Do you stand out in a crowd?

One of my t-shirts has a message on the front of it that reads ‘In a world where you can be anything Be Kind.’

It’s a t-shirt I purchased from the Autism Shop a few years ago. It has a striking design made up of bright colours and includes an elephant wearing a pair of sunglasses.

Every time I wear the t-shirt, I’m guaranteed to receive any number of compliments. What’s not to love about seeing an elephant donning a pair of colourful shades?

It’s quirky. It’s different. It’s not for everyone.

My favourite ever US sitcom is The Big Bang Theory. It broke the mould that most successful sitcoms follow.

The lead cast consisted of a group of nerdy scientists. None of them had typical model-like physiques. They were intelligent but had very few social skills.

The humour was subtle. Despite the peculiarity of the cast, they each desired the same love and connection from life that we all do. It was relatable.

It was also quirky. It was unusual but massively successful. It wasn’t for everyone.

Last Christmas I was looking for a unique gift for my girlfriend. Neither of us care for any useless tat to create extra clutter, so the gift had to be practical.

I found a small company in South Africa. The owner combined her love of jewellery making with her livelong advocacy for sustainability. She converts disused electronic waste – like circuit boards sent for scrap – into bespoke jewellery items.

We both love the necklace that was handmade and includes a personal inscription on the back.

Even more, I was inspired by the owner’s dedication to forge her own path. She credits the growth of their company to hard work, late night research, and serendipitous connections.

The jewellery is quirky. Each piece has its unique story. It’s not for everyone.

Standing out is difficult. Never more so than today. Yet tragically most people try as hard as they can to be like everyone else.

If you want to stand out in your field, you need to forge you own path.

You’ll never stand out by reading the same books that everyone else reads, or by sharing the same life hacking strategies that are scattered across every corner of the internet.

Likes and followers will destroy you.

What separates you from everyone else is your unique quirky personality. You’re not for everyone. You don’t need to be.

Put the real ‘You’ on display just as much as you show the photoshopped filtered version of you. You’re not perfect. You don’t need to be.

If you think you’re already doing this, go even deeper. There are countless layers to unpeel. 

What’s the one thing you can do this week that would cause you to wake up in a cold sweat?

In a world where you can be anyone Be You.