Why your unique perspective matters

You know when you hear those familiar phrases: “you’re unique in your own way”, “you’re special” or perhaps even “you are different to everyone else in the world”.

If you were anything like me, you might have disregarded this as ironic nonsense. Of course, everyone is different in some way; therefore, we are all unique. So, in a sense, we are all collectively the same.

I thought this for many years and felt a little unimportant as a singular figure within the billions of people currently populating our world.

Then, last year, something happened to me. I was introduced to the idea of “filters”. I began to think of filters as the experiences, relationships and environments that can influence how we see and interpret the world around us.

What are your ‘filters’?

Our experiences and relationships can shape how we interpret situations. I see this everywhere I go. Everyone I meet brings their own experiences and perspectives to an interaction, and I bring mine too. This, in a sense, is what I am referring to as filtering.

Throughout your life, you may have added layer after layer of these filters as you encounter positive, negative and neutral experiences. We can learn from these experiences, sometimes without consciously recognising how they have influenced us.

If you think about it, you are carrying around knowledge and ideas about how you should behave, act or simply be wherever you go. You are continuously adding to this understanding. Even now, you are using previously acquired knowledge to decide whether or not you should continue reading this text. Right this second, you are using filters.

Recognising what you bring to the table

I wanted to write this to remind you that, regardless of how you measure success, you have accumulated a huge amount of knowledge and experience throughout your life.

This is for everyone to remember, but especially for those of you who have times of self-doubt about what you are bringing to the table, whether that’s an interview, an exam, a performance review or even a conversation with friends.

Your combination of experiences, knowledge and perspectives is unique to you. No one else has experienced life in exactly the same way, and that means you may bring something to a situation that somebody else does not.

The next time you doubt what you have to offer, ask yourself:

• What experiences have helped shape who I am today?
• What have I learnt from them?
• What skills, strengths or perspectives do I bring to this situation?
• What might I contribute if I trusted myself enough to speak up?

How coaching can help build confidence

If self-doubt makes it difficult to recognise your strengths or express your ideas, coaching can provide space to explore what may be holding you back. A confidence coach can help you reflect on your experiences, recognise what you already bring to different situations and consider practical steps towards expressing yourself with greater confidence.

Your perspective doesn’t have to be the same as anyone else’s to have value. Recognise what has shaped you, appreciate what you bring and give yourself permission to contribute.