As the world expects

We can learn a lot about ourselves by watching our reactions," a wise teacher once said.

When culture's gravitational pull demands you rise above with dominating force, consider instead the radical alternative of going beneath with courageous humility.

Our reactions should be such distinct anomalies that they provoke the question: "Why did you respond with such refreshing difference when everyone else followed the script?"

For in the end, our reactions reflect either our confidence in something greater than ourselves, or our desperate attachment to the illusion of control.

So when the next challenge arrives, remember — you have the choice to go over as the world expects, or go under as wisdom demands.