Outstanding!

Are you tired of trying to be different, trying to “stand out from the crowd” and trying to be “outstanding”? I have good news for you! Stop that nonsense!

Your body is comprised of between sixty to seventy trillion cells. That alone makes you unique! So, why do you try so hard to “stand out”! Think back. When you were younger, what did you try to do? Blend in! Be “normal”! Now, I’m not saying that’s a bad thing. It is actually all about being a pleasant person to be around. It’s all about collective identities, collective virtues, collective strengths. However, as I’ve said before, unity does not spring forth from uniformity, in that sense of the word. Now, I am not saying that we should get rid of uniforms. I’ve been in uniform for more than 24 years, and I have never felt as though I were some robotic replica of the guy standing next to me or even a few files to the right or left. No! I wore my camouflage uniform as though it were a second skin, but anyone who knew me would tell you that there wasn’t anything “normal” about me, and I had a reputation to back it up.

Like my suit?

No, it’s not your nonconformist suits or outlandish behaviour that makes you stand out. It’s your eyes. It’s your vibes. What do people see when they look into the windows of your soul? What do they feel when you walk towards them? What do they sense as you pass by, never having even seen you? That is what makes you stand out. Are you so grounded in truth, virtue and wisdom that you have no hesitation baring your soul for all to see? Are you so secure in the understanding of your own mortality, your own faults, your own developmental needs, that you are not afraid of others knowing as well?

Get out of the playground. Get out of the hallways. Get out of the enclaves at recess time. Get out of the cliques. Out of the social media connections. Look at yourself. Acknowledge who you are. Grow in areas you need to. Seek help where you need it. And start looking at each person as a person, not someone you can sell something to. Appreciate each person for who he or she is. Help them in whatever way you can.

That, my friend, is how you become outstanding. That is how you stand out from the crowd. Because it’s not the crowds we seek. It’s engaging, ennobling, inspiring communities. Join a thriving community. Contribute. Participate. Enrich. Enliven. You’ll be outstanding before you even know it.