It's easy to watch this video and mock or scoff at all the wanna-be's. "Be original!" we might say, because nobody likes a poser and everyone wants to be uniquely different. Just not too different because we also don't want to be alone, misunderstood, or an outcast. We want community and relationships and to be included.
And that is exactly what is happening in the Instraval video. People are finding connection and community by embracing and participating in a movement, an idea, or a trend because it makes them feel part of something bigger than themselves, in their own unique way. Just like everybody else.
Even when we branch out, when find something that seems to be completely our own, we're not. Others are cheering, encouraging, and even dancing with us, which makes the experience all the more perfect. Because we're not alone.
"Being original," Adam Grant writes, "doesn't mean being first. It just means being different and better" (via). It means learning and absorbing from those around us while using our individuality and identity to progress an idea or truth beyond its current state.
It also means whenever we find success, when the spotlight happens to shine down upon us, we acknowledge the community that so faithfully surrounded, protected, and provided for us.
Even if it was a simple paving of the roads.
Be original. More importantly though, be thankful.
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