For the past few days I’ve spent a great amount of time thinking about the future of A Boundless World and the direction it’s heading. In the process of contemplating my expectations for the blog, a simple thought continued to pop up.
I need to do more to stand out.
For this blog to really take off and become what I intend it to, it’s going to have to stand out from all the other personal deveolpment blogs on the web. With thousands of personal development blogs out there, thats no small feat.
To be honest, my expectations for this blog are high, and I am dedicated to making it one of the most profound personal development blogs in the world.
Yet up until this point I haven’t done much to truly stand out. Sure I’ve had a few posts that have sparked a small flame or two but that’s only a glimpse of what I’m capable of. Instead of standing out I’ve simply settled, which goes against what I’m about.
I can do better.
Are you simply settling? Or are you doing everything in your power to go above and beyond?
The world is filled with people who simply exist. But if you simply exist you sacrifice what it means to be alive. Hiding behind your fears and insecurities is no way to live. You want more from life right?
The only way you can do that is to stand out.
5 Simple Yet Powerful Ways to Stand Out
Be Real
Each day millions of individuals struggle with figuring out who they are. Perhaps you are one of those who finds yourself in a continuous struggle with who you are meant to be.
As a result of this constant battle, many choose to hide behind a false image to satisfy those around them. Unfortunately, this false image only adds to the clutter of all those who have already sold their identity to the souls around them.
Being real means staying to sincere to who you are instead of becoming the person society wants you to be.
Considering I am a freshman in college, I am well aware that “being real” is easier said then done, and frankly I’d be lying if I said I didn’t periodically dip into the world of people pleasing.
But the reality is, no matter how badly your ego may crave to fit in, being real is the only way to sincerely experience this magnificent life journey.
Regardless of how many layers of fakery you put on, the real you remains waiting to be exposed and shine bright.
So how can you be real?
Being real means making mistakes and learning from them. Perfection is not real. Being real means living your values instead of compromising them. Only you know what it means to be real.
While you look in the mirror you should see your true-self not some illusionary version of it.
When you allow yourself to be the real you, that inner greatness that you posses, begins to illuminate the world.
In an increasingly fictional world allowing your true-self to shine will unquestionably help make you stand out.
Provide Genuine Value
Personally I believe life is all about the value in which you provide. If you’re not providing value you aren’t living to the best of your ability. Granted we all take different paths, but I think it’s fair to say the majority of the world wishes to provide value.
Unfortunately, many confuse providing value with simply regurgitating stale and unoriginal ideas.
You.. yes you are capable of providing genuine value. Your life experience is unlike anyone else in the history of mankind, therefore you can help people grow.
As Sean Platt says ” You’re alive so yes you’re a writer.” Your value doesn’t have to be conveyed through the medium of writing as long as you can express it.
Although there are a plethora of people who provide a tremendous amount of value, two bloggers that stand out to me are Steve Pavlina and and Leo Babauta.
Steve Pavlina:
It’s safe to say Steve Pavlina is one of the top personal development bloggers on the net. What I find amazing about his content is that it doesn’t matter whether you agree with his philsophies or not because you can always come away with a differnt perspective.
The value he provides isn’t just based on ideal practices but rather methods in which he himself has personally tested.
While as of late his message has shifted away from his blog into other mediums ( such as workshops and products), he remains one who continually provides tremendous value.
Zen Habits:
One of the reasons I admire Leo is because he lives by the principle of simplicity. Through simple action he was able to create one of the most popular personal development blogs on the web.
His articles may not be the most in depth, but his remarkable ability to convey his message in a simple and straight forward manner astonishes me. He doesn’t try to sway you with fancy words but rather lets his message speak for itself.
His blog helps hundreds of thousands if not millions of individuals live a simple and less sophisticated life. Whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed I take some time to reflect on his writings and I often leave feeling at peace.
By providing genuine value you can live the life you were meant to live.
The question isn’t can you provide value.. but rather will you?
Listen
Truly listening is one of the most effortless ways to stand out as a wonderful human being. In a world that is often about “me” it is rare you find someone who is simply willing to listen.
When was the last time you genuinely listened without looking to benefit?
I often struggle with listening as I often let my ego get in the way.
But when you remove “yourself” from a conversation a miraculous thing happens. You begin to connect.
People want to know that you care about what they have to say. By offering your ears without judgement you create a bond that often establishes authentic relationships.
Although simple, the act of truly listening can take sometime to perfect. Next time your with someone give them your full attention and totally immerse yourself in the present moment.
You will be surprised at how powerful genuinely listening can be.
Be Unique
It’s funny I say “be unique” because the fact of the matter is you are unique. Only when you try to be unique do you fall into the trap of becoming like everybody else. Crazy eh?
While it is perfectly acceptable to mirror those who are successful doing so will only get you so far. Uniqueness is the key ingredient to success and the foundation of what it takes to stand out from the rest of herd.
Use your talents to really stand out. I don’t care who you are or where you’re from, you have a unique talent or interest. Pursue it.
Two blogs I find to be undeniably unique are:
Sean Platt of Writer Dad:
Sean Platt is one amazing dude. If there is a guy who knows how to use the english language to craft unforgettable stories time after time, it’s this guy. The way his words and stories flow are just breathtaking.
Not only is his writing unique, he uses his gift to teach thousands about parenting,relationships ,and life. His unique insights also provide for some wonderful poetry as well.
Because of his remarkable writing his has blog has quickly caught on around the web and has made me a regular visitor.
Johnathan Mead of Illuminated Mind:
Jonathan Mead is into starting revolutions and I dig that. In a matter of years he has gone from the corporate life to a bionafied self-employed enlightened dude.
His blog offers practical advice that is original and unique and often goes against traditional thinking.
Positive change depends on those who are willing and daring enough to improve the world on their terms. Each one of us has a story embedded into our soul. It sits there simmering inside until we consciously choose to unleash it.
At your core you are perfectly unique. Only when you sacrifice authenticity for security does your uniqueness begin to fade.
You are a chapter of the book humanity. Your actions and thoughts are creating the script of our existence.
The world doesn’t need people who are just part of the crowd. Be unique stand out.
Connect
Human beings are created to connect. Only through experiencing relationships can we thoroughly experience the brilliance of life.
Because the world is becoming increasingly reliant on technology to connect, our capability to create relationships has been made significantly easier.
Often times we remain hesitant to connect because we fear being rejected and not fit in. However in choosing not to connect you miss out on numerous opportunities and experiences that may help you grow.
Connecting with others who also wish to be exceptional unlocks the potential inside of you.
One blogger who does an exceptional job at connecting with others is Glen Allsop of PluginID. If you visit his blog and leave a comment it is nearly guaranteed he will respond.
Glen’s willingness to connect has created a powerful personal development community one in which will only continue to grow.
By no means is he the only blogger who connects with his audience (after all blogging is all about connecting with your readers), yet Glen in my opinion does a wonderful job.
Send him an email and see what happens.
Never let your fears and insecurities keep you from connecting with others because you are worthy. Connecting is all about your mindset.
Choosing to connect is one of the most important decisions you can ever make.
When you choose to connect you may soon begin to notice that humanity consists of one single entity rather then a bunch of lonely souls.
Using my blog as a medium, I have been able to connect with countless growth-oriented individuals and in the process have transformed as an human being.
When you consciously connect with positive individuals your life will quickly become the life you knew you were meant to live.
Make an effort to sincerely connect with others and watch as the beauty of life slowly begins to emerge.
Standing Out
Are you doing everything in your power to truly live? Or are you simply existing?
How do you stand out? Take sometime and contemplate ways in which you can stand out and make the most of the time you have here on earth.
Humanity needs you.
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Wow. This was truly an amazing post, lengthy, but definitely worth the time taken to read it.
I love the section about listening. It’s something I have been working on doing more of, because I have listened, but not TRULY listened. And as you said, truly listening “[creates] a bond that often establishes authentic relationships.” I strive for authentic relationships with everyone, and now I know that if I truly listen, taking myself out and giving my full attention to the speaker, I will connect with others in a better way.
Thank you so much for writing this, especially so close to a time when we will soon be leaving for college and meeting so many new people.
Hey Bud
really awwwsome article. particularly the offering value bit.
“I need to do more to stand out.”
- i don’t think so.
it’s not about actively doing things to stand out. trying to do more is just controlling your experience. and controlling yourself and others and your experience and the whole thing – that’s what stops who you truly are from shining and standing out.
rather just be. fully listen to your inner being and do what you want. what i talked about in the hate me or love me post.
rather than trying to stand out, just be yourself. but not the self helpy “oh be yourself la la”… naw. Fu*ken BE yourself. Be YOU times a million. unapologetic raw expression. only do what you want. no more censoring. no more living for other people.
i guess it’s just that wanting to stand out can be another way to get approval. to get control.
nevermind that. forget it. strip it all back. and be you. full expression. nevermind trying to stand out. rather be true to yourself and you will stand out.
would you rather want to stand out or just naturally stand out?
keep well and all the best mate
alex – unleash reality
stumbled.
p.s. it’s awwsome that this stuff is coming up and how you’re dealing with it. thanks for the link btw
What a great post! I believe all of the ways you’ve listed here are great ways to stand out, but I particularly love the first one. Being real is something other people really appreciate and it’s just a matter of being yourself!
Great list of objectives for living a better life and making a difference, especially the aspects of being “real” or authentic and providing value. If you act from the heart, with the idea of serving others, the rewards are great, both internally and externally – people will notice and want to emulate you – which is the highest form of praise!
@Alex, I completely agree. Far too many people try to stand out instead of just being themselves. People pick up on energy; authenticity is usually identified quite easily. It wasn’t until I stopped trying to please everybody and stick to this neutral ground (a cop out) that people began to identify me as someone authentic and honest. The more honest I’ve become with myself, the more honest I can be with others. And the more honest I am, the more that honesty is rewarded in the form of appreciation.
Thanks for the reminders, Bud.
This really is a wonderful post, Bud. I read it last night while half asleep, but had to come back today and read it again. It’s so true, with such massive amounts of information flooding our senses daily, it’s amazing we’re able to absorb anything at all. Only by being stridently loyal to the root of our essential core will we be able to not only achieve success but be happy with it once it’s found. Great blueprint, Bud. I dare say I’ve never seen someone with so few lines beneath their eyes have it so together.
Hey guys great comments and thoughts.
@Amelia I’m glad my post helped you. I know you will do great things in college
@Alex: The points you make are valid. Perhaps the title of the post is somewhat misleading. When I say “stand out” I don’t mean stand out in the traditional sense but rather simply living to the best of your ability. The only way you can do that is by being YOU.
It is my belief that we are naturally created to connect and be real yet social conditioning often knocks us off path.
Maybe a better title would be ” 5 Simple Ways to truly live.”
The more you stand out the more value you can give. In my opinion doing the points I mentioned will make you NATURALLY stand out.
I absolutely agree that we must live for ourselves but at the same time I believe we are obligated to build humanity into a stronger body so to speak. When you truly live for yourself your also living for others.
When you allow your real uncensored self to exist you upgrade the consciousness of humanity.
@GlobalPatriot:
Absolutely! The more genuine value you provide the more abundant your life becomes. Those who subscribe to the all-about-me mindset are simply missing what the true essence of life really is.
By sharing my mistakes and life stories I have helped hundreds of people realize the potential that they truly posses and my life journey has become much more “richer” in the process. Spiritually and mentally I feel great.
@Leandra: Thank you for your comment. I totally agree that you shouldn’t try to stand out but rather let your authentic nature speak for its self. Again perhaps my title was somewhat misleading. People pleasing gets you no where. Only when you turn to your soul for guidance does the real magic of living really begin.
I am glad you have made a conscious effort to be honest with not only your friends and family, but yourself as well.
@Sean
Thanks for your kind words, I genuinely appreciate them. One of the odd perks of writing about personal development is you are often looked up to be some kind of perfect individual.
But the reality is, perfection isn’t real. It’s a false premise that much of the world continually tries to chase.
I wish I could say I always follow the advice I give on this blog, and much of the time I do, but the truth is I’m human. I make mistakes. Sometimes I learn from them right away, and other times it takes a few slip up’s before the truth is embedded into my thick-teenage-head.
When I write I like to share not only my successes but my failures as well. Despite my obsession with personal development I still and (never) will have all the answers. At the age of 17 I still have a tremendous amount of life left to live.
If I was perfect I would be unqualified to write about personal development.
Learning to be loyal to yourself is a life long journey.
Great post, Bud. I have no doubt that you are on the right path. Your sincerity and desire to improve yourself and others will surely serve you well.
I spent a good decade simply being and it is painful. Only in the past few years can I say I’ve made a difference in some manner.
@bloggerdad: thanks for the encouragement. I have a feeling the best has yet to come for not only myself but you as well
Excellent article Bud and I agree you need to stand out. One tends to want to be safe and avoid offending anyone, but then you end up being the bland and typical. Thanks for the reminder of what I already knew!
Hi Bud,
It’s really amazing how you and Glen have such great insights at such young age. I remember I was just busy chasing girls when I was your age! Ha ha… Great work, Bud. You’re doing very well standing out.
Cheers~
Mark
@ Stephen glad I helped remind you
@Mark Foo: Thanks for the comment. Everyone, regardless of age, has a story to tell… I feel honored to be in the same sentence as Glen
P.S I am chasing girls
bud, i’m sure you’re aware of jonathan field awake at the wheel blog… he points out that another way of standing out is being 100% YOU… (dang, couldn’t find the link)… so if you’re funny be funny, nice be nice, but as gary V would say, “crush it”…. (still looking for the link!)