Stand Up and Stand Out

The foliage this time of year is vivid with color and can make even a cloudy day seem brighter. In fact, I personally think that it’s even more beautiful on a cloudy day as opposed to when the sun is shining because of the striking contrast between the leaves and the sky. Driving down the highway or walking through the forest are ideal times to soak in the expansive, colorful mixture and I welcome getting into my car if I know I’ll have the opportunity to feast my eyes during my trip to wherever. The other day, I was on an interstate and I happened to look over in the distance to see the tree below. I couldn’t help but notice it. It was alone, standing tall and blazing red and I had to pull over to take a picture of it.

I thought about this tree in comparison to the endless number of trees packed together in the forests. Although so many of them are worthy of our appreciation, the significance of each one is masked by the shear numbers. But standing on it’s own, there is no mistaking the brilliance of the tree above for all it’s worth. It is on its own to reveal its unique qualities and to shine brightly. For us as well, I believe it’s necessary to step out of the forest for our true abilities to be appreciated. It’s when we step out that we have a stronger impact because we bring forth and develop our unique talents. I’m not actually suggesting that we isolate ourselves from everyone. On the contrary, this is a quality of leadership that lets us add value to the lives of others and to encourage and inspire them to do the same.

We are surrounded by opportunities to stand out. Within our families or with friends, we can take a proactive role into nurturing relationships. We can lead by example at work by going the extra mile or accessing our creativity to solve problems. And within our communities we can initiate projects or do volunteer work for an organization we are passionate about, or we can help someone who is desperately in need.

So be uncommon, be exceptional and share your unique qualities. We all have the power within us. We just need to stand up and stand out and be brilliant like the tree…