Month: February 2010

I have never fit cleanly into any particular category. I’m not a social butterfly, but I’m definitely not a loner. I’m not a designer, developer, or server administrator…but I’m known to be any or all of those things in any given week. When I was younger, it used to bother me that I was so unlike my peers. It was as if I missed the conformity indoctrination growing up—I was just different in hundreds of tiny ways.

Now that I’m older and growing into the man I’m going to be for the rest of my life, I take comfort in being unapologetically, consistently, and uniquely me. It’s liberating feeling. I’m much more at peace enjoying a meal by myself in a crowded restaurant full of commotion than I used to be. I’m completely ok with not knowing anyone at an event that I’m interested in attending. I’ve become accustomed to people trying to categorize me mentally when meeting me…and failing miserably.

I take comfort in the fact that I’m uniquely suited to fulfill my destiny here on earth based on the person I am. Not the person that I feel like I should be. Not the person I envisioned myself growing up to be. Just me.

Just me.

For whatever reason, I was gifted with enough confidence to last me two lifetimes. Something I continuously notice when I consult with clients (and friends) my age is that the biggest thing they’re missing is confidence. I know some of the most amazingly talented individuals from just about every creative and technical discipline under the sun. You know what separates many of the hobbyists from the “successful” entrepreneurs who are making money? The fact that the successful ones are making money.

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If at first you don’t succeed, keep failing forward.

This is my way of remembering that quote. I’m gonna need it this year.

I came across a post by Perry Marshall yesterday entitled, “The gigantic horrible lie about education” (catchy, no?) and I thought I’d pass it along. It touches on some issues very close to my heart, as I come from a “gifted” educational background and recall very well the stigma attached to those who were and were not a part of this hand-selected group of elite learners. Perry touches on this concept of things we should just know by a certain age, and he insightfully addresses the net effect of these expectations on people who are negatively impacted by them:

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