Being Different with a Purpose.

We all are different from one another. We are different in appearance, character, skill sets, attitude etc. These differences provide scope of improvement for every individual. If every one of us were born with same abilities to deliver what is expected out of us in a given scenario, there is no competition and hence chances of improvement would have been limited for each individual. In that perspective, these differences attributes a lot in an individual’s strive for continued success.

However, how many of us are really different from others in our thinking patterns? While it is easy to bring noticeable difference in appearance and even in behavior, it is bit difficult to take a different route in the way you think. Only a very few people were able to do it in their lives and those are the ones who have created history by achieving tremendous amount of success in their field, be it science or literature.

There are 6.7 Billion people live in this world today. According to available statistics the total number of human beings ever lived in this world is approximately 100 to 115 Billion and the actual figures may be marginally different. Now an interesting question – How many of this 100+ Billion people are known to us today?

Some individuals from this 100+ Billion are very familiar names to us. Though they don’t live with us today, we feel their presence through the results of their great work in different areas. Shakespeare still lives with us through his classics. Archimedes, Nicolaus Copernicus, Marie Curie, Isaac Newton and many others through their inventions, Mother Theresa still lives in the hearts of thousands for whom she is an angel sent from heaven. But, what is the percentage of such people who thought differently; acted differently and contributed in a big way to the world at large?

We realize the percentage of such people is very small. In fact, we can safely conclude such people who lived in this world with an objective to bring a positive difference are less than 1% (almost zero percentage), because we are counting hundreds or thousands against 100+ Billion.  Still, because of the efforts of those very few people we live in a better world today. We have electricity, connectivity, airplanes, and better living standards. Now, imagine if we had at least 1% of such people in this world, no doubt this world would have been a far better place to live.

We all have these choices in front of us every day. Either to live a life which is very ordinary, where situations and environment decides the direction OR to live a life that is different by virtue of the positive difference it brings to our environment, people around and to self. While first option is the ‘default’ in most cases, later comes with a need to have conscious efforts and very much individual driven. In most cases these extra efforts are rewarded with great achievements.

If this is the need for being different, next question is how can someone be different? That calls for adding an individual’s own vision to every action he/she is undertaking. This vision needs to be very much individualistic and it is like going an ‘extra mile’ in everything we do.

Let’s talk about this ‘extra mile’ later.