I’ve always been a little bit different. I’m not saying it’s a good thing, and I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. It just is. From my earliest memories, I’ve been the black sheep—the one who, as business mentor Dan Williams would say, zigged when everyone else zagged.
One of my earliest memories was anytime we spent time with extended family. While my cousins gravitated towards fishing, working hard, and doing “man things” with our pop and uncles, I was the kid glued to my Nintendo. I wasn’t out casting lines or fixing things. I always preferred being inside, gaming or, frankly, doing nothing. Even when my pop proudly showed off his rock collection, something everyone else seemed to admire for its beauty and effort, I unfortunately was never really impressed. I just stared at it because, let’s face it, there was no internet, and I couldn’t watch TV.
Looking back, it’s no wonder I was a fat teenager until I turned 16.
Now, don’t get me wrong. I wasn’t some radical outsider. I wore the trendy shoes. I listened to the pop-punk bands of the early 2000s. I even owned a pair of those Eminem jeans every “cool” kid had as a millennial. But no matter how much I tried to fit in, I always felt like my choices put me slightly at odds with the crowd.
I bet, if you are reading this, in your life you have felt the same way sometimes.
Finally, when I was 16, a friend told me something that changed my life. She said, “You could do something with your life and change the world.” That simple statement sent me down a path to fitness, self-improvement, and helping others reach their potential.
But this has led to more pain and helped me realise that being different isn’t easy. You’ll make decisions others won’t understand. You’ll stand for things others won’t stand for. And you’ll face criticism for it repeatedly.
I’ve lost relationships because of my refusal to conform. I’ve made choices that seemed crazy to the average person—choices that cost me money, status, and comfort. But what I’ve realized over the years is that being different isn’t a curse; it’s a calling.
The truth is our society has twisted the narrative. We celebrate sameness and conformity while punishing individuality. And this mindset has real consequences—not just for us but for future generations.
We’ve fallen into the trap of hedonism, chasing temporary pleasure and material gains, only to find ourselves emotionally bankrupt. The “ordinary” narrative tells us to prioritise ourselves—our wants, our desires, our comforts. And where has that gotten us? Low birth rates. Shallow connections. A world where people are more interested in Instagram likes than legacies.
Think about it. The most “ordinary” thing we can do is focus only on ourselves. It’s primitive. It’s short-sighted. And it’s killing our future.
The truly extraordinary few think differently. They reject the hedonistic narrative. They build for the long term—for their children, their communities, and the generations yet to come.
Look at history. Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Martin Luther King Jr. and many, many more —these people were ridiculed in their time because they refused to follow the norms. They stood firm, despite the opposition, and left a legacy that shaped the world.
Pressure creates diamonds. And yes, being different will put you under pressure. You’ll be misunderstood, alienated, even criticised. But that’s what has the potential to make you extraordinary.
As we enter a new year, I want you to embrace this truth. The truth that being different isn’t just okay, it’s necessary. History teaches us that when societies conform, they crumble. The Roman Empire fell because it prioritised comfort over discipline, free grain for votes, self-interest over spiritual, physical, and emotional contentment. Which to me sounds awfully familiar to our current times?
The barbarians are already at the gate, but you don’t have to follow the crowd. Be different. Say no to the ordinary. Choose a life of meaning and purpose. Live in a way that others won’t, so you can achieve what others can’t.
80% of the population does or is the top 20% of anything. The top 20% does or is the top 80%. Then there’s the top 20% of the top 20%. Finishing with the top 0.8%. The extraordinary few.
By standing apart, you join an elite group. You think beyond today. You build for tomorrow. You create a life that others don’t understand—and that’s okay. Because it’s not their understanding that matters; it’s yours.
The world doesn’t need more of the same. It needs people who refuse to settle for ordinary. It needs people like you. People who are willing to be different, to think ahead, and to leave something better behind.
That’s what makes you extraordinary. That’s what makes you you. And if they don’t get it? That’s fine. They’re not meant to. You’re not here to be understood by the masses. You’re here to stand with the extraordinary few.