Hey guys, it's Hanna!
There are many people out there who want to be "part of the crowd." If you want to be the leader and stand out from the crowd instead, then this article is for you. It's a wonderful feeling to know that you are original and unique.
♒ Know you're unique. For starters, know that you're already different than everyone on the planet. Sure, some people are more different than others, but all of us have a unique set of experiences and characteristics that spell out a different reality than everyone else on Earth. No one else has the same brain you do, the same thoughts you do, and the same reactions as you do. You're different by just being human.
♒ Labels are pretty useless. Even striving to be different isn't something that's truly achievable. A quick change of cultures will show you that people operate differently by default. Instead, accept that you're already unique and work with yourself. Who is you, anyway?
♒ Find yourself and be yourself. In order to be as different as possible, you have to be you -- not a carbon copy of someone else. If you don't know who you are, that process can seem a bit scary. In order to be yourself, you have to find yourself. Do you know what it is you like? What you are like? Who are you when no one else is around?
♒ Spend some time alone. It's normal nowadays to be constantly bombarded with stimuli -- whether it's on a screen or the people around us. To really get down to who you are and what makes you different, spend some time alone. Disconnect from everything. What are you left with? Meditate on what matters to you.
♒ Know what you want. Be very careful that you actually want to be different. Maybe you're just in a group of friends that you don't jive with and that little voice in your head is just being misinterpreted.
♒ Know how you want to be different. Once you've pinpointed what "different" is to you, how do you want to go about it? If you're in a group of friends that only eats Swedish protein bars and wears pink on Wednesdays, how do you want to go off on your own? Do you want to become a math mastermind or do you just want to shake it up by wearing purple? You could be different in so many ways.
♒ Observe. Take a step back from your surroundings for a moment and just observe. How are people behaving? How do they interact with each other (friends, strangers, cashiers, lovers)? What assumptions do they all make? How are they dressed? If you were to walk in unexpectedly, how could you not fit into the mold?
♒ Do what you like. Straight up, you're going to enjoy some things that are trendy and some things that are not. That's fine! As long as you're doing what you enjoy, you'll have a combination that's probably unique to you. Maybe you love baking, jiujitsu, and thrift-shopping. If you enjoy it, it'll feel right.
♒ Try new things. We are naturally raised as part of a group. Therefore, we're constantly being exposed to things that others around us have already approved. These things are good -- they can open us up to things we're not even aware of -- but it's also important to try things that are brand spankin' new to you that other people haven't already endorsed. How else will you find out what you like and do not like?
♒ Color outside the lines. From a very young age, we're sort of brainwashed to fit into our society. We wear clothes, eat with utensils, go to school, do things to match our gender, et cetera and so forth. It's hard to realize that this is a box you can get out of. There are lines that you can color outside of. It just hasn't occurred to most of us.
♒ Be absurd. As if the dinosaur example wasn't enough, instead of just coloring outside the lines, you don't even have to use your metaphorical crayons on the metaphorical paper. If you want to go around school wearing headphones and dancing like you're in a Selena Gomez music video, the thing is, you can.
♒ Shake hands with your enemies. This is a way to say act differently toward people than they expect. In a good way, of course! And see where it gets you -- who knows, the next time you have to deal with a cop, shake his hand, ask him about himself, and see if you get out of that ticket! You very well may.
♒ Dress for yourself. It's really easy to get caught up in what society tells us looks good and is attractive. While it's impossible to completely avoid that (without making the clothes yourself), use fashion like a cafeteria -- take what you want and leave the rest. Do you like a certain trend? Great. Would you rather be sporting a pair of rain boots from 1972 than a pair of Uggs? Awesome -- maybe your mom has some in her closet.
♒ Don't get caught up in games. It's hard to come up with a few examples that everyone does. You could say, for example, "listen to unpopular music," but there are loads of people that do that. However, one thing that seems to be a pretty normal characteristic across the board is drama. We looooooooove it. If you want to be different, avoid it! Don't let it be a part of your life. And definitely don't start it!
♒ Say what everyone else is thinking. One of the games people play is not saying what we mean. We're afraid of standing out, making noise, hurting someone's feelings, or just getting embarrassed. There will be times when an entire room is thinking something, but no one says it. The term "elephant in the room" exists for a reason! Be that person!
♒ Don't bother trying to impress. If you haven't noticed, there's a pattern here of how others' opinions shouldn't really matter. Since most people are concerned with impressing others and how they're perceived, try not to do it. It's often when we're not trying to impress that we do the most impressing!
♒ Know the world works in opposites. Nothing is really as it seems. So many people are trying to be different it results in them all being the same! Being quiet may mean that when you talk, people hear you louder. When you're not trying to attract that boy or girl, they become attracted to you. So trying to be different may not get you anywhere.
♒ Know you'll bump heads. Society isn't super good at accepting what isn't trendy. People are praised for being fashionable and pretty -- few are praised for expanding our limits and coloring outside the lines. Those people may not welcome you with open arms. And that's fine! You don't need 'em. But you do need to know it's gonna happen. That way you'll be prepared for when it does.
And that's it! I hope it helps.
xoxo
-Hanna
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