The Theory of Standing Out




So I have a theory ( just hear me out). I've never been an ambitious person. When I was a kid our teachers used to ask us what we wanted to become, and believe me each child wanted to be the one doctor that would cure cancer or the lawyer that would be known everywhere or become the President of the Federal Republic. My point is there were a lot of big dreams and whenever I said I wanted to become a teacher, ( after they finally saw I wasn't going to give in) everyone assumed I wanted to be like the best teacher in the world. I was like no, actually, I just wanted to be the normal ordinary teacher. And they would give me that " with your grades" look as if it was impossible to just be a teacher ( you know without the hoopla of being the best).   I wanted to be ordinary, to be just an ordinary person like anyone else. I did not care about the big dreams but I never stopped people from dreaming ( I mean someone really has to make an app for downloading food like really!).

Now this seems so "crazy" but I will explain. I come from a family of achievers, people who have stood out in many ways and just have to keep standing out. This means that I have seen people stand out so much, I did not care much for it. Trying to beat them will be almost impossible since they have achieved so much. I wanted to see what came of blending in and being ordinary. You will not believe it but, to my own surprise also, I still stood out.
Why you might ask?
Well, because it was interesting to see someone considered "a stand out" material strive eagerly to want to blend in. I was the girl always explaining that I did not care about becoming a lecturer, just an ordinary teacher. I was the girl forced to explain her need to blend in so much, I began to stand out. So try as I could to be ordinary and make a great deal about being ordinary, I still stood out.

This leads to my theory why some people just stand out. Because they have refused to follow the crowd. To stand out, you need to see what everyone else is doing and just go the other way. Everything you do has to be different. Standing out involves being comfortable in your difference. Every single person who has ever made a difference "stood out". When you stand different, everyone wants to know why, they start to wonder about you and you end up standing out.  For me, every single ordinariness of my ways has been a way to stand out as I just could not follow the crowd in anything.  My beliefs stand me out, my faith stands me out, my grades stand me out and now it would look like my overall life even stands me out as I am not able to blend into what many are doing or running after. One of my favorite quote says " Why are you trying so hard to fit in when you were born to stand out?"
No matter what stand you take, you will find yourself standing out not because you were actually born to, no, but because every action you take differently from the crowd screams "stand out". So my point is, you do not have to follow the crowd at all, you need to become comfortable with standing out. You need to grow into standing out. Let standing out become your ordinary, like me.


WaleAyo.

Comments

  1. I wonder where you get inspiration from lately. You carve out great messages from 'ordinary' issues. This sheds light on the essence of standing out and how it brings out the best in every individual. Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. Inspiration is everywhere, thank you. And you're welcome.

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