Different


Ann DeLuca is a Coach.  She came to the Ontario Society of Senior Citizens Organizations (OSSCO) on June 13th and conducted a workshop called “Getting Clear on What’s Next.”  Everyone (including me) was in transition.  We were invited to come with an open mind and try some new and different exercises (like visualization exercises).  I was reminded that it’s good to be in a relaxed state of mind to help identify possibilities for ourselves.  When we’re stressed we focus on the stress and less on seeing possibilities.   As I mentioned in an earlier post, we can engage in reflective activities to help put us in a relaxed state of mind like yoga, meditation, walking, painting, writing, etc.  I realized that seeking the services of a coach could be an option to pursue.

Rakesh Kana tried something different in his job search.  When traditional job search methods weren’t producing the desired result, he and his wife tried something new by putting on sandwich boards and handing out their resumes (in a pen) to passersby at Union Station.  They found jobs using this novel approach.

While working at OSSCO, I came across job seekers who were reluctant to post their profiles on LinkedIn.  Using LinkedIn is a way to help job seekers to stand out, but I understand that everyone has their own reasons to do (or not to do) something.

Sometimes you just don’t want to stand out and to be perceived as different.   

For example, I don’t have a smartphone.  I think wouldn’t it be wonderful to be like everyone else and own a smartphone?  I have my reasons (like cost).   I am able to work around it.  For example, I rely on my friend (who has a smartphone) to take pictures and preserve the memories of a shared experience like attending Nuit Blanche.      

I get it that (sometimes) we don’t want to do something because we don’t want to be perceived as different.  

I challenge you to be a little different.

If there is something new that you haven’t done before and you are considering doing that something “new”, that is being different.

I’ll celebrate with you for doing that something “new” that is new to you and going beyond your comfort zone.

I like this Albert Einstein quote that I recently saw on LinkedIn:

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

It’s OK to be different.    


This post was published on Linkedin on: June 16, 2017
Image Credit: Pixabay

  

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