Do you ever feel like a lone voice in the wilderness? Or worse yet, do you fear voicing your beliefs or even living them because doing so wouldn’t be popular or in vogue? I know, sometimes, I do.

Sometimes it’s just easier just to go with the flow, avoid confrontation, and be a “yes” man (or woman) to whatever’s going on around you. That’s the kind of world we live in, where most simply accept long-held traditions and principles as “right” even if, deep down, they might feel otherwise . . . or at least be open to exploring alternatives.

Think about innovation. If everyone always stuck to their guns, never challenging the same old same old, where would we be? Do you think we’d be enjoying things like smart phones, tablets, personal computers, rockets to the moon, or even the automobile?

Whether it’s personal or professional, sometimes you have to step outside of your comfort zone and take a stand for what you think is right, no matter what the majority says or believes.

Sure, being the lone dissenter in a meeting at work or while out at dinner with friends can be risky, but just clamming up and never expressing your heartfelt beliefs can be equally detrimental. The majority isn’t always right, and accepted ways of doing something aren’t always the best ways.

Granted, voicing an unpopular opinion or a new idea can lead to lots of extra work explaining and defending your position—and in some circumstances to people not liking you (or worse)—but there are times (and I believe these are those times) when other viewpoints want and need to be heard.

My band of brothers and sisters (or should I say “monkeyz?”), it’s time we stop waiting for others to stand up for us and instead stand up for ourselves, one voice at a time. I challenge you to let your voice be heard!

I know, I must sound like an idealist, and I’m not saying you need to revolutionize the way people think and act on a global scale to make a difference, like Martin Luther King Jr. and former Polish President Lech Walesa did, for example. But don’t you think it’s time we let truth ring “loud and clear”? Isn’t it about time we stopped letting the politicians do a dance around our needs?

The challenges we face will NOT be easy to overcome, nor will they be quick to fix. Effective change will take time and require the commitment of many. There may be NO immediate reward, except for maybe—just “maybe”—a footnote someday that states “we the people” noticed an injustice and did something about it so our children and their children could have a better tomorrow.

Are we ready for the truth? Can we handle the truth? Of course we can, and we can start by being clear with our intentions, by not lying to each other, and by not being afraid to voice our beliefs. It’s time we post-“boomers” grew up and started to lead by example.

Are you up for the challenge? You can start by sharing this blog with at least one friend, and by sharing your thoughts with a comment below.

QUICK HITS

HDSA WALK—I’ll be walking in the Huntington’s Disease Society of America Team Hope Walk in Orange County, California on September 24. Donations are welcome. Send email to me at [email protected] or call (866) 275-7155.

PRODUCTCAMP SOCAL—Barrel of Monkeyz is sponsoring ProductCamp SoCal, October 15, at Cal State Fullerton’s (http://www.productcampsocal.org/). It’s not too late to become a sponsor yourself of this one-day “un-conference” of best practices for more than 300 marketing and product management professionals. Send email to me at [email protected] or call (866) 275-7155.