You want people to like you?
You want people to listen to you, to respect you?
You want people to ask you to join their group, to be a part of their tribe?
Then I hope they do so because of who you are, not because of who you’re trying to be.
Being somebody seems like a hard thing to do these days.
It seems like being somebody is like trying to get on top of a mountain the whole world is climbing.
Or rather, a mountain the whole world can climb at least as fast as you do.
And you want to be somebody so you’re determined to go for it. You want to join that club of exceptional people. You want to feel special, you want to experience what it’s like to be on top of the world, right?
Because that makes you special, isn’t it?
I have news for you.
What makes you special is not that you’re the first to climb that mountain.
What makes you special is that you’re you.
That’s a whole different ball game.
Being you is just not about getting there.
It’s about being here.
It’s not about the destiny, it’s about the journey.
True leaders don’t lead when they’ve reached their destiny.
They lead when they take people in a different direction.
They lead while making their way into the world.
It’s easy to believe that getting to the top was what this leader’s destiny was all about.
It’s easy to believe that you getting to that same top will make you a great leader, or a great person.
What makes you a great leader happens from the day you are born.
And it happens every other step of the way
So before you take another attempt at trying to rush at the next mountain in sight, please remember that a guy like Billy Joel only became Billy Joel because he lived the life of Billy Joel, because of the journey he made, the people he met, the time he lived in and the passion and belief he had to pursue his course of life.
“So what the difference makers going to be now, I’m sorry to say, are the people that are going to come up with good ideas and execute and understand how to move the freackin’ needle. That’s how you break through the noise, ‘coz everyone is coming and everybody’s playing. And while everybody has the ability to play the piano not everyone is Billy Joel.”
Gary Vaynerchuk, How do you cut through the noise? (video, opens in new window)
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