TGIM!

Team,

Today I feel compelled to write about YOU.

By that I mean your most authentic self.   Simply to be who God created you to be.  Harder than it sounds.

Ok at first let’s try a little experiment.

Imagine your favorite most influential people you have met in your life.

Could be a neighbor, teacher, friend, boss, client, uncle, aunt, mom or dad.

I bet if you made a list ALL OF THEM were super unique, mostly they were super THEMSELVES.

They NEVER tried to be someone they WEREN’T.

Yet, don’t we often try to be someone we are not?    We try to fit in, guess how the people around us want us to be, wish we were more like someone we aspire to be… yet… that is not who you are!

If you tend to be funny, be MORE FUNNY.  Caring?  Be MORE caring!  Super efficient?  You get the idea…

Use your unique GOD GIVEN talents and run with it.

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Here’s a great podcast talking about this subject:

Embracing your Uniqueness – Podcast

From Jon Gordon:

An original is way more valuable than a replica.  When you try to be like everyone else you get lost in the sea of mediocrity.  Instead embrace what makes you unique.   BE A GREAT YOU!  STAND OUT!

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For me… As I and our company matured, I often felt an urge to mature.  For a bit, I wore a tie.  For a bit, I wore nice shoes.   If I had a “networking event” I’d wear a sport coat.  Not even any Drexel gear.  DUH.  So…not me.  I’ve tried to run meetings with no humor, no lack of fun, no spark, you know a “serious meeting.”  NOT ME.   I tried to be silent.  NOT ME.  But I can be BETTER, a better listener, a better teammate.  But the best version, my happiest version is when I AM SIMPLY ME.

I am always disappointed in a sense when I see my friends, teammates, family or anyone close to me, try to be someone they are not.  They seem SO UNCOMFORTABLE and it never comes off quite right.  BE YOU.   BE MORE OF YOU.  AND THAT WILL IGNITE YOUR SOUL AND THOSE AROUND YOU!

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Even recently, just this weekend, the women soccer team won the world cup.  You can see they are embracing (and getting criticized in some circles) for BEING THEMSELVES.   I think it totally is helping their success!

 

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OH DREXEL BUILDING SUPPLY IS AS UNIQUE AS HELL.  WE DON’T FIT IN A BOX.  SO DON’T TRY.  EXPLAIN WHAT WE DO…AND DO IT WITH A SMILE!  WE WON’T CHANGE TO FIT IN.  CHANGE TO HELP AND GET BETTER BUT NOT CHANGE WHO WE ARE!

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BORN THIS WAY!

FACIL,

JOEL