Why is being different a good thing? Because if you want to actually turn a dream into reality, you have to be a little different. If you want something in your life to change then you have to change the way you approach it – you have to think a little differently, act a little differently and just BE a little differently.
If you keep doing and thinking what everyone else does, then you’re going to continue getting what everyone else has. There’s a popular quote floating around there is often, though falsely, attributed Einstein that says that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results. Even though Einstein didn’t actually say that, it’s still a valid point; if things aren’t working for you the way you’ve been doing things, then maybe it’s time to start doing them differently.
The magic of “possibility”
When you make it a point to start acting, thinking and being different, you’re giving yourself permission to explore. You’re pushing the boundaries of that that safe little comfort zone you’ve created for yourself and expanding your horizons. You’re giving yourself the gift of the unknown, the unusual, and the unexpected. And anything can happen.
And I think this is especially important to think about at this time of year – we’re on the threshold of a brand-new year. ‘Tis the season of endless possibilities right now, as we look out over the months ahead. I love that word: “possibility”. There’s a magic to that, you know. You can feel it. And it’s up to us to take the potential of possibility and transform it into reality.
Beyond the fear
So how do we do that? How do we just be different? We can start by allowing ourselves to be who we are rather than trying to make ourselves fit into that box labelled “What Everyone Else Thinks We Should Be”. We do it by taking deliberate, conscious steps to try new things and embrace new ways of doing things, even when they scare us or we’re not sure that we can do them.
Obviously, if everything in you is screaming “NO!” then trust your instincts and don’t… but if there’s anything in you that thinks that particular “something new” that you’ve been contemplating sounds exciting, inspiring, fun, or otherwise positive, then work past your fear and give it a go; it might just be the best thing you do for yourself this year!
Trusting the whispers
There’s always an element of risk in making life changes, in crafting a vision and building a dream. Taking something out of the realm of fantasy and turning it into reality requires thinking and acting differently than you have done in the past. It requires looking past everything you’ve been taught, ignoring what everyone else does and or tells you to do, and trusting that little whisper within that tells you it’s time to expand and grow. And it requires a certain amount of bravery and daring to do that.
Taking the risk
You have to be willing to be different and move out of your comfort zone. You have to risk being seen and attracting attention. That’s really hard for a lot of people. There is safety in being just another one of the flock, after all. But you’re not a sheep; you’re a uniquely talented individual with a wealth of experience, insight and strengths. And it’s time to bring those gifts out and share them with the world. It’s time to let yourself shine and embrace the idea of being different.
photo credit: pixabay.com cc (modified by me)
The more you are out there, the more prone you become to commentary and such as well. Maybe we need to get used to that, or reach a point where it just does not bother us at all. We can be still in the waters that have become muddy from the stirring and the sand will settle sooner or later, right? We need to get used to not getting hurt by it and not being so afraid if a force is indeed leading us somewhere that is unknown territory. The thing to also remember is that the Universe is on our side.
That fear of being in the spotlight like that is one of the biggest things that can hold us back from becoming all that we could be. We hold ourselves back shining because we don’t want to attract attention. We’re afraid of what people will say… “Who does she think she is to think she can shine like that?!”
Yes, people will talk. Yes, people will be criticize and be mean. And yes, it will hurt. And until we are able to realize that criticism is just a sign that we are actually doing and achieving something those words will always hurt. It’s only when we are able to realize that people who are out there building great things of their own are too busy to criticize others, and start wondering about the type of people who are criticizing and whether it’s worth taking any of their words to heart, given that they aren’t trying to build anything wonderful themselves, that we are able to let those words slide off without hurting us.
“To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.” ~Aristotle
But Nathalie , it is also those who have made it who criticize as well, not just those who haven’t. They shove it in your face and remind you how successful they are and even tell you to do something else instead of lending a helping hand. This phenomenon can be encountered at all levels. I guess the take home point is to listen to no one and don’t fold. I wanted to write something else but I forgot.
Ask yourself what you consider to be real success, A. Happy people don’t hurt other people, in any way. And in my book, if you’re not happy, you’re not successful. When people are arrogant like that, it’s a mask for insecurity — they don’t feel like they’re really successful, no matter what it might look like from the outside, and they’re afraid that whatever they might have managed to grab hold of will be taken away from them. How is that successful?
“Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, ‘What’s in it for me?'” ~Brian Tracy
I love the above quote from Brian Tracy, and in my experience, it’s so true. When I look around the various networking groups I belong too, and when I look at the people I know personally, the ones that I consider the most “successful” are so wonderful about helping others out. Some of them go out of their way to help other people, whether it’s with advice, contacts, constructive critiques when asked for them, or acting as a mentor or sounding board — the people who are really successful are usually the first to help others out (assuming they sense the same kind of honesty and integrity in those others that they themselves have).