Be yourself. Everybody else is taken. Oscar Wilde.
If you are still competing with the crowd, operating in much the same manner, doing the same old things in the same old way, it is next to impossible to move ahead of the pack.
In this age of globalization, surplus supply and endless selection, the competition isn’t between you and your competitors.
It’s between you and your imagination.
To be oneself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else takes courage but standing out from the crowd can lead to amazing outcomes.
So here’s the question: How are YOUbeing different?
Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen. Winston Churchill.
Like a pair of giant needles, technology and globalization have knitted us together. Whether we live in Toronto, Toledo or Timbuktu, our world has become a global village, increasingly interdependent, interconnected, demanding we broaden our world view, like it or not.
Broadly speaking, a world view is a set of expectations and biases we have formed that shape how we see and feel about people in other nations, even in our own neighbourhoods – each of them with their own world view.
Accommodation isn’t always easy but as distances continue to shrink, it is good to remember that, regardless of where we stand on the globe, most people are just trying to get through the day, striving to live out their personal destinies and be the the best they can be.
We are not the same, of course. Our cultures, religions and societal differences can make strangers of us all – but only if we let them.
The songs we sing, the stories we tell, sounds and words that to others may sound foreign, even threatening.
Still, particularly at this time, as the world continues to get smaller, meaner and less inclusive, more than ever, we need to look into our hearts and make a greater effort to narrow the gap.
And to be reminded that a stranger is only a person whose song or story we have never heard, if only we are brave enough to listen.
Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that somethings makes sense regardless of how it turns out. Vaclav Havel.
Life is a never ending series of choices, some easier, others not so much. We make them everyday. They affect every aspect of our lives. One of the most critical choices, I believe, is choosing whether to be an optimist or a pessimist.
Particularly at this moment in history. With our hearts and minds fixated on the events in Ukraine Vaclav Havel’s words read truer than ever.
These are perilous times. The challenges to the liberal, democratic order are many. Clearly there are a good many pressing issues that need addressing.
It is hard to stand strong, but it’s what we must do.
Nothing builds self-esteem and self-confidence like accomplishment. Thomas Carlyle.
The challenges of the New Year just keep on coming. It’s for sure going to be daunting, but whether you are resolved to step up your current game or start a new one, here’s a check list that will help you get through the storm. The items on this list aren’t new or original but they will play a big role in your success:
1. Get fit – eat healthy, exercise right and get enough sleep.
2. Show more kindness and respect. It’s not just about you.
3. Choose to be positive. Don’t listen to the pessimists.
4. Keep social media in perspective. Each day only has 24 hours.
5. Search out and cultivate new opportunities. Continually.
6. Fend off thoughts about the past. It’s today that counts.
7. Be the best at what you do.
Which ever is the case, occasionally remind yourself that the only edge that separates you from the rest of the field is YOU.
Now is not the time to think about what you do not have. Think about what you can do with what there is. Ernest Hemingway.
Broadly speaking, it seems to me that people break into two main groups, those who say ‘no’ and those who say ‘yes’. The no people, always eager to cast doubt, turn a blind eye and close off their hearts. The dreamers are those who say yes, let’s go for it.
YES. It’s OK to put your work work out there.
YES. You are capable of making a difference.
YES. You can ignore your critics.
YES. It’s important.
YES. There is no better time.
The YES crowd has always been in the minority, but they are the people who always create the new, just when it is needed the most.
You get the idea….
It takes courage and resilience to be a yes person, especially in difficult times. Resolve, today, to add something positive to the conversation by just saying YES.
For more information, rates, or to set up a meeting:
Email drew@drewsimmie.com or call direct 416.450.8867.
