How To Stand Out From The Crowd
We were watching a show recently with singers competing for a glorified title. At one point, one of the judges said “we know you can sing, but we want to see more of who you are. We want to see your style and your personality. We want more of what makes you, you”
It’s one thing to be good at what you do. You can be the best and still not be recognized. There’s so much talent out there, and so much competition for being seen. The best way to shine through is to express your unique style in what you do, and people will notice you.
If you have trouble with how to do this, here are some pointers to get you started on your journey:
Know Yourself
This may seem obvious, but sometimes people are unclear on their likes and dislikes, and who they are as a person. This is especially true for the older generation; we were not given the leeway to explore and express ourselves, and we didn’t have the tool of the internet to do this. We were encouraged to be like everyone else and fit in neatly with society.
I know when I was younger, I wasn’t sure what I liked and didn’t like, because I hadn’t explored life enough to understand myself. Having self-awareness helps develop your personality. Your expression to the world will reflect your loves and passions.
Explore the world, no matter how old you are, or whether you believe you know yourself or not. Try something you’ve always wanted to do. You can even try something that scares you a little bit, but also intrigues you. Pushing yourself outside your comfort zone will push you towards knowing yourself better. You may be surprised at what you find out about yourself!
Have Passion For What You Do
To have a strong desire toward something is the meaning of life. You love doing it, you get lost in it, you lose track of time. Your passion lies in learning, creating, excelling in whatever it is that fascinates you.
You can not have passion for something you dabble in sporadically and halfheartedly. To be passionate about something is to want to participate in it all the time. You want to know more about it. You may even be a little obsessed with it. It is your school and your learning. The only way you’ll excel at it is to spend the time with it and learn about it, do it, make it a huge part of your life. Dive in!
I have a friend who is obsessed with Homer’s Iliad; and within it, the story of ancient Troy, the Trojan War and Helen of Troy. He has read every version he can get his hands on, he’s studied the meaning behind the book, and the philosophy of the story. He has a passion for this so much, he’s spent countless hours of his spare time personally studying The Iliad. He could teach an advanced college course on it. He may even be one of the top experts on the subject.
Having passion is to take your heart and open it up, absorbing everything you can about your obsession. This is how you become great at the one thing you love.
If you love something, dive into it. Consume it. Have it become a part of who you are. Make it your way of life. This is what develops your uniqueness and makes you excellent in what you love to do.
Your Roots Matter
If you don’t like where you came from, you may strive to become someone different. But, this is an important part of what has shaped you into who you are. Even if you were born into a family, a culture, or a country that is completely the opposite of who you are on the inside, it’s still an important part of you. Every minute of your life is important, and you continue to shape and grow yourself from the experiences you’ve had in all stages of your life. Use these parts of your history to fuel your passion. All your pieces make the entire you. Be proud of that.
Embrace Your Weird
When I was growing up, it was important to fit in with the crowd. You didn’t question authority. If you went against the mainstream, or were considered unusual, you were an outcast. Thank goodness things have changed!
In today’s world, it’s okay to express yourself in your own unique way.
If you are considered quirky, odd, or unusual, you‘ll stand out. Your quirkiness on the outside, should be a genuine reflection of who you are on the inside. Express yourself in your own unique way, if that means how you adorn yourself, how you speak, how you come across to others. Don’t try to fit in with the crowd. Be you.
This reminds me of the show “G.L.O.W.” Each woman dressed up in the persona of who she reflected on the inside. One wrestler, Sheila the She Wolf, a character suffering from ”species dysmorphia,” wore her costume all the time. It wasn’t an outfit to her, it was who she was. Her self-expression created a following for her, to the point of obsession.
If you want to get up on stage and show yourself off to the world, you don’t necessarily want to be like all the other people out there. You want to be you. Express yourself in your own unique way. Have it come from the inside and be shameless about it. You’ll connect with people who feel the same way, and you’ll have a following.
If you have a great deal of talent, you’ll stand out from the crowd to a certain point. Of course, you can have a niche, that’s helpful. But only when you take it up a notch and add your personal touch of who you are, that’s when you’ll shine through. People will hate you or love you, but at least they’ll have an opinion about you.