Being different means not being afraid to go against the norm, it means being willing to take chances — going against the crowd — being who you were meant to be.
Individually, we are all unique; yet, we work so hard to be like everyone else. We conform to society. We work at jobs that don’t fulfill us, instead of working towards developing our unique talents. We spend most of our time trying to be like others rather than being ourselves. Because we fear non-acceptance, we do as others do: we pretend to be someone we're not.
It's not until we are honest and true to ourselves that we can begin learning and growing as individuals. Personal growth will only occur once we fully embrace and accept ourselves for who we are. We must let go of our dependency on external approval and begin valuing our own opinion, enough to approve of ourselves, to accept and love ourselves rather than being dependent on the love and acceptance of others. And it takes honesty — it takes being different — it takes being free.
Look at how we treat our animals. We cage and confine our animals just as we cage and confine ourselves, because we don’t truly know ourselves. We are unaware of what we are made of — unaware that we are conscious beings with a specific role to play, capable of amazing things. When will the cruelty stop? When will we give ourselves permission to fully be, without limitations, without restrictions? Liberate yourself.
We cannot accomplish anything unless we first allow ourselves to. We are bounded only by our thoughts. There are no limits, no boundaries. Life can be lived and expressed however you wish — it can be as grand as you'd like it. It is completely up to you — completely under your control. Like the Ancient Greek aphorism inscribed on the wall of the Temple of Apollo states, “Know thyself.”
Be different. Discover who you are as an individual. Find out what separates you from the crowd — what makes you different. Whether it’s your technique when writing, the way you use your voice when singing, or your unique style of painting — whatever it is — focus on your uniqueness; then, build from there. This is what it means to be different.