My son is a fencer. He’s the one on the left in the photo, scoring a nice touch against his opponent.
While gaining in popularity, fencing is far from a common sport. As a parent, this was initially a concern for me. His love of fencing and the time required to improve of the sport kept him from playing the “normal” sports like baseball, football, or soccer. I worried that being different would be a problem for him.
As he has continued with the sport, that has become his unique identifier and something of great interest to others. When people ask about my kids, one of the first questions is always about my son and his fencing. In fact, I had a meeting with a longtime business partner this week, and the first question not about business, but whether or not my son has had any big tournaments recently.
In short, his unique interest has become an asset to him and sets him apart from others.
Actionable Idea: Oftentimes, we try to be just like everyone else. Being part of the crowd is safe, we can blend in and not be singled out.
The things that make us interesting and valuable, in business as well as life. Embrace them, be different. It is sometimes scary, but it has great rewards as well.
En guarde, pret, allez!
