“Have you seen that guy? You just need to be more like him if you want to succeed.”
Have you ever heard those words before?
I have.
On numerous occasions, I have been told by people who are close to me and actual total strangers that I need to be more of an extrovert if I want to stand out and excel.
When you are young and you are told over and over again that there is something wrong with you, you start to really feel like there really is something wrong with you. And after a number of examples have been shoved in your face of successful people who are the total opposite of who you are, you become convinced that there is definitely something wrong with you.
And slowly, the one single thought that has been quietly and constantly been whispered in your mind gets amplified every single time you have an awkward small talk, or when some calls you weird. That thought being;
There is something wrong with you and if you don’t learn how to be like everyone else, you will probably never amount to anything special.
Is that how people succeed then? By being like others? By fitting in and being like everyone else?
No. Far from it!
People don’t succeed because they are like everyone else. People succeed because they are the best version of themselves.
Nobody listens to Beyoncé because she sounds like Madonna; they listen to her because she is Beyoncé. She has her OWN sound, her own voice that only she can produce. Even if someone else could sing like her, it would not be her. It would just be another copycat. Beyoncé is successful because she is UNIQUE.
And so are you.
You can stand out and succeed not because you are like everyone else, but because you are YOU. And being YOU means being unique … different than the others that may do the same thing that you do. They may do the exact same thing you do, but they will never do it the way you do it.
Never allow other people to put you inside a “one size fits all” box. Your personality is custom crafted to deliver maximum value.
You just have to learn how to understand your value, and know what you offer.
Like many people out there, this point is something that took a long time for me to learn.
Understanding your own value may be the most challenging thing you will have to do, but once you do it, you will reap huge benefits.
Forget how the world sees you and CHOOSE to focus on who you are and how you should see yourself.
Being confident with who you are, is the only way your uniqueness will blow everyone’s mind. I will go ahead and assume, because you are reading this that you want to become that person.
How then can you find your uniqueness and stand out from the crowd? Here are a few tips.
Think of the value that you bring.
Each one of us has a distinct advantage or advantages, and no one advantage is better than the other.
As an introvert I discovered that I am extremely calm under high pressure, to the point that it even scares most people. I have an analytical way of thinking and this allows me to give accurate information. I am practical and logical. Precise. Self-motivating. And the list goes on.
All these have proved to be value adding advantages that have contributed to the success of numerous teams. If I tried being like everyone else, I would like to think that we definitely would have failed.
You have to identify your advantages in your personality and focus on them. Don’t try to focus on what you do wrong, you will only spend a lifetime trying to fix them.
Have personal Values
What is important to you? And how can you translate this into what you do?
Let’s say reading and constantly educate yourself is something that you really love doing. Try as much as you can to show it in what you do. Find friends that share your passion. Quote books as you present important topics. Be the one to do the research when you have group works and team projects.
Look inside you and find what values are important to you. List them down if you have to and never forget them. They are part of what makes you who you are.
Make your personality stronger by reinforcing your values in your life over and over again.
Always strive to learn
This is an important one. You have to be constantly learning in order to improve yourself and stand out. If you show up every day, looking for ways to find out more, get better, be more productive, learn how to do new things – you are going to be on everybody’s short list for “most likely to succeed.”
Everyone has the ability to learn. Some are fast learners and some are slow learners. No one is better than the other.
It just means you have to find out how best you can learn and pick up something.
They are many ways to learn something; you can pick up a book and read, watch a video or listen to an audio lesson.
Learning is how we grow, and growth equates to happiness.
Never stop learning.
Integrity
Lastly, hold yourself up to who you are.
You don’t have to work or deal with people who don’t fit with your values and who you are. It is important not to compromise on your boundaries or principles just because you want to please someone or someone has offered you money.
Make it clear to yourself and everyone around you on where you stand.
Final thoughts…
The more you become comfortable with who you are, the more confident you will become and the more you will stand out and attract people who are just like you.
Strive to become the best and most valuable version of you and not following what everyone else does or compromising with the ‘new’ and ‘hot’ trends.
Stand out from the crowd simply by being YOU.
Thanks for reading 🙂
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