Remember when everyone you knew wore Abercrombie and Fitch? And if it wasn’t Abercrombie, it was American Eagle or Hollister? And it was like, actually cool? Everyone had the same clothes, everyone played the same sports, and life was just simple. Fitting in with everyone else was the thing to do.
Eventually, Abercrombie turned into Seven jeans; and Sevens turned into Tory bags. But fitting in, nonetheless, stayed the same. There was little (if any) pressure to get ahead of the crowd. Life was not a race; all you had to do was stay calm and fit in.
So when was the last time you honestly felt okay with fitting in? How long has it been since you’ve been content with being just like everyone else? Been a while? Yea, me too. And I have a pretty good feeling you and I are not alone.
Life has turned into one big competition, and most everyone has fallen victim to the game. No one wants to wear the same outfit from the exact same stores anymore. No one wants the same job, or haircut, or jewelry, or car. We all want better; and we want to stand out. Because standing out is the new fitting in.
Times have changed, my friend. That weird kid you used to make fun of is now your boss. That girl you heard + spread endless rumors about, she’s now successfully raising a beautiful family; and that fugly guy who relentlessly hit on you, he’s a reeeeallly good-looking doctor now. If only we would have taken notes from them then — perhaps we wouldn’t be in such a rush to stand out now.
A stand-out: “Someone who is conspicuous in an area because of his or her refusal to conform with the actions, opinions, desires, etc., of the majority.”
So, you’re worried because you’re different? It’s time to OWN that differentiability and be a stand-out. Are you scared because your dreams are in serious contrast to your friends’ dreams? You better WERK, bitch (insert sassy snap here). Conformity is so 2013 — stand out and do your own thing!
Because guess what?…
