Business Lesson #32 -- It's ok to be different!

My entire career, I’ve not fit in. I saw things differently, I did things differently. I thought about things differently, and I acted differently — than most. And for most of my career, people tried to coach me on how to be like most others. And while much of the feedback I received I took to heart and tried to use it modify what I could to fit in better and be more understood, I was still different than most! As a result, I’ve been picked on, made fun of, gossiped about, scolded for scaring people, counseled about this and that, and more. All because I wasn’t like most.

This year (in 2019), I was diagnosed as being a high functioning Asperger. Suddenly, everything started to make sense. That’s why I was not understood. That’s why I thought and did things differently. And to be frank, it’s what makes me so unique. It’s exactly why I’ve seen and thought things that others could not … ultimately leading to the formation of companies that were very disruptive to large industries/markets. The point is, it’s OK to be different! It’s a gift!!

In the end, we all need feedback to help us grow and evolve. But, it’s also important to be mindful of the core attributes about you that make you special … no one should try to change those.