Being exceptional is a common human experience
To be exceptional is not a gift only given to a few. We are all born with great potential to be exceptional.
Somewhere along the way, we stopped dreaming. We started watching others dream instead. Scroll. Click. Like.
Somewhere along the way, we started to believe that only other people can reach their dreams. Only the select few are exceptional enough to do so. E.g. your favourite superhero movie.
We’ve learned to become spectators in life. Ignoring that each and every single one of us is unique. We watch those who we think to be truly unique.
But being exceptional isn’t about you achieving the paper-thin set of skills, assets or experiences this world promotes. Unfortunately, it’s what we start to believe. So we continue to be spectators, literally watching life pass us by. Standing at attention as we pay respects to those who we think are exceptional. We call them our heroes, role models. We envy them from the comfort of our phone screen.
The world exceptional, though, has such an interesting definition. It simply means “unusual, not typical”.
Since we’re all unique, we can say were are all born with great potential to be exceptional. Why? Because anything unique isn’t typical. It’s unusual. But we’ve accepted that these are bad words. Do you know what’s unusual? Someone giving you back your phone when you’ve accidentally dropped it. Unusual isn’t always a bad thing. We’re just scared to be different. We’re just scared to stand out for the right reasons.
Somewhere along the way, we start to fight to fit in. We go through Herculean lengths to prove we’re just like everyone else.
If we find someone who’s different, we mock them, we label them. If we’re different, we’re mocked, we’re labeled. We label ourselves. So we start to fit into the narrow mould society has set before us. We give up what makes us unusual, unique, exceptional. We do so so we can hide in the crowd.
But you don’t have to be like everyone else. Being exceptional is a common human experience.
Find what makes you different. Not so you can bury it deep inside. But so you can figure out how it can help you contribute in ways other people can’t.
We’re all different. But that just means we can all contribute differently. Your own weird and wonderful way of looking at the world, of doing things, only means one thing.
You add exceptional value to the world, to your company, to your friends and to those who love you the most.
