Be Original – Derrick Kwa

Never avoid doing something ordinary or common out of fear that you idea won’t appear original. Don’t try to be like others, even those that you admire, out of fear that showing who you are won’t make you original enough. Be yourself. It’s the only person you can truly be. Everything else is a sham. And unless you’re a world-class actor (and maybe not even then; the best actors are most themselves when they’re playing their greatest roles), everyone will know you’re a fake.

Great advice from Carmine Coyote.

The problem is, the media and popular culture play up the value of being like someone else. I’ll use soccer as an example since it’s what I’m most familiar with. Every time a new talent shows up, he’s immediately compared to a player from history. Messi is the new Maradona. Nasri the new Zidane. Kaka the new Ronaldinho. The list goes on, and its a prevailing trend that goes past just soccer.

With the media being this way, is it any wonder that we try to be like others? My advice: forget about being “the next [insert name of celebrity here]” and focus on being “the first and only [insert your name here]”. That’s the best thing you can do.

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