“Always refuse to be like the others. The more you become similar to the others the more you will be useless because there are already plenty of the others.”
The struggle to fit in is part of human nature. Who doesn’t want to feel like they belong? However fitting in is more glamorized in our minds than it should be. This quote, by playwright and novelist Mehmet Murat Ildan, reminds us that being like everybody else actually renders us useless. This makes complete sense. Being a replication of others–others’ likes, dislikes, ideas, manner of speech, style, etc.–means you have nothing new to bring to the table, i.e. the world. But the more you are who you are, the more your unique qualities can shine in the lives of those around you and beyond.
“When you finally learn your self–worth, you stop giving others discounts.”
This quote, by Karen Salmansohn, reminds us to know our self-worth. With that knowledge, we’re less likely to give others discounts, i.e. be taken advantage of or be taken for granted. Knowing your self-worth means knowing your value goes beyond any accomplishment. That it’s not what you do. Being worthy is just who you are as a unique one-of-a kind individual in this world. And once you know this, you start prioritizing your health, happiness, wellbeing, and time–as you should.
“By being yourself you put something wonderful in the world that was not there before.”
This quote, by Edwin Elliot, is a reminder to appreciate what makes you unique. It’s a reminder to not try to hide those things. At the end of the day, who you are has never been in the world before. So “by being yourself you put something wonderful in the world that was not there before.” On the other hand, ignoring what makes you stand out and imitating others only replicates something that’s already out there, which is a total waste of the person you were created to be.
“Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.”
It’s human nature to measure ourselves relative to others and try to be better. We see competitions today, throughout history, and across the globe designed to determine who’s better in some way. For example, who’s faster, stronger, smarter, more attractive, talented, or creative. However, beyond outright competitions, we calculate these attributes on our own. Next, we take our measurements and compare them to ourselves–to gauge our own value and self-worth. This quote, by William Faulkner, reminds us to not focus on being better than anyone now or anyone who’ve come before us. Besides the dangerous and unhealthy aspect of making our self-worth entirely dependent on others, this also robs us…
PositLive Music: “Be Kind To Yourself”
“Be Kind To Yourself” Written by: Andrew Peterson Released: October 7, 2015 Andrew Peterson wrote this song for his daughter who was 13 at the time. The title says it all. It’s a song about being kind to yourself. It’s about silencing negative self-talk and not harboring self-hatred. The lyrics carry a message we all need to hear from time to time no matter our age. Select PositLive Music: Lyrical Playlist to view all playlist songs as they’re being added.Select Exploring New Ways to PositLive to read about the inspiration for PositLive Music. “Be Kind to Yourself” Sung by Andrew Peterson Be Kind to Yourself: Lyrics You got all that…
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“When you connect to the silence within you, that is when you can make sense of the disturbance going on around you.”
“Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it. Twice, to learn how to do it. And a third time to figure out whether you like it or not.”
Living Life Poetically: The Hope Factor
“Don’t compare yourself to others. Be like the Sun and the Moon and shine when it’s your time.”
The Sun is about 400 times larger than the Moon at 1.4 million km across versus the Moon’s 3,474 km across. The Sun is also 27 million times greater in mass than the Moon (Source). Sometimes we compare ourselves to others, like the Moon in comparison to the Sun. We perceive another person’s light as shining brighter–bigger–better. However, despite the Sun’s greater size and mass, its orientation in the solar system makes it look to be the same size as the Moon when viewed from Earth. Furthermore, the Moon, despite its much smaller size in the solar system, entirely blocks the Sun during solar eclipses. And while the Sun is…
PositLive Music: “Try”
“Try” Written by: Colbie Caillat, Babyface, and Jason Reeves Released: June 9, 2014 This song was inspired by the pressures singer-songwriter, Colbie Caillat, faced in the music industry to be someone else (Source). It’s about not stripping away your identity to be someone you’re not in order to please others. In Caillat’s words, “[‘Try’] is about how us women feel like we need to change ourselves in so many different ways for people to accept us and like us” (Source). However, the core message is something anyone can relate to. We all sometimes feel like we need to change ourselves in different ways for people to like and accept us. And the…
“God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas but for scars.”
Metals, degrees, diplomas, and various accolades are nice to have. But what’s not so nice is being so consumed by them that we don’t see the things that really matter. Moreover, it’s not so nice when they come to define who we are–become our identity. This quote, by Elbert Hubbard, reminds us that God doesn’t care about metals, degrees, diplomas, and all other accolades we chase after. Beyond this world, these things are left behind and forgotten. However, the failures and scares that shape us will be a better indication of who we really are than any of our accomplishments. So while we pursue our goals, let’s remember that we…
“Understand: you are one of a kind. Your character traits are a kind of chemical mix that will never be repeated in history. There are ideas unique to you, a specific rhythm and perspective that are your strengths, not your weaknesses. You must not be afraid of your uniqueness.”
This quote, by the author Robert Greene, reminds us that we’re all unique, including our thoughts, ideas, and character traits. Moreover, our uniqueness doesn’t just apply to the current time but spans throughout history. Often we try to hide the things that make us stand out because society trains us to conform–to fit in. But “You must not be afraid of your uniqueness.” As stated in this quote, that is your strength. Taking things a step further, our uniqueness is a superpower we all possess. And we all have a choice to either use this superpower or cover it up.
“No one is you and that is your power.”
Every once in a while, it’s good to be reminded that no one else is you. Which is what this anonymous quote does. But beyond this, it lets us know it is our super power. The fact that no one else is you makes what ever you have to offer unique, no matter who you are. Once we understand this, we can channel this “super power” to feel more empowered.
