the paradox of fitting in

I have heard all too often  — without fail, from people whose lives I would never want — that things I say or believe, are aggressive or unwarranted or <boring door knob opinion>.

I get it - truly - why people who spend their lives following rules don’t understand me. 

Their entire existence is devoted to fitting in. Of course my approach would be unsettling to people of that ilk. 

My entire business was built doing the opposite of what I’ve been advised by my parents, friends, colleagues, mentors, and professors. I wholly understand how odd and unnecessarily hard my choices would seem for the vast majority of people who simply want to blend in. 

But therein lies the thrust of the accusation: it is also my raison d’être.

Of course I’ve spent countless years wasting my precious energy being offended and worried about seeming “weird and misunderstood” — we’re just not wired to be outsiders.

Had I listened to all the well intentioned advice doled out over the last 20 years, I would have never:

-launched a direct to consumer wine business because “it’s not allowed”

-created an entirely new and unconventional model of wine tasting where guests feel welcome vs intimidated 

-began writing about wine in a way that felt genuine to me, eschewing tasting grids and verbose language (mINeRAL teNsION)

-promoting Canadian wine LOL

Judgment and rejection is merely an opportunity to awaken to the freedom awarded when we choose ourselves instead — no matter how “harebrained” the idea may appear.