Don’t Be Different

Being different is so passé. Being different is so normal. Look around. Everyone is different—trying to strike their own pose, make their own statement, create their own style. Everyone, ironically, is the same in trying to be different.

What about thinking differently? "Think different" is so 1997—when Apple started using it as their campaign slogan. Is some ways, thinking historically, thinking critically, and thinking introspectively are all more important than thinking differently.

Instead, you should do different.
As in, do something that’s sure to get overlooked today.
Do something that doesn’t get much air time today.
Do something that’s not the rage right now.

The most brilliant business ideas are not the ones we talk about today; they are the ones we will be talking about tomorrow though. Why? Because today someone, somewhere is going to do something different.

The most ingenious NGO is not the one trying to solve X (fill in a familiar problem) and has a 10 million dollar gala; the greatest ones are tackling a problem that no one has a clue how to address.

The freshest and most impactful faith communities? The same is true: it’s not the ones that get the buzz today; it’s the people of conviction that will gather and worship and organize and connect in ways that are truly different tomorrow.

We don’t see them now. Now is blind to tomorrow.

Unless, you’re ready to step up and begin doing different(ly).