Secrets of the Successful – #2
As human beings we want to feel we belong. After all, being part of the group is instinctual to our survival. We are taught from a young age to not make a scene, to be mindful of what we say and do, to be a good team player. As a parent, the desire sometimes to have our children “fit in” can squelch the very thing that is meant to lead them to greatness. Why do so many measure their self-worth based on their inclusion with the group. Why are so many afraid to break from the pack? The reality is, the most successful people are successful because they did just this. They were not afraid to be different. Are you?
The Successful Do Not Fear Being Different.
Every day I’m confronted with the same dichotomy. Most investors want to work with a financial advisor who will spend hours talking to them about how to achieve better returns. They want someone to predict which stocks and asset classes will be the best in the next six months. The truth is, no one can predict any of this. If I agreed to be part of the pack and make predictions, most would be more comfortable with me. However, I’ve built a thriving financial services practice on what I believe is the truth about how to achieve financial success…stay systematic, unemotional and diversified. The plan is more important than the investment, but everyone says not! Probability is the key. This is the very opposite of what most investors want to hear and what most financial advisors promise. Every day I’m committed to being different.
Difference makes many people uncomfortable, therefor there is ongoing pressure from the pack to conform. So to be successful you must continue in your pursuit despite the ongoing pressure to retract and retreat. There will always be those who want you to be the same as them, to think the way they do, to view the world as they do. This is okay. The successful are not afraid of the naysayers.
Celebrate your differences and maximize those that lead to the Best You!
Maybe being 6’6” has helped me to embrace difference easier than others. It’s hard to blend in with the crowd when you tower over them. Overtime, you begin to recognize the benefits of your differences and so does the crowd. Embrace being different and you too will be able to reach farther than the crowd.
