How Being Different May Make You Stand Out From The Crowd

We all have flaws or disabilities. Being different and standing out from the crowd at the same time seems impossible. But what makes us different from others is when we learn to accept and embrace them and turn them into our strong points. The road to success may be bumpy and has its pain points. Despite all the hurdles we can indeed successfully stand out from the crowd. This is possible with a positive attitude, hard work, and perseverance. Let’s see some people who have proved this.

Who doesn’t know Elon Musk? He is the world’s wealthiest person, a business tycoon, and owner of Twitter, SpaceX, and the electric vehicle company called Tesla. Very recently, Elon Musk revealed that he is autistic. Autism or autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disability due to which they may talk, interact, or behave differently. Because of this condition, Elon was bullied and almost beaten to death as a child. A shy and awkward child with no friends, Elon Musk channelized his energy and free time into programming computers all by himself. These days, he is busy preparing for his upcoming missions to the moon, mars, and beyond.

Stephen William Hawking was a well-known theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author of many best-selling books including A Brief History of Time, Black Holes, and the Theory of Everything, to mention a few. At the very young age of 21 years, he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This is a rare neurological disease that affects voluntary muscle movements like talking, walking, and chewing. Due to its progressive nature, he was eventually paralyzed, robbing him of speech, and mobility, and he began using a wheelchair. Defying all odds, Stephen went on to pursue Ph. D in physics, became a professor of gravitational physics at Cambridge, was honored with the Copley Medal from the Royal Society, received the Fundamental Physics Award, won the Adams Prize, and so on.

Sudha Chandran is a well-known Indian actress, TV artist, and critically acclaimed classical Bharatanatyam dancer. Unfortunately, she met with an accident at the young age of 16 years and her leg was amputated. But this did not discourage her from following her passion. She decided to stand up on her feet by wearing a prosthetic foot and returned to dancing. She has performed in India, and abroad. She is truly an inspiration to many.

Arunima Sinha, a former national volleyball and football player, was pushed out of a train by some robbers who wanted to snatch her valuables. She lost her leg but not her self-confidence. She enrolled in a basic mountaineering course and went on to climb Mount Everest with a prosthetic leg. She became the world's first female amputee to climb Mount Everest and was honored with the Padma Shri award, the 4th highest civilian award in India. She did not stop there. This courageous lady went on to climb Mt. Kosciusko (Australia), Mt Denali (North America), Mt Aconcagua (South America), Mt Elbrus (Russia), and so on.

Disabled people indeed have their challenges. But this should not stop them from dreaming big. Stephen Hawking once said that “However difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at.” What matters is that you don’t stop trying.

In the past, disability was linked with notions like curses or punishment for the sins of the ancestors. However, in recent years, things have changed for good. Moreover, people are considerate and empathetic towards each other. Therefore, we must turn our flaws or disabilities into blessings.