Fit in or Stand out
There was no magic formula that turned supposedly ugly ducklings into gorgeous swans – it was just their ability to believe in themselves… their ability to carry on standing head and shoulders above the rest.
So if you’re saying to your reflection - two of the saddest words in the English dictionary - “If Only”, here is some real life inspiration to help you see yourself as being “head and shoulders above the rest.”
She was born black, illegitimate and poor. As a child she was raped and raised by her grandmother on a farm with no indoor plumbing. That would have crushed almost anyone, but not this lady.
Today, the Oscar nominee is America’s top most entertainer, hosting a talk show that has an estimated 14 million daily in the U.S. and millions more in 132 other countries. Any book she chooses for her on-air book club becomes an instant best seller.
At 47, she has a personal fortune estimated at more than half a billion dollars.
Ladies and Gentlemen, may we present Oprah Winfrey!
He was rejected at his first screen test. They found him too gawky, too skinny, too un-hero-like and he was told to soften his 'deep' voice.
His first few films were miserable flops. He should have given up and gone back to his comfortable corporate job.
He didn’t.
Today he is one of the living legends of Indian cinema and famous as much for his towering screen presence as his rich, deep, sonorous voice!
The Big B Amitabh Bachchan!
A Harvard University dropout, he remained shy and awkward, rarely venturing out to parties.
But nothing ever came in the way of his clear-sighted vision that the future was in Personal Computers - a wild belief at a time when computers were alien, complicated machines that were used in large corporations and when IBM dominated the market.
He now designs software for PCs. Today he is the world’s only trillionaire, and the name of his company and products are synonymous with personal computing.
Bill Gates shut himself to no window.
After reading about all these somebodys who were nobodys, ask yourself one question – what is more important to me – fitting in with the crowd, or being the person I was meant to be, even if it means sticking out?
The thing is, if you’re different from the herd, stop trying to desperately squash yourself in. Instead, strike your own path, revel in and respect who you are.
Yes, it’s lonely being head and shoulders above the herd. But, when you’re up there, you have, the best view