Being Unique – It’s Easy When Done Smart

Some think of uniqueness as a goal out of reach. But well, being unique is easy when done smart. Yes, there will be people who are similar to you in some ways, wear similar clothes, and have similar ideas but there will never be a person who can replicate your experiences, thoughts, experiences, and ideas in full. You are definitely one-of-a-kind!

While this being true, why does uniqueness feel like a goal out of reach or like something only true heroes can achieve?

In fact, we, the people are the same stuff. There are the default settings we’re all born with. We all have a subconscious mind that operates the same way.

Confusing enough. Huh?

The good news is you can manage to escape from being like everyone else. There are a number of simple yet complex things you can do to achieve that hero-like uniqueness and here are some of them:

Be yourself. Always.

Wanna be unique? Start by being yourself. Probably, we’ve all absorbed a lot of rules about life from the people around us, such as parents, celebrities, teachers, and friends.     That’s fine! In addition, we benefit from talking to others or do some research to learn more about certain topics. Well, that shouldn’t be a take-and-swallow kinda process. You should rather question whether or not certain rules and beliefs feel true for you and only adopt those that fit your personal value.

As in…many people think that the only way to be successful in life is to get a high paying job but this might not feel true to you and it doesn’t have to. It’s okay to have your own beliefs and it makes you absolutely unique.

Likewise, you don’t have to choose an educational path just because everyone else is doing it.

All it takes is knowing your values and goals and before making any decision, see if it’s in line with your values and goals.

Try new things

Be open to try new and interesting things. If you do this you will be introducing yourself to new perspectives and ideas. Thus,  you’ll have a unique experience and fun stories to tell others which will make you more unique, and show people that you’re an exciting person.

Simple things like trying out new hobbies, new foods, or just the activities you normally wouldn’t do will make a big difference.

Stand out in the crowd

The world is already crowded but you can be that unique material that stands out. The key? When others are zigging that’s when you zag.

The concept is: act differently from the crowd and you will be unique. Simple.

Embrace your flaws

It’s okay to have flaws! They make you who you are. The time you stop looking at your flaws as a bad thing, you will recognize that they are just the small differences that make you great.

You may feel like your head is too big or wish you had a good body shape. Either way, those differences don’t define you. That makes you unique, so try to accept them and they will become your greater strength.

It’s okay to work on improving your flaws if they bother you. You may for example set a goal to improve your fitness level if you want to be in good shape. However, you don’t have to feel bad about these things.

Stop your inner critics

I’ve always worried about not being good enough. That’s probably because of my childhood experience. Back then, everyone treated me like a tiny and physically-mentally-weak stuff. So, I grew up with such a terrible I-am-capable-of-nothing mindset. In my school years and even worse in my early career years I always felt like I was not going to make it. Absolutely anything.

I got over that!

I challenged those negative thoughts by focusing on what I could do right, thinking about my strengths, and celebrating my achievement no matter how small.

Try to quiet that criticizing voice. Keep your self-talk constructive and think positively about yourself. Never stop being you and doing what you can just because of your inner critics.

Start a creative hobby

Be it creating jewelry, singing, starting a blog, or any other creative activity or hobby that helps you express yourself will make you more unique and different. 

Just challenge yourself to think out of the box and act creatively. Always. The point here is that you find a way to express yourself in a unique way that you enjoy.

Expand your knowledge

Learning is the key. Read books, watch documentaries and movies, and do online research to learn more. What will you read and search about? If you have topics that interest you, read about that. If not, it’s okay to look up random things.

Your knowledge will set you apart from the crowd. More importantly, it gives you a lot to talk about! Result? You will be known as good, funny, and unique.

Travel often

Include more travel in your life. Travelling will give you insight into how other people live. When taking a trip, look for things you can learn. Pay attention to what people value, their culture, how they act, and how they dress.

Don’t pay attention to haters

The louder the haters are, the better you’re doing – this means you’re doing something right. They’re probably envious that you are more interesting and doing better than they are, so they make fun of you or talk evil to discourage you. Don’t let their negativity hold you back. You are actually stronger than their words. 

Stop comparing yourself to others

It’s easy to compare ourselves to others, though it’s important not to.

Did you ever compare your grades to your friend’s grades? – Same here, always did.

Not the best thing we should’ve done but hey, at least let’s learn something from our past mistakes.

What you should do instead is compare your current grades to those in the past. We should’ve said to ourselves “Last time I didn’t do well in maths, but now I did. Progress!” Not just ‘’She got betters grades, am still the same stupid’’ -This actually kills.

Just another bad comparison episode: 

I used to overly compare myself to others. As of now, I still struggle to completely get over it, but at least I’ve improved.

I used to look at everyone, I mean everyone and told myself ‘’Others are intelligent, others are beautiful, others are hard workers, others are…everything, but look at you.’’

This made me feel unnecessary unfavorably.

True, the comparison is necessary for growth. But the best way to do it is to compare yourself to you in the past and not to others. This will help you improve and grow uniquely.

Don’t worry about what others think

Of Course, people will have a different perspective on things than you do. Don’t ever feel pressured to see or do things their way. Your life is your own and decisions are personal. Do what is right even if other people don’t agree.

If you do, they won’t react well as well. I tell you this so that you better be prepared.

Build confidence in what you do and who you are and show them that you are proud to be your original self. You will absolutely be the unique piece that you are.

Work on your style

Your appearance is a great way to showcase your uniqueness.

Put your own twist on the way you wear and dress or cut your hair. Most of us wear the same things. However, you can make your outfits unique by mixing up things and make your own unusual outfit combinations.

In addition, treat your face like a canvas where you can express yourself. If you are a female, you can establish your own way to wear makeup or not even wear any at all.

Take action on your ideas

You have smart and unique ideas but that’s not enough. You must act on your ideas. People will notice and remember you for the actions from your unique ideas.

Learn from others

Ideas don’t arise from nowhere. Just think of the successful people you admire—all the people in your life that have done something worthy of praise. What do they have in common? They’ve taken lessons from those who came before but didn’t copy. They’ve innovated on those lessons and created things that are even better.

You can do it too.

Find someone who interests you and talk to him or read his stories but make the entire guide all about discovery not copying his personal brand.  Notice what you like, then brainstorm ways to innovate it.

Give up trying to be like anyone else

Do you have a role model or simply someone who inspires you? Maybe a singer, an actor or any. That’s totally okay but let me remind you something.

Just be you.

At times you might be tempted to judge yourself based on what he is doing or what to live a seem-perfect-life just like him and probably put yourself in a negative light.

Better use that energy to follow your curiosity, trust your gut, and face your fears. That will make you unique.

Conclusion

One of the best ways to be unique is by embracing who you are and expressing what you enjoy without trying to be anyone else. Get to know yourself. Discover what you truly care about and work towards improving your true self.

It can be hard at first and actually feel like a risky path, but it’s less risky than being buried in mediocrity because you sound, act or look like everyone else.

Being your true self is already unique!