Be Yourself

Be yourself, because everyone else is taken.

I love this saying.

Perhaps for this reason, I find myself pushing back on the myriad suggestions to be like someone else. We’re encouraged to adopt the morning routine, productivity hacks, success formula, communication style or whatever of [insert famous leader of choice].

Except they didn’t get to be that person by imitating someone else.

Now, I’m not suggesting we can’t learn from others. Yes, we all stand on the shoulders of the giants who came before us, whatever our field. Yes, we’re all supported, encouraged and inspired by those walking alongside us.

And, we walk our paths in our own shoes.

With our own dreams, aspirations and purpose.

With our own beliefs, values and conviction.

With our own ideas, methods, and quirks.

With our own experiences, growth and learning.

It might feel less certain to tread our own path, we cannot predict, nor control, exactly where it will take us. Wherever it might be, we might just find the answer to poet Mary Oliver’s famous question about what we’ll do with our “one wild and precious life”.

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