#BeInspired Mondays: Embrace Your Difference

Life does not reward people for the similarities they share with others, but the differences they have. Your reward is determined by the impact of your difference (uniqueness) and this is either good or bad.

For focus sake, we will be talking about the positive impact of your difference on the society – the difference you make.

If people are being rewarded for how similar they are to others, then the word “reward” as we know it has lost its meaning.

The question you should always ask yourself is “Is my dream/goal/aspiration really mine?” It is easy to fall into the trap of getting into what is trending or reigning and forget that those things are trending because someone or some persons decided to embrace and express their uniqueness.

If you copy, the best you can be is second best. There was a time comedy and soccer were seen as the exclusive reserve of people with “No Future Ambition”. I don’t need to write about people’s perception about these professions now.

Some people who realised that that is the direction their lives ought to take, made bold steps and followed their dreams; blazing the trail for others to follow.

This sometimes is the case between mentors and mentees. Some individuals, in their bid to follow in the steps of people they consider mentors and role models, leave themselves behind.

That mentor is another individual, with separate goals, dreams, and ambitions from yours. Learn his/her principles, but follow your own path. A worthy mentor will berate you for trying to be like him/her. Admire the results, but learn the reasons for such results. Your life is not a continuation of another person’s life.

Sometimes people begin to desire the conditions or experiences of the people that are high achievers so that they can get their results. Because the individual quit his/her job, they secretly want to quit their jobs, because the individual got married at a particular age, they secretly want to get married at that age, because the individual never had formal education, they secretly want to have same experience, or even drop out of school. Be yourself, there is a pathway to your destiny from wherever you are. Make decisions based on your unique dreams.

There is also a message for Nigeria in this article. As a nation and as the individuals that make up this country, we should quit trying to copy the West. We can learn principles and use that to express our difference (uniqueness).

We must look inward and develop products/services with global appeal so that we can export them.

Mineral resources no longer cut it. We must, apart from products and services begin to export knowledge. Thankfully, music and film are doing well; we must never stop meeting global needs with our own uniqueness.