GROWTH ENVIRONMENT MASTERY
To create your own growth, you must master your environment first.
Key concept 2: You Are Unique
The second key concept to mastering your external growth environment is to understand that you are unique.
Why? Your uniqueness, background, and past experiences, both positive and negative, along with your unique thought process, provide a blueprint for a distinctive perspective that only you can offer.
For many, being unique doesn't automatically instill a sense of self-worth, crucial for self-growth and development. So, we'll incorporate this statement into key two for mastering your growth environment: you are enough.
When we say 'you are enough,' we mean that you don't need to be like anyone else. There's no requirement to compare yourself to others for personal growth. Instead, identify areas for personal development, focus on the necessary steps to reach your goals, and concentrate on being the best version of you possible.
Using our plant/tree analogy, with over 60,000 species, each unique, observe the diverse plant life around you. Notice the distinctions—different heights, leaf sizes, and shapes. The variety is stunning and appreciated. Similarly, like a tree in a forest or a flower in a field, you are special. Embrace key number two: cultivate self-appreciation for who you are and who you are becoming.
If you live in the city take a look at the different types of plants and trees below. Take a moment to appreciate how different each is, but how beautiful they are.
You are Enough
ACTIVITY: Create a list.
Use thirty seconds to write down as many types of trees, plants, or flowers as you can. Then write down what you appreciate or like about each plant on your list.
Take Away: Regardless of personal feelings, these plants and flowers process carbon dioxide, emit life-sustaining oxygen and offer shade or beauty. Some provide edible fruit, while others contribute to building materials, medicines, or household items.
The key is that they all find a way to be useful, beneficial, and life-enhancing. Each is beautiful in its own way. Can you draw parallels between people and plants or trees? Do you understand the point? Reflect on how you uniquely benefit and impact others.
Most people are so caught up in looking at others and what makes others unique that they don’t take time to identify and understand the value of their own uniqueness. From a business or work standpoint, we call embracing and leveraging your unique personal branding. What are the benefits of personal branding? The Forbes Magazine article titled “How to Power Up Your Personal Brand by Being Unique” points out three:
1) Being unique makes you memorable. The only way to be remembered is to be different. No one is going to remember someone who looks like, acts like, dresses like, speaks like, works like, and thinks like everyone else. Kate Erickson of Entrepreneur on Fire explains it simply: “Being unique gives us an edge. It helps us stand out, above the noise instead of amongst it.”
You want people to remember you for you. Who you are 24/7. You don’t want to be remembered or known for someone or something you are not.
2) Being unique makes you truly appreciated.
“It’s a fact of human existence that we want to be appreciated. Humans who are appreciated work better, act better, live healthier, and thrive. We often fear to be unique, because we fear that we will be rejected or unappreciated. The reality is found in the opposite. When we assert our uniqueness, then we are appreciated.
People appreciate bold difference-makers. There is obviously a negative kind of different — criminals and morons. The vast majority of the time, however, you won’t be criminal or moronic; you’ll just be you. And when you do, you can expect appreciation to follow.”
3) Being unique makes you valuable.
“Few people are willing to stick out their necks and be unique. When someone finally does so, it creates an enormous source of value. Whatever you want to be — an entrepreneur, a thought leader, a hot job candidate, or a mover and shaker — requires that you be different. The world doesn’t need more of the same. It needs different. It needs you.” -forbes.com
Define Your Uniqueness: Personal Branding
Becoming Comfortable Being You.
Embrace your identity. Recognize and accept your strengths and weaknesses as a starting point for growth.
Everyone has a unique story. Reflect on your life experiences and envision the ongoing narrative you're creating. Make it a compelling story.
Be authentic and seek genuine connections. Adapt and collaborate while staying true to yourself. Release the need for constant validation; connect with those who appreciate you for who you are.
Cultivate your talents and skills. Identify and enhance your strengths. Embrace continuous learning and development.
Develop invaluable qualities. Nurture traits like compassion, empathy, and understanding. Recognize and improve upon your existing qualities to become a high-value individual in both work and life.
Metacognitive Goal
For the remainder of this week, we want you to do two things. First, spend some time taking stock of what makes you different and unique. You can use the following statements to create a list:
Major experiences in life that have shaped you (and how).
Talents or skills that you have.
Ask friends or family members, what they think makes you unusual or different from others.
List what you believe makes you unique or different from others.
Secondly, we want you to work on your self-branding, with regards to attitudes, mindsets, qualities, and traits you may have.
For example, maybe your brand is that you are someone that people come to for advice and feedback. Maybe you’re known as being the positive one in the group. Someone who never lets anyone or anything get them down. Or maybe you’re known as a comedian. You make people laugh, and feel good.
You can also mention what you are passionate about, how you want to impact others around you, or your dream for yourself or the world.
Craft your personal branding statement. Personal branding statements only need to be one to three sentences long. Here are some examples:
“I’m passionate about helping older people find purpose in everyday life. I’m patient, and respectful and have been told I’m a great listener. I enjoy learning from older people who have a lifetime of knowledge and wisdom to share.”
“I’m a musician. I’m working towards being a professional recording artist in the future. I’m upbeat, like my music. I like to laugh and be around those who have a positive vibe like me.”
“I break things. But only to find out what makes them tick. I’m hyper-curious, and always asking the questions, what, how, and why. I want to invent the next big thing that no one has even imageined yet.”
“I’m very independent. Some say I’m stubborn, but I’d say I’m determined. When I set my mind on something I get it done. I want to use my superpower of focus to do something great in the medical field.”
“Normal is not something to aspire to, it’s something to get away from.”
– Jodie Foster