If You Want to Stand Out, Do This
And don’t be a crumb
Hello friend,
Standing out means you are noticeable or unusual. So, standing out might be easier than you ever imagined.
Book Cover Judges
We all have assumed things about people based on their appearance. I’ll even go so far as developing pictures in my mind of what someone looks like just by listening to their voice on the phone.
And, it’s nonsense because I have two uncles who sound exactly the same on the phone. One is short, one is tall, one is quite older than the other, and they actually do not get along very well together. But, if they call me on the phone, I would not know which one it was without caller identification.
So why do I do that? I already know that how someone sounds doesn’t mean anything. I’ve tested myself on it multiple times, too. I’m rarely correct, but I continue to do it anyway. Maybe I’m just destined to be that person that becomes addicted to anything I’ve ever tried to do.
Actions are So Much Louder
Speaking to someone on the phone is nothing, though, right? I mean we all know that people on the Internet could actually be anyone, for real. What differentiates one of us from the other is our behavior.
But, that’s problematic as well. I know this from experience too. I feel like a potato chip crumb that has tossed and turned in bed with me all night. I’m kind of broken, and not nearly as salty as I used to be.
But, I’m going to visit my nieces and nephews today. And, a broken potato chip is not what they will think of when I show up. I will be big, gregarious, , happy to be alive and in the best company one could ask for. Why? Because, for one, both of those things are true. And, two, it’s not their fault I’m an incurable insomniac, an unapologetic pie addict, and in a long-time recovery program (not for pie, crazy) that I’m still bitter about.
Ok, so what was I saying? Oh yeah, so we can all act like someone different than we feel, right? The trick is longevity.
How long can I be sober Aunt Kimmie who is always happy and fun, and who sometimes brings candy? Eventually, your colors could seep out from under those cheap, dollar store cosmetics.
But, this isn’t my first rodeo, kiddos. You don’t stand out by being a clown, you stand out by being you. That’s right, once again, the Eye in the Sky has already done all the work for you! He made you, you. You are the only you there will ever be.
Wake and Fake, People!
Sometimes, no, a lot of times, I fake it until I make it. I know me better than anyone. If I give in to the potato chip crumb scenario, I could easily be a crumb all day. I could walk around in my robe, holding one of my Shihtzu herd members in one arm, while carrying a coffee cup with my free hand, and wondering why I never have eggs when I want one.
I would then punish my fat self with half a grapefruit while writing something in my head, that I may, or may not, actually write or type somewhere when I’m done.
I would eventually feel guilty for not seeing my family like I normally do, every Sunday, and then I would give up on working on anything, and then get sucked into TV Land, watching Lucy and Ethel’s shenanigans until giving in to the inevitable carb festival to punish myself some more.
Don’t be a crumb. The world is full of them! They are all the same. Some are rich, some are poor, some are old, some are even too young to know they’re crumbs. A crumb is scared. They are scared someone will think they are not valuable. They hide in robes, in bottles, in video games, in clubs, in mansions, on golf courses, in gangs, in therapists’ offices, in gyms, and in jobs.
Stop Giving a Damn about How Everyone Thinks about You
Nobody is thinking about you. Maybe your mom, maybe a stalker, but absolutely no one else. No, they are too busy building and maintaining their facade to hide the fact that they are a crumb.
Crumbs are just leftovers from the main dish, baby. You are the only one who thinks you aren’t valuable. Refuse to be a crumb! If you feel crummy, fight it! It’s a lie. You talk yourself into being a crumb so you don’t have to risk people knowing who you really are.
Stand up, stand out. Be you, the one who is real, not the animatron you think is acceptable to everyone else. All of those crumbs are the same, but you are different.
Blessings!
Kim
Kim Hamlin is a writer, information junkie, and loves research almost as much as cheese. She lives in Lexington with some Shih-Tzus, a cat named Diana, and a guy named Steve. She’s on X (Twitter) and LinkedIn as Kim Hamlin. https://about.me/kimhamlin