“Never be normal!” – Ron Stoppable 

Melissa Joy – My beautiful wife. She loves and cares for all that she sees who are hurting or in need. She teaches me how to cook. She can charm and sweet talk just about anyone. My wife has taught me so much in the time that we have been married. I know her habits, her dreams, and her favorite color. Every day I wake up and thank God that I married her. I never dreamed that I would laugh and have as much fun in my marriage as I do. Each day I am reminded that there is no one like her, and I’m glad that there never will be. She is mine and she’s the best.

Michael Jordan – Greatest ever. He still holds records in the National Basketball Association and at the University of North Carolina. His trademark image (pictured above) is internationally known. He is who any non-basketball fanatic thinks of when they think of the sport at all. His worst moments are forgotten. His best moments are legendary.

Michael Jackson – King of pop. (No picture due to no international logo and no beautiful face – he didn’t meet the criteria.) He changed the face and sound of pop music for all time. He ran point (basketball reference) for the Jackson 5, introduced America to the concept of the “Moon Walk,” starred in Disney productions, and still remains to be one of the greatest influences in pop music as we know it.

Mary Jane – Spiderman’s significant other.

What’s the point?

All of these individuals are incredible in their own right. If your initials are “M.J.”, you probably have some of their awesomeness flowing through your veins by default. Are they without their respective mistakes? Absolutely not. The point is, what makes these people great isn’t what they can do or have done. What makes them great in our eyes is that, as far as we can see, there has never been or ever will be anyone like them.

“Be yourself, because everyone else has already been taken.” – Oscar Wilde 

I love this quote. You have been created to be you, not anyone else. Your uniqueness is something both external and internal that no one else can take from you. I’m not the only one who sees it. Being different from everyone else increases your value to those around you, including your employer, friends, and family. Why? Because they can’t get you anywhere else. Embrace that and be thankful that you’re not like everyone else.

That being said, there are definitely better and worse versions of you. I’m not suggesting at all that you should let yourself go (Frozen, anyone?) and be lazy all of the time because that’s who you are. Why not? That’s being like everyone else. There are plenty of people on the planet who are different in a terrible way – that makes them like everyone else. Very few are different/unique in a good way. Being yourself means being the very best version that you can possibly be. It empowers others to see you and want the same.

– Andrew