Leverage Yourself
We are not replaceable.
We are not cogs in the machine.
We don't need to be geniuses in order to stand out.
If we were fortunate, we received positive messages in life, such as there's no one like you, you are unique. OK, that's awesome. But how do we take advantage of our uniqueness?
Each of us has unique DNA. We all have unique fingerprints. We all have different life experiences, acquired knowledge, natural abilities, and potential. When we truly realize the value of our uniqueness, and the power of that uniqueness, we can free ourselves from many traps, like comparing ourselves to others. The more clarity we can gain on our uniqueness, the more we can use it as leverage. It will be easier to gain much progress. The effort we put forth will be more fulfilling.
Our DNA, our intrinsic abilities, our life experiences, and our curiosity create a combination lock that is unique to us. No one can hack it. As entrepreneur and investor, Naval Ravikant, says:
"No one can compete with you on being you." He goes on to say, "most of life is a search for who and what needs you the most."
The question is, how do we leverage our uniqueness? I think these are the three biggest ideas:
Introspection. Study and understand your past behaviors, things you did naturally. For example, I was a programmer for many years. I always documented everything, because it drove me crazy having to ask “what does this do? Do we still use it?” Programmers hate to document (except for me). Now I document success, LOL! One way to gain insight is to write your biography and study it. You will discover things about yourself you were not conscious of!
Apply your uniqueness to what you create. Thankfully, this comes naturally. However we might be afraid to stand out! Experiment to find the value combinations.
Continue to follow your curiosity. Create abundantly, but schedule time to go down rabbit trails! Follow the rabbit.
Learn to identify and leverage the knowledge you gain from your natural abilities and curios discoveries. Naval Ravikant calls the knowledge we acquire "specific knowledge."
"Specific knowledge is found much more by pursuing your innate talents, your genuine curiosity, and your passion. It’s not by going to school for whatever is the hottest job, it’s not for going into whatever field investors say is the hottest." —Naval Ravikant
I think we all follow our instincts some degree. I did with my career(s), but I didn't see it as a powerful principle that can be greatly improved. Now I see.
To your success!
James Wilder
James on Success
References
Arm Yourself With Specific Knowledge, Naval Ravikant, Mar 25, 2019
nav.al/specific-knowledge
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