Born to stand out

When I was younger, I always wanted to “fit in”. Isn’t that what everyone wants when they’re young? And I hated the fact that I didn’t “fit in”. It wasn’t until I was older that I realized I was born to do the exact opposite. I was born to stand out. The reality is we’re all born to stand out.

There’s no arguing that my family of origin stood out. Anyone who knew my family would agree. My younger sister, Casey, had special needs. Her behavior was oftentimes quite uncontrollable. She’d bang her head into a wall, throw herself down, and break things. These behaviors came out of the blue. It didn’t matter where we were – at a family gathering, in church, in the grocery store, in the middle of the street, I mean anywhere. We’d literally have to pick her up and carry her out kicking and screaming. So, because I had no other choice, I got used to people staring. I may not have liked it, but it was a part of life.

When I was 13 years old, my Dad got bone cancer. He had extensive surgery and spent the remainder of his life either using crutches or in a wheelchair. It wasn’t easy for him to get around. After that, more people were staring at us. And I can’t really blame them. I think it’s human nature to look in the direction of someone who looks different or acts different. It’s human nature to want to know everyone else’s story.

I didn’t look at it that way at the time. As a matter of fact, I got angry and embarrassed when people stared. There were definitely times when wished I could somehow just disappear. Little did I know the crucial life lessons that I was learning.

By the time I made it to college, I didn’t even try to fit in. And I really didn’t care what anyone else thought of me. I didn’t want to be a part of the typical “college crowd”. More times than not, I turned people down when they invited me out to parties or social events. I was perfectly fine without having too many friends. That’s not something too many college students can say.

My confidence grew as I entered the working world. Generally speaking, people sort of gravitated towards me. Even though I was young, they realized I had a lot of talents and gifts to share. As I moved from one job to the next, I climbed the ladder remarkably fast. By the time I was in my late twenties, I had already become a supervisor. Doors were opening left and right.

One of the most important lessons that I learned was that I could achieve anything – as long as I tried. I not only realized it, but I applied it. I don’t believe I would have learned that lesson so early in my life if I hadn’t gotten so comfortable standing out.

Think about the people that you admire most in life. They are the ones who stand out. They are the ones who take risks. They are natural born leaders. And they are the ones who leave a legacy.

You were born to stand out too. There’s no doubt about it. If you want to leave your mark on the world, then accept who you are and who you were born to be. Celebrate your uniqueness. Don’t pay attention to who society tells you to be. Society’s got it all wrong. Focus only on the gifts and talents that you have. Don’t spend anytime worrying about what other people think. Be yourself and be proud.