I have no idea if Sharon Stone actually said that, but I've loved that quote ever since my technical theater teacher in high school put it up on the board for our class warm-up.

It's stuck to me. 😅

Often, in blogging and online business or even life + traditional workplaces, there is this push to "find what makes you unique" or "different" to stand out.

And I'm like, "Get out of here with this vague advice!"

Because it's not helpful. The people struggling to figure out how to stand out are already struggling with this advice they've just been given. (Side note: Imagine having DID and struggling with this at least 4x over.)

🤔 In my experience, struggling to find what helps me stand out/makes me different from everyone else invites imposter syndrome to a surprise pity party where I am the main course. And then I get absolutely nothing done that I needed to.

So let's reshape/reword/change this advice to something that actually makes some fucking sense:

• Your perspective affects everything you create and put out into the world, even if/when you're masking (i.e. metaphorically, e.g. neurodivergent masking).
  • Everyone has biases, and bias has a way of shining through the cracks.
• Your perceived life experience, background, beliefs + values shape your perspective.
• This is what makes you different from other people.
• Tapping into your perspective and honing/embracing it prevents you from becoming a carbon copy of everyone else.

To paraphrase Sharon Stone:

Your perspective is what you bring to the table/game/world. Your point of view sets the tone.

A better question than "What makes you different/unique/stand out?" is whether your perspective will light people up or leave them feeling icky and lacking.

Are you going to discourage self-esteem or be a ray of sunshine?

May your samefoods always be in stock,
Jane Lively