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”. Filters are, as I now see them, an uplifting, awe-inspiring and simply brilliant way of appreciating difference in life.

Our nurturing environment, experiences and relationships can all shape our own reality. I see this everywhere I go. Everyone I meet, every interaction I have, I see people’s minds shaping reality as we speak, and I see my own doing the very same. This, in a sense, is what I am referring to as filtering.

You have experienced many days on this planet; however, adding layer after layer of filters after encountering positive, negative and neutral situations. One really does live and learn more than we could consciously be aware of, every single moment of the day and night we continue to exist.

If you think about it, you are carrying around many already formed decisions on how you should behave, act or simply be wherever you go. You are continuously adding to it. Even now, you are using previously acquired knowledge to estimate whether or not you should continue reading this text. Right this second, you are using filters.

I wanted to write this to remind you that, no matter what your external descriptions of success, you have accumulated an unfathomably large database of knowledge that you can tap into with a response time second to none.

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.

You are the only living person with your exact combination of filters and, with that, you have the right to show your true understanding of the world. No one has ever seen life from your perspective, and that is why your unique experience is priceless.

Share it, be bold and stand up for yourself.