“Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Do what you need to do!” — — Futurist Jim Carroll

I’m in the final stretches of finishing off my Being Unique book, and it has been a project — I’m about 1 1/2 years into it, and in the meantime, released 3 other books! (Embracing Mediocrity, Escaping Mediocrity, and Dancing in the Rain!)

While the work is focused on the urgency of uniqueness as a strategic advantage, I realized I had left out a crucial part of the conversation: the human cost of being different.

Here’s where I am — the first ten chapters are mostly written, and are high-energy. They are the call to action, the blueprint, and the payoff: I cover some inspirational stories of unique people, give you the toolkit for unique thinking, and show you the economic rewards of niche skills in the global market. But what happens after the initial victory? How do you keep your uniqueness intact when the world is constantly pushing you back toward conformity?

You don’t just win the battle against conformity once; you have to fortify your uniqueness every single day.

And trust me, it’s a battle!

One of the first steps is not to worry about what everyone else is doing, what everyone else is telling you to do, what everyone else is giving you advice on.

It’s doing what you need to do.

With that in mind, I’ve decided to add a new chapter, which will be the penultimate chapter of the book: “Sustaining and Fortifying Uniqueness.” This chapter is the emotional and psychological scaffolding that the rest of the strategy rests upon. It transitions from the “how-to” to the “how-to-survive-long-term.”

And as of today, it seems that the role model that will open the chapter will be… get ready … Lady Gaga! She’s the perfect model for being unique, the power of being unique, and what to do to guard your uniqueness!

The reality of being unique is that it comes with immense pressure, a heavy psychological toll, and difficult relationship dynamics. This new chapter will guide you through the three essential pillars for protecting your unique self

With that, I’m back into the grind of the book — most of the other chapters are already close to done, I need to write this, and then it goes to my wife for the sometimes complex process of editing.

Stay tuned!

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Being Unique will mark Jim’s 43rd or 44th book; he plans on going back and checking the math!

**#Unique** **#Different** **#Individuality** **#Authenticity** **#Persistence** **#Strategy** **#Fortitude** **#Focus** **#Independence** **#Sustain**

Original post: https://jimcarroll.com/2025/11/decoding-tomorrow-daily-inspiration-dont-worry-about-what-everyone-else-is-doing-do-what-you-need-to-do/

Maybe Glen Plake will be like Kieth Richards and never die.

https://youtu.be/qqMYNBQuuTE?t=172

#Sports #Individuality #Unique #GlenPlake #KeithRichards #Creative

The Edge of Normal: Glen Plake - Soul of Skiing Ep 7

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A quotation from John Stuart Mill

A State which dwarfs its men, in order that they may be more docile instruments in its hands even for beneficial purposes — will find that with small men no great thing can really be accomplished; and that the perfection of machinery to which it has sacrificed everything, will in the end avail it nothing, for want of the vital power which, in order that the machine might work more smoothly, it has preferred to banish.

John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) English philosopher and economist
On Liberty, ch. 5 “Applications” (1859)

More info about this quote: wist.info/mill-john-stuart/547…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #johnstuartmill #control #docility #domination #individuality #initiative #population #state #tyranny

A quotation from Montaigne

The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.
 
[La plus grande chose du monde c’est de sçavoir estre à soy.]

Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592) French essayist
Essays, Book 1, ch. 38 (1.38), “Of Solitude [De la solitude]” (1572) [tr. Frame (1943), 1.39]

More info about (and translations of) this quote: wist.info/montaigne-michel-de/…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #montaigne #independence #individuality #selfconfidence #selfdetermination #selfknowledge #selfmastery #selfreliance #selfsufficiency #solitude

It's really hard to hold on to my "mission" and "purpose" (hate the corporate-speak, ugh) for making music when living and working in a small town for the last couple of years has made me sooooo misanthropic. I was never really a people person, but at this point I've really given up hope of finding more than a handful of kindred spirits in the world… ever…


#actually-autistic #actuallyautistic #autism #adhd #audhd #musician-problems #misanthropy #disillusioned #humanity #loneliness #heartbreak #betrayal #individuality #life-purpose #kindred-spirits #broken-spirit

Why nobody has a #personality anymore

Erica Mallett

Studies show that our need for #uniqueness is at a 20 year low. So what’s really happening to #individuality in the age of #socialmedia? And how are the most magnetic #brands and people sharpening their edge in a world that wants them to be #bland and beige?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTBkF3O6wC8

Why nobody has a personality anymore

YouTube
“Beethoven’s #music always struck me. Always. He had this fire you know. I remember reading this story of him going deaf and #pushing himself into self-isolation and that’s where he became himself. And to me that was, wow. Don’t let anything poison your #individuality. Be away, break away and look in not outward.” — #RodneyMullen
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“Beethoven’s #music always struck me. Always. He had this fire you know. I remember reading this story of him going deaf and #pushing himself into self-isolation and that’s where he became himself. And to me that was, wow. Don’t let anything poison your #individuality. Be away, break away and look in not outward.” — #RodneyMullen