Don't be afraid to think and be different

Reaching our highest potential will be virtually impossible if we are not able to have our own independent thoughts and develop the courage to live in a manner true to us. There's nothing wrong with being different. Yet, we often feel the pressure to fit in, to be like everyone else and in the process give up on our own strengths and uniqueness. We live double lives, where in our hearts we truly believe this, yet on the outside we try hard to impress, we worry what others might think of us, we bend to the wishes and pressures of the crowd and we do what is considered to be normal.

We all have an innate desire to live and act in a manner true to our deepest values and convictions yet few of us build the courage to do so. From a young age, we have gotten used to silencing our own voices. We got used to not doing what we truly believe in and learned to carry a false mask around others, not saying what we truly feel, never pursuing what makes sense to us or what makes us happy and fulfilled.

On your quest to reach your highest potential, you will inevitably have to take off this false image foisted on you by others. A life you are going to be proud of is not a life of living the dreams and wishes of others, but a life true to you, your dreams and the unique contribution you want to make.  

Ofcourse, don't expect everyone to be happy with you for thinking or doing things differently. For a few people, your courage to think and act differently is crazy or even a threat to their own self image, the mask they themselves have been taught to wear. Many of them may have given up on their own dreams to live the wishes of others and so won't be very pleased with you for taking action to live and act in a manner true to your own personal vision and values.

Great leaders you admire and people who have achieved their best in life and contributed to society the most have had to be courageous enough to overcome the tendency to just fit in with the crowd. 

For those of us striving to become strong leaders, this is imperative, it's absolutely required of us. We have to be able to dare to live and act in a manner honest with our true selves.