Guy Reams (00:01.582)
Today is day 161. Above all, be different.
Guy Reams (00:08.334)
So I was backpacking recently and going up a very steep climb. I think there was about a mile of switchbacks going up side to side and the climb was just brutal. And of course I had a very heavy pack on. I was carrying weight for myself and a couple of other people. And so I was hiking up this trail.
Guy Reams (00:37.922)
You know, the landscape going up was rather barren. It was rocky and, you know, there's a few trees, but it was, it was, you know, a cliff side. So you were, it's not like there was a lot of vegetation. So when I got to the top. Just as I was coming over the peak, I rounded a couple of boulders. Suddenly this giant field opened up and it was a meadow and the field was full of wildflowers. And I mean, this was just breathtaking.
I mean, I saw what Van Gogh probably saw every day of his life, right? This gorgeous, most beautiful array of bright colors, like reds and blues and purples and greens and yellows. It was just a gorgeous field of wildflower. Probably very temporary, because in those mountain conditions, those wildflowers will last for a little while, then they'll go away. So this was just a moment in time, an explosion of color. So I was sitting there.
kind of resting, you know, I packed, fell off, and I was just kind of sprawled there sitting on a rock. And then I noticed there was this one flower sitting there by the trail, and this one flower was different than all the other flowers. Now this flower wasn't necessarily any more beautiful than any one individual flower, but it was definitely unique. It definitely stood out. It had big petals, large petals, which were different than all the other.
Most mountain flowers have small petals. The reason is because of the conditions and the environment, right? Large petals can be damaged easier. So here was this flower, the very large petals with a giant pod of nectar right in the middle of the flower. And it was rather tall and it came right out of this grassy outcropping that had a little bit of snow packed around it. So it was very unique and very different.
I saw this bumblebee come and land on that flower and was gathering as much nectar as it could from that one flower. And I thought that bumblebee sees what I see, a very unique and different flower. Well, that got me to thinking as I was sitting there pondering just what the value of being different is. And I would argue that uniqueness is really important.
Guy Reams (03:05.342)
Society values conformity, but they're drawn to uniqueness. Now this is no mistake, right? In the world of natural selection, there's absolutely, you know, in our environment and as species evolve, natural selection kicks in.
There's absolutely a tendency for species to look for other members that are species that are unique and different. Because biodiversity, genetic diversity has demonstrated over millennia that you are more disease resistant. You are able to gain strength through genetic diversity.
You're able to gain superiority over the crowd, over the herd. So there's lots of reasons why we are drawn naturally to uniqueness and difference. So in today's world, there's a lot to do about diversity and inclusion. I mean, I've been in the corporate world now for awhile and every company these days seems to want to put that banner all over themselves.
And I don't know what all the various intents are. I mean, the intents are varied. Some are probably very altruistic, and some are just another way to make money. But this is not a new concept, right? We act like this is a new thing. But in reality, diversity is important as a species. It just is. But having said that, diversity isn't always a good thing.
The ones that are unique and different oftentimes get the blame for problems, right? So any anomalies that are occurring in your business or in your society, we're always looking at the different one, the different person. And we want to naturally blame that person for no other reason than, I have an anomaly. So we're all the same, so it must be that different person that's causing the problem. So sometimes when you're the unique one.
Guy Reams (05:17.378)
the different one, the one that stands out, sometimes you're the first to take the blame. And that could be a little bit overwhelming and that can be tough. But I would rather have that because I think the benefits far outweigh the negativity associated with being different. And there are many benefits. I mean, think about it. When you're unique, you're more attractive in the marketplace. When you're unique, you stand out.
you tend to get more attention. You tend to be the one that people buy from. So uniqueness also lends itself to creativity and innovation. And I am drawn towards that more than anything else. So I would encourage people to celebrate uniqueness. I mean, I know as you're developing a business model or you're developing your career path or coming up with a new company,
It's perfectly acceptable to go ahead and borrow from other people's ideas, maybe mimic successful people. And that can help you get started. You can follow what helps other people be successful, but at some point you have to break away and be yourself because their uniqueness is what got them to where they're at. You can't copy their uniqueness completely.
You can maybe follow their program, follow their model, but draw an inspiration from that meadow flower that I saw. There comes a time when you just have to stand out and pave your own path. With that, I'll say thank you and goodbye.