Dare To Be Different

If you wish to be exceptional, get comfortable with being the exception

I saw this picture of Ash Lamb’s blog post on an Instagram story the other day. I read the post with great satisfaction; it resonated with me and what I've been doing (or at least trying) for the past several years.

All my life I've been too self-conscious about my actions. I wanted to do things right. I kept telling myself that, without so much considering what "right" meant to me. Taking a step back, I realised I cared more about what others had to say than what I had to say about myself. All out of an unconscious fear of being critiqued, called names, considered cringe and so on. I kept stumbling, making mistakes and missing opportunities, never feeling like what I had been doing was ever good enough.

How stupid of me, wouldn't you say? Why would I do that? I really must be stupid.
If you agree with me, congratulations! You are on the right path to becoming who you were meant to be.

Now, in order to do that, take that spear and point it inwards. If you (at least once) felt just like I did, then we're in the same boat, fellow sailor. Yet we're here because we're determined to do something about it. Why else would you be reading this post, if not because you want to be true to yourself and what you feel?

Truth is, I’m not "special" in the widely-accepted sense of the word. Chances are, neither are you.

I come to tell you now that I don't accept the standard definition of special, and neither should you. I agree that nobody was born with superpowers. Though, I am what I do, and what I do can be special, because there exist those things only I can do.

Those things only you can do. In your style, your fashion. How you envision them.

I like to end with quotes that sit with you for a while after reading the post. So here’s one worthy of your attention:

All the greats knew and applied this in their lives. Why shouldn't us? Maybe we're one step away from greatness, too.

Besides, what’s there to lose? Nothing if you do it, a lot if you don’t. Like the adventure of your life, for example. Stakes high enough?

You tell me.