I believe our difference is our destiny.
This article has been
inspired by a session at the Global Leadership Summit 2019. In this session, Devon
Franklin talks of how our difference is our destiny. The minute we start wanting
to compromise on our uniqueness and be like everyone else or fit in, we lose
out on our destiny. We are designed uniquely from everyone else around us. So
we have to seek to discover that difference in us so we can work towards our
destiny. There is a temptation to want to be like a particular role model or
successful person. This is not advisable as it will rob you of your destiny.
The greatest battle we have to face is in overcoming this temptation.
To overcome this
temptation, I believe every so often you need to examine or evaluate your life
and either start, restart or refocus, continue, clarify, etc. Some people do so
by asking the question about what to start doing, what to keep doing, and what
to stop doing. This could help you depending on what you are dealing with. I
invite you to do this.
Sometimes we get
moving and not even sure how we are doing on the journey unless we take time to
evaluate. In any given journey, there are three important times; when we start,
when we finish, and when we evaluate. An evaluation like servicing a car gives
you the capacity to keep you focused, going with motivation, encouragement, and
enough energy to keep on the journey. It helps you to confront the question,
"why?". This has got to do with your values, your uniqueness, and what’s
important to you. It makes you clarify your bigger “Yes” so you say “No” to
anything that doesn’t lead you to your destiny.
Occasionally we get opportunities
to come our way. These opportunities might present themselves to us in a way
that we can't let them go. We feel we have to take them, or else we will miss
out. Most of us are victims of FOMO, Fear Of Missing Out. We don’t want to miss
out. We would rather be where we don’t even feel like we need to or be with
people who don’t value us because we don’t want to miss out. This, in many
cases, might look harmless, but slowly, we start diverting our efforts,
resources, time, etc. to something that we don't even believe in. We start
climbing a ladder just to realize it's on the wrong wall. We create a habit of
always wanting to be like everyone else. The habit could be harmless, but as
they say, we make out habits, then our habits make us.
I wonder when was the
last time you chose to be different. To be seen as the one who is not riding
along. Sometimes you may even be rejected because they or you don’t fit in. I
like this statement that rejection is someone's opinion about you. An opinion
could vary from one person to another. In that case, you can't walk around
projecting to everyone the effect of rejection. With clearly evaluating and
examining your life, this could be the best decision ever. To choose to be
different, no matter what. To overcome the pressure and bring your uniqueness.
To be you, and do you. Not wanting to please everyone.
I call upon you to go
discover your difference and pursue it. Own your difference. Don’t be caught up
in trying to be like everyone else around you. You will get swallowed up. Don’t
curtail your destiny because of an opportunity that looks good but doesn’t
appreciate your difference. The journey of growing Africa Youth Leadership
Forum has taught me that being unique pays in the long run. You need to have
the bandwidth to keep you going as you build your own story. This bandwidth has
to come from a point of true and genuine conviction on why you do what you do.
It has to be internal. If it's external,
it might not be sustainable.
Find a few
friends and talk about this.
