“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Dr. Suess. My 12 year old daughter Noelle has a confidence about her that is unprecedented for her age. She decided that Fridays would be crazy high sock and converse tennis shoe day. She tried to solicit her friends to go along with her in this notion, but, they bailed on the idea and left her the only one in school wearing loud high socks and converse tennis shoes that first Friday of 7th grade. One popular kid came up to her and made a snide remark about her crazy look. Noelle simply told her that she must have missed the memo on how cool crazy socks and converse tennis shoes were, and walked away. The girl was stunned and even appeared embarrassed that her attempt to demean Noelle had failed. Noelle still wears crazy high socks and converse tennis shoes on Fridays. Some days she’s the only one, but no one gives her attitude about it.
When I was in school, there was so much pressure to be, act, talk and look like everyone else. I was so afraid that my uniqueness would not be accepted or loved. I did not share Noelle’s confidence in my uniqueness. Can you relate to that feeling, even today?
Your uniqueness is your power. It’s a combination of the gifts and talents, passions and values that are yours and yours alone. Learning how to harness your uniqueness is one of the true secrets of success. Encouraging others to embrace their uniqueness is an important job of the dream partner.
Ask yourselves these questions to get at your uniqueness factor: What do I offer that is special? What do people tell me that I bring to the table? What makes you most excited? Where do you get your energy? Look at both skills and talents when answering these questions. A talent is something that you are born with, and a skill is something that you learn. There is often a connection. I enjoy playing an instrument, (a skill) because it comes naturally for me, (a talent).
There may be hundreds of people doing what your dream would have you do. But only you will do it like you do. Communicating your uniqueness will help people to see you as different, better than the hundreds of others doing what you do. Embrace your uniqueness.
