Enough of so much common sense

I’ve been all my life listening praises of one of our most famous senses. And I am not talking about the sense smell, or touch, or sight, taste or even hear. I am talking about common sense.

I am sure you have been told or you have heard something like: – When in doubt, use your common sense; you will not be wrong. Does it ring a bell?

Well, after using common sense for over 30 years I reached a situation where I was feeling like a hamster on a wheel, running all day without reaching anywhere because that was what I was supposed to do.

The painful road to follow the proper sense

If we understand the common sense as the rules and beliefs that a society shares (including what is right and what is wrong), we will understand how difficult it can be to follow our own path.

Going against the current is exhausting! Statements like: ‘You are crazy to leave a stable job to start your own company’, ‘taking risks is not good’, ‘organize your life once and for all’ or ‘wouldn’t it make more sense to keep in your situation to be able to afford the rent?’ are the daily life of someone who decides to ‘decide for themselves’.

Maybe the key word is THINK. Many times there seems to be an unwritten rule that says: Do not think; use the common sense. It is the shortest way, that is for sure, but often that path does not take us where we want to go.

And you, do you follow the common sense or your own sense?

Well, after so many years I decided to feel, think and decide; I am no longer on the weel and, though I confess it is not easy, everyday I feel alive, with hope and strength to walk each one of my steps.

As a human resources professional I meet every day with people who suffer from not knowing how to get out of the hamster wheel in which they are trapped.

Three simple questions can help you know in which path you walk:

• Do I feel I am walking towards what I want?
• Am I at the job I want to be?
• Do I know what makes me happy and do I fight for it?

If the answers are YES, I congratulate you! If you do not have a clear answer, please do not judge yourself. Being AWARE of the path in which we are standing is already a first step, perhaps the most important. It is the starting point to feel, think and decide.

As Steve Jobs said: «Your time is limited, so do not waste it living someone else’s life»