom of the fringe
• A life without conformity
• Independent living of the spirit
• The path of the independent mind

4) And finally it means choosing to be socially or culturally outside the center

• Life beyond the spotlight
• The peripheral life
• Life beyond the center stage
• Outside the dominant culture
• Beyond the cultural mainstream
• Living at society’s edge

I am very much aligned with the first two concepts and to a lesser degree the last two.  I don’t want to be different simply to be  different. I will also admit that the last two are the most unnecessarily isolating. When it comes to having no affinity to joining groups, particularly the herd or mainstream. I thoroughly realize that we are social animals who let ourselves be ruled by  majority opinions. I can choose not to live under those constraints but I don’t suggest that you to necessarily do the same.

But, contrary to what we have been taught, belonging to a social group is not a requirement for living a happy, fulfilled life. Actually it is often quite the opposite.  When you have no particular need to joining this group or that, your self-worth is not based on a group’s approval. You can enjoy personal relationships without the need to follow the rules the group follows, or even care about what the group dictates to others.

Most importantly not belonging means you know of no other way to think or be, other than just being your unique self who takes responsibility for your own actions. Yes, it’s much harder to think for yourself and question everything, and take responsibility than to just being told what to do. But, personally I just can’t see how anyone would want to live a life of “group thinking”.

Finally, to all of those who have stuck around thus far my new banner shown below pretty much reflects most of the above thoughts.