Five Ways to Stand Out from the Crowd
Some people are content to just to be another face in the crowd. By assuming this attitude, they are saying, in effect, to the rest of the world, I'm just average; there's nothing special about me. For those of us who would rather stand out from the crowd, there are some relatively easy ways in which we can accomplish this mission. None of them require a whole lot of skill or money. They do, however, require a little bit of commitment on our part.
The first way to stand out from the crowd is to take time to do the little things right. The old saying goes that if it were easy, eve ryone would be doing it. Well, that's not necessarily true, as there are some easy things most people don't do because they just don't think those things are worthwhile. Here are two examples. The next time you go to the grocery store, notice how many people actually take time to carry the carts back to the cart-return. You will probably notice that only a very few of them do. Most will leave them between parking spaces, in handicapped spaces, or they'll simply turn them loose, allowing them to roll freely through the parking lot. By default, they are saying to the world, I don't have time to do things right or everyone else is doing it that way and I am no different. If you always take time to take yours back to the cart-return, you will stand out as positive example.
The other example has to do with making proper turns while driving, including using your turn signal. Remember how you were taught in driving school or driver's education class to make turns? You are supposed to make sharp rights and wide lefts. Amazingly, many drivers will do just the opposite! Make turns the way you are supposed to and always use your turn signal. These are just a couple of examples, but taking the time to do the little things right will make you will stand out for the right reasons.
The second way to stand out from the crowd is to find alternatives to profanity. A person who relies on profanity in his or her speech patterns comes off as someone who is boorish and has a limited vocabulary. There are plenty of ways to tell someone exactly what you think about him or her without being profane. Even a person who is not all that intelligent seems a lot smarter when he or she avoids the use of profanity. At a minimum, that person seems more high class than people who just can't help themselves from using profanity.
The third way to stand out from the crowd is to memorize things that most other people commonly forget. Most people have short memories when it comes to subjects like politics and world events. For example, I'd wager that 90% of the citizens of my home state cannot name the losing candidate in the last gubernatorial election. Ten years from now, the majority of Americans will not be able to name John Kerry as the loser of this year's presidential election! Too many people are just so caught up in their own little worlds that they don't bother to retain certain things that don't directly affect them. You don't need a photographic memory to memorize stuff. Anyone who doesn't have some type of memory-affecting brain disease can do it. All you have to do is practice. Write things down. Repeat them to yourself over and over. If you can commonly remember things that others have long forgotten, you'll really stand out.
The fourth way to stand out from the crowd is to live below your means. This is probably the toughest item on my list to follow as our culture dictates that we mortgage ourselves to the hilt. We are taught to keep up with the Joneses. We are taught to buy everything the banks and our credit cards will allow us to buy, whether we can afford it or not. However, we should strive to leave as big of a gap as possible between our income and our bills. I know there are people out there who have large families and/or limited incomes and are struggling to make ends meet. I know that not everyone can have as big of a pad as I have between my income and my bills. However, it hasn't always been that way for me. I grew up in a very poor family. We lived in the housing projects from the time I was six until the time I was 18. However, we were always able to pay our bills on time because my parents didn't buy things they couldn't afford.
When I began my career, I didn't make much, but I still always had some money to spare after paying my bills. If I couldn't afford something, I didn't buy it until I could afford it. There were even some things that I was able to afford but still didn't buy because I wanted to have some money left for unexpected expenses. I didn't buy my first car until I was more than a year into my first full-time job. This is a lot of freedom that comes with living below one's means. When everyone around you is struggling to make ends meet and you're not, you really stand out.
The fifth way to stand out from the crowd is to make decisions based on logic and reason instead of emotion and/or dogma. Too many people react emotionally to situations, rather than thinking them out rationally. For example, many people will get upset if someone calls them a name or flashes a particular gesture at them, even though there's no logical reason to get so agitated by such behavior. It doesn't make you a blankety-blank just because someone calls you one. However, many people react as if it does!
Other people get caught in the dogma trap. They make up their minds first and then look at the facts and evidence later. Even when they do get around to the facts, they will seek only those which seem to support their views while disregarding or explaining away those which seem to support a contrary view. You've met people who are staunch supporters of one particular political party or the other, for example. To them, their party is always right and the other is always wrong, even though common sense tells us that one particular side of any issue is never right all the time. Reasonable people realize that the truth usually lies somewhere between the two extremes. Many times, I've come across rah rah partisan sites in the web, which disregard the dictates of common sense in favor of the fact that their extreme side has cornered the market on all truth. By using logic and reason to make your decisions in an open-minded fashion, you give yourself a major advantage over much of the population.
There are other ways to stand out from the crowd, even though I've just highlighted five of them here. They include things like using proper grammar and spelling, volunteering for thankless jobs, and always being courteous. I'm sure you could think of many others. The point is that, if you want to stand out from the crowd, there are ways within the power of almost anyone to do so - if he or she is only willing.
Terry Mitchell is a software engineer, freelance writer, and trivia buff from Virginia, USA. He operates a website - http://www.commenterry.com - on which he posts commentaries on various subjects such as politics, technology, religion, health and well-being, personal finance, and sports. His commentaries offer a unique point of view that is not often found in meanstream media.
 Google News Updated : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 06:24:26 GMT Biden Opens New Phase With Attack on McCain - New York Times
New York Times - By JOHN M. BRODER DENVER - Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. of Delaware accepted the Democratic vice-presidential nomination on Wednesday night with an ode to his middle-class upbringing and a blistering attack on Senator John McCain. • Sen. Biden Addresses the Democratic National Convention in Denver Biden -- and Kerry and Clinton -- go on the attack Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:48:43 GMT Knight arrested - Boston Globe
Boston Globe - Rap music mogul Marion "Suge" Knight (inset) was arrested yesterday in Las Vegas on drug and assault charges after he was accused of beating his girlfriend while brandishing a knife, police said. "Suge" Knight charged with assault Suge Knight Busted for Sin City Smackdown Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 05:00:23 GMT Obama Wins Nomination; Biden and Bill Clinton Rally Party - New York Times
New York Times - Senator Barack Obama joined Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr. on stage on Wednesday. More Photos > By ADAM NAGOURNEY DENVER - Barack Hussein Obama, a freshman senator who defeated the first family of Democratic Party politics with a call for a fundamentally ... Obama wins nomination and Clintons' support Obama officially nominated; Bill Clinton delivers hearty endorsement Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 04:22:06 GMT Scientists Reprogram Cells, Add to Debate - Washington Post
Washington Post - By Rob Stein Scientists have transformed one type of fully developed adult cell directly into another inside a living animal, a startling advance that could lead to cures for a variety of illnesses and sidestep the political and ethical quagmires ... Researchers Report Advances in Cell Conversion Technique Researchers 'reprogram' pancreas cells in mice Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:12:57 GMT Garza, Pena lead Rays to win vs. Jays - MLB.com
MLB.com - By Brittany Ghiroli / MLB.com ST. PETERSBURG -- The Rays reached a franchise-first 80 wins on Wednesday night courtesy of Matt Garza's right arm and one piece of very timely hitting from Carlos Pena. Garza throws 7 2-3 scoreless innings in Rays' win Further proof Garza is workhorse Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:51:10 GMT Be safer than NASA and disable Autorun/Autoplay - CNET News
CNET News - NASA has confirmed that a computer on the International Space Station is infected with a virus (see Houston, we have a virus). The malicious software is called W32. Password Stealing Worm Catches NASA Napping Virus Found On Computer In Space Station Publ.Date : Thu, 28 Aug 2008 05:45:29 GMT 'Traitor' Falls Into the Old Trap Of Moral Ambiguity About Terrorism - Washington Post
Washington Post - By Philip Kennicott Once again there are terrorists in our midst, and once again they are Muslims, hiding in sleeper cells, posing as ordinary Americans, waiting to cause mayhem. Don Cheadle Plays Double Agent With Moral Dilemma in `Traitor' Cheadle muses over turning 'Traitor" Publ.Date : Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:19:22 GMT Increased Web Site Traffic |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Have you ever tried putting a puzzle together, only to... Read More The inner critic is that voice inside your head that... Read More Do you ever pay attention to the thoughts inside your... Read More As a life-long student of personal development, I've attended dozens... Read More We have been told that the things we don't like... Read More Motivation. It's a complicated subject that is studied by many... Read More Most of us plan to find the love of our... Read More I was having coffee with my friend the other day.... Read More Inside of every one of us is the desire to... Read More One of my greatest loves as a kid was fishing.... Read More Today I heard the saying "Trying is lying!"It made me... Read More Whatever happened to all the dreams? The wants, the desires,... Read More Ever begin doing something that you do for a few... Read More I am a big proponent of balance. Everything has to... Read More As you prepare to take your first steps, could there... Read More Very shortly, in this paragraph, I'm going to share with... Read More "We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men... Read More Hello,How is your day coming along? Better, I am sure,... Read More Which of the following "explanations" have you heard (or used!)... Read More In a data-driven world, facts and figures are the order... Read More The wish to have or be something, especially one that... Read More We live in a world where society dictates the norm.... Read More TRUE or FALSE1. Older adults have more mental health problems... Read More Imagine for a moment that you are a champion. You... Read More I've had a vast array of job experiences. While in... Read More
Adsense
websites
The Missing Piece
Who Is The Inner Critic?
How to Talk to Yourself When Nobody is Listening and You Want to
What Motivates You?
Finding Yourself: Finding Passion Series - 1 of 3
The Seven Keys to Motivation
By Planning and Exerting Effort, You Can Change Things For The Better
How To Motivate Yourself For Success?
Avoid This Tendency And Youll Press Beyond Your Limits!
Casting Vision
Commitment vs.Trying - Is Trying Lying?
Whatever Happened to You?
Get Things Done: Take 21!
A Perfect World ... Imbalance Creates Motivation
Fear
Motivation: The Power of Asking
Citizens of the Land of Opportunity
Mastering Emotions: Taking Your Life To The Next Level
Explanations?... or Excuses?
Storytelling - The Great Motivator of People
Realistic Dreams
A Woman?s Road To True Beauty
Whats Your Aging in American IQ? Take the Quiz and Find Out.
What Makes a Champion?
Are Millionaires and PhDs Really Smarter? The Answer May Surprise You!
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Have You Ever Not Done Something Because Someone Said You Couldnt?
"Every truly great accomplishment is at first impossible." It's a... Read More
Your Date with Destiny
Destiny. What a powerful word. And the great thing about... Read More
Universal Alignment
When the Universe is aligned, all things are possible. Kismet,... Read More
Get Things Done: Take 21!
Ever begin doing something that you do for a few... Read More
Succeed Like the Super-Successful
Two undeniable traits of the super-successful are: their belief in... Read More
Book Summary: Self Motivation
Gail Lindenfield is a well-known British author who has written... Read More
Optimistic Vs Pessimistic
Studies have shown that on average an optimist will have... Read More
Are You a Self-Saboteur?
Take this questionnaire to get clear on what you may... Read More
The Thrivers Secrets to Success?: It Starts With Your Attitude - Get a Grip and Go®!
What impact would it have on your professional and personal... Read More
Creating Your Best Year Ever
January is synonymous with resolutions and getting organized is high... Read More
Are You in Touch With Your Inner M?
"M" is for Motivation.What motivates you to do a good... Read More
Mastering Emotions: Taking Your Life To The Next Level
Hello,How is your day coming along? Better, I am sure,... Read More
Getting Out of the Zone!
We've probably all heard the famous movie quip, "why don't... Read More
What Google Can Teach You About Success
I just finished dinner and the segment was about to... Read More
Book Summary: If Life is a Game, These are the Rules
This #1 New York Times bestseller offers some useful and... Read More
Its Not Enough
Whatever you are doing in your life at the present... Read More
Stretch!
"Only as high as I reach can I grow, Only... Read More
The Seven Keys to Motivation
Motivation. It's a complicated subject that is studied by many... Read More
Whats Stopping You?
We're all familiar with the cycle:We want new, but resist... Read More
About That Dream...
About that Dream...Remember your very first job? That all-grown-up feeling!... Read More
Around The World On $80
Jules Vernes adventure story, Around the World in 80 Days,... Read More
10 Ways to Reclaim Your Self-Esteem
The way you feel about yourself impacts how and why... Read More
Creative Procrastination
Do you ever postpone things, or just forget about them... Read More
A Dollar and Some Ambition
(Excerpted from "Building Your Network Marketing Business" CD)Capital in your... Read More
How to Stay Motivated
You've read a book that motivates you to action; you've... Read More
Motivation |