We should celebrate and cherish what makes us truly unique
I know all of us have scrolled through our Instagram feed and wished one time or another that we were like someone this popular this or that. There are no two individuals exactly alike. Nature and nurture made sure of that. But all of us seem to want to be someone else in this era. Don’t you think?
I remember graduating from university and preparing myself for job interviews. I dreaded the question I know many companies will ask me: “Tell me about yourself.” I was 21, but I could barely answer the question even if someone asks me that casually in the streets. A colleague gave me advice and said, “I should just be myself but make sure you make yourself memorable.” But how can I stand out if everyone else is going to say they are smart, hardworking, and easily adaptable in those interviews? Because I’m all of those too. Do I add the only personality quirk I had back then, which is the fact that I like ordering a Venti Iced Americano with a pump hazelnut syrup from Starbucks even if it’s winter to stand out?
That’s the moment I learned that self-discovery is a life-long journey. But also, being yourself doesn’t mean that you have to be so unique that there is truly no one else like you in this world. Because I did tell one of the interviewers about that random quirk of mine, and they were one of the few companies who gave me a job offer right out of the bat.
There’s this popular quote from Oscar Wilde, it says “Be yourself, everyone else is taken.” We have no proof if he actually said but the quote is so popular, but it’s the absolute truth. There is no better version of yourself than yourself, right? It’s the little things that make us who we are.