“Avoid the crowd. Do your own thinking independently. Be the chess player, not the chess piece.”

Ralph Charell

It is amazing how much of our lives we spend trying to conform to one expectation or another. How much time we spend trying to “fit in” instead of focus on how we can “stand out.”

When I was in 3rd grade I moved to a new school and made the decision to have everyone call me by my first name “Jon” instead of the nickname “Dusty” which I had gone by my entire life. My reasoning was that there wasn’t anyone else with my name and fitting in was more important than standing out.

After one year of going by my first name, I realized there was more value in standing out and being different than there was in trying to fit in and being like everyone else. I’ve gone by “Dusty” ever since.

Fitting in doesn’t drive or create change, that only comes from those who are willing to stand out. So if change is your game, find a way to stand out…