Stand Out and Find Yourself by Anvi

At some point, people feel pressured to be like everyone else to fit in. But why do we spend so much time trying to be like everyone else when our differences make us all unique? 

The world doesn’t need duplicates; it needs individuality. 
When you’re the same person as the one next to you, then what’s the point of you?

Take it from me. It feels amazing when you get recognized for your unique abilities. It can even be as simple as a generic day-to-day task. Your confidence automatically elevates and your smile radiates when someone applauds your talents.

When I was in art class, I decided to choose a more detailed drawing with a greater variety of colors than what the assignment required. Most students took the class because they want an “easy A” while I took it to deeply express my passion. Not only did I have more fun with the project, but my teacher recognized my unique abilities by displaying my work in the art show and recommending me for a college art program.

Resisting the typical route and working hard opened exciting opportunities for me.

An article on a child development website states, “When young people learn to value their individuality, they grow into resilient, creative, and compassionate adults who make the world a better place.”

Who wants to be a monotone, grey robot who follows a perfect schedule where anyone and everyone does the exact same thing again and again?

Don’t just take it from me. Rita Mae Brown also remarks, “I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you but yourself.” 

To be identical is to be someone else. 

If someone ate four Doritos, they wouldn’t remember their opinion about each one. The chips all look the same, taste the same, crunch the same. How can you distinguish the chips from each other? They’re identical in their shape, texture, and flavor. 

On the other hand, if someone ate four Doritos and one White Cheddar Cheeto Puff, the unique shape and airy composition of the puff would be way more memorable than the repetitive shape, crunch, and taste of the Doritos. 

In eighth grade, everyone had the same assignment; turn a social studies unit into a music video. All the students gathered in the cafeteria to watch the winners for a finale. We viewed over 25 videos, but only one stood out to me.

Every group’s video was good, but that one group went the extra mile by creating visuals with lights and outfits along with dances and autotune. I hadn’t seen anything like it, and they were rewarded for their uniqueness by winning.  

Nobody wants you for someone else’s ideas . . . especially colleges.

When there are ten people with the exact same qualifications, talents, and academic achievements, how do you know who to choose? They’re literally the same person! 

Your distinct ideas and individuality can build a superior version of you.

Walt Disney was once fired by a newspaper editor because his ideas were not creative enough. He faced multiple bankruptcies until he had a unique epiphany: Disneyland.

His original, exclusive idea created a multi-billion-dollar corporation which is iconic and lucrative to this day. Take it from Disney himself, “The more you like yourself, the less you are like anyone else, which makes you unique.”

To be different is to be memorable. 

If everyone else can achieve the goal you are trying to achieve, what’s so cool if you achieve it too?

When going the extra mile to accomplish something unexpected, people remember you. You realize your originality and find out who you are.

For example, I was already on my school’s junior varsity dance team when something caught my eye: a student-led dance club where members self-choreograph their routines. 

While talking to my friends who were also trying out, they questioned why I was auditioning when I was already on a dance team. I mentioned how I enjoy choreographing dances a lot, and I don’t get many opportunities to—but if I joined it, I would. 

I was already challenged by the level of difficulty from the dance team I was currently on, but joining the second club allowed me to not only grow by learning different styles but also create and display my own ideas through self-choreographing routines. 

Though people have questioned my decision to invest so much of myself into different types of dances, I haven’t given into their opinions. I chose to stay original, and the payoff has been worth it. I’ve gained so many friends, skills, and opportunities—valuable things I would have missed had I taken the easy route and followed the crowd.

To stand out is to grow.

Everyone tries to fit in at some point, but the iconic people we remember are the ones who didn’t.