Say NO To Being Average!

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You go through the internet each day and you notice that there are so many career paths you obviously didn't know exist. Oh yes, there are. But that's not the case there, what bothers you is which career path you should take or maybe you've chosen already but you feel something is wrong. You are not just getting it, you know you're not at your best and you simply know you can do better. More still, you want people to sort of distinguish you from the rest. 

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You can never mention a list of business gurus without  including any of these names: Henry Ford, R. H Macy, Soichiro Honda, Bill Gates,  Walt Disney, F. W. Woolworth, Akio Morita and 

Harland David Sanders. I bet you will also create a list of scientists and thinkers and omit any of these names: Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Robert Goddard, Isaac Newton,  Socrates and Robert Sternberg. What about omitting the names of Thomas Edison and Orville and Wilbur Wright from a list of world inventors, are you really going to do that? Of course not! These names certainly pop into our heads with regards to the kind of careers they ventured into. Mind you, so many other people have ventured into their kind of careers but these names are just phenomenal, you simply can leave them out. They are different from the rest!

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You have to get one thing straight, the way in which you can distinguish yourself in any career path you have chosen or you plan to take is to be more than average. You will agree that average is the normal standard. Almost everyone you come across could be average, just a few people are better than average and that's the reason why they are outstanding. 

You might be among people who think you are the best meanwhile you know within you that you're not there. You are far from being at your best, you know that you're not even up to average. But they think you're the best simply because you put an extra effort to your work while, they in fact don't put in that extra effort. The case here is simple, you're not better than average and they are even farther from being average compared to you! So don't think because people probably see you as the best for a job means you're better than average.

Sometimes, no one wants to be average, but if you sit down and think about how you tend to do things; how your life is; the type of work you are putting out or want to put out, you just might fall under the average category. There is no career you want to venture into that doesn't have phenomenal names, and nothing says your name can't standout in the minds of  people when they talk about your kind of career.

There are certain things you can do to move from being average to being outstanding and extraordinary:

1. Work on your intellect

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You have to be optimistic and convince yourself that you can be better than average. Your thoughts are very important, the power of belief is staggering. No one can convince you that you can do better if you haven't convinced yourself in the first place. The way you think can affect you positively or adversely. If you believe you are average, you will inevitably be average. You don't have to speak less of yourself than you truly are, you're only doing yourself a disservice. It's like you are pretty much insulting what ever level it is that you are in life. You don't have to sound proud, but you also don't have to talk down on yourself. 

If you keep thinking you are small, you might keep going towards that direction. You really don't have to openly brag about you being bigger and better than someone else but tell yourself the truth and never talk down on yourself. You might rather say that you haven't gotten to where to want or you can do better.  If you believe you are great, doors will start opening for you. Put some effort into convincing yourself that you're not just another average person. Convince yourself that being average is a limit. Keep reminding yourself that you are limitless.

2. Put in your best effort

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"What you seek is seeking you" is a quote by Rumi and the best case scenario is when what you are after comes after you. Success is extremely attractive, so one of the best ways to attract what you want is by demonstrating your success. Prove to anyone who met you that you are above the average category. If you want someone to consider you for your dream job, make it a point to show them why you are the person's dream employee. The smartest simplest way to do that is to always put in your best effort. Always try to be that attractive person no matter who it is that you meet, and try  make them know that you are above average. If you are giving a piece of advice; give the advice the best way you can. If you're having a conversation, come from a different stand point.  Sort and analyze any situation or topic at hand the best way you can.

3. Really do the work

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"Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction". Being average can often equate to being lazy. If you know you can accomplish more but you choose not to exert the real effort and rise above your peers, you may not necessarily get fired from your job or you may get the job your desire but for sure you won't be at your best and neither will you get that big promotion. Being average makes you stagnant. If you're making a minimum effort, you'll only find a minimum success. To get further in life you need to really put in the work. If you keep telling yourself that you can do better, you'll become better. The more you acknowledge that there is more,  the more you will be driven to achieve more, but if you're ignoring the signs you'll keep staying stagnant. When you see the areas for improvement, acknowledge it so that it can move or push you.

4. Learn the rules

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Albert Einstein, "You have to learn the rules of the game and you have to play better than anyone else".  Be better than your peers by being engaged in what you are doing. You don't have to compare yourself to other people. The fact that you're better than your peers doesn't mean you're above average.  It could mean that the people you're comparing yourself to are not even average. Maybe they are just doing a little bit and being average makes you feel you are doing better than your peers. Be the best version of yourself, the best version of yourself might be way above average. Sometimes,  you might get accolades from people that you're the best,  but from the inside you know you are not, you're not satisfied. The reason why that may be the case is because your potential says you can better.  To the eyes of others,  they might feel you are best for a particular job, but as long as  there is that  gap between your potential and what you've being able to do, you'll feel dissatisfied.  Strive to uncover  your hidden potential.

Eliminate all distractions by finding a calm environment, cave out a place for yourself that is free from the regular demands of your daily life so that you can just do the work. Even if you're working in a chaotic environment you can tune everything out probably with a pair of headphones and the right music. Then try focus on your work.

5.  Never be forgotten

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Evita Peron, "My biggest fear in life is to be forgotten". When I think about what I want to achieve it's not necessarily for the accolades and for the fame. Those things will probably come alongside with it, but one of the major things is that when I'm gone I want to know that my name is still very much in existence. The impact is the major thing I'm so concerned about. Who are those people that will look back and say how you impacted their lives? This is key. 

Not everyone certainly got to see Nelson Mandela, but we all heard of his good deeds. From the injustices of the apartheid system, rose a leader whose convictions were not diminished even in the face of decades of imprisonment. Advocating for racial equality, economic justice and peace; Mandela became the first black President of South Africa in 1994.

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Here is a selfless speech by Nelson Mandela at the Supreme court of South Africa, Pretoria on April 20, 1964.

“During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.”

His vision of unity, freedom and respect for human rights is an encouragement to generation of activists. His memory and teachings will never be forgotten.

Being average could also mean being invisible and probably forgotten because if you're average nothing differentiates you from other people out there.  If you only do what is asked if you, there is no reason for people to remember you. Produce work of such a high quality that there is no way you can be forgotten. Do more than you're being required to sometimes, that doesn't mean you should outrightly claim you know it all.

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If you're doing only what is required of you, almost everyone is doing what is required of them too, so how do you differentiate yourself. Asides from putting out great quality of what is required of you, go a step further. Produce work of high quality and there's no way you can be forgotten. Make sure what you offer is distinct from what every other person is offering. Find a way to produce things that are unique. You can't be average if you are original. 

When I think original, I think you, when I think truly you. I think you mapping out your potential.

No matter whatever career it is that you are into it doesn't matter, being average is not a choice, say no to mediocrity, say no to being average. Stand out.

Your gift is meant to serve everyone, not just you. So don't do the people around you a disservice too by being average. 

Say NO to mediocrity and say to being average. Go above and beyond..

I'll end on this note; "To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe."