I'm Not Your Cup Of Tea...And That's Okay

Have you ever lost your cellphone and spent five or ten minutes looking for it before you realize it's been in your hand the entire time? 
I had that experience recently, only, instead of losing my cellphone, it was my purpose.

via GIPHY

For a short amount of time I got caught up in the same things which the average person does when they use social media to build their platforms. I was stressing over the number of likes and shares my posts received. I anxiously monitored the number of views my videos got and lost sleep over book sales.I found myself getting upset over the support I saw other people getting. I was envious and resentful. 
"Why aren't people commenting/
sharing/ liking/ viewing my content?"
"Why didn't my flier look that good?" 
"TEDx choose him over me?" ​

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Yeah. I was acting like a real hater with an average mindset. 
Determined to figure out what I was doing wrong, I went to my website to see what I could do to improve my content, my marketing strategy and my overall appeal. 
On my homepage there's a kind of highlight reel composed of a few clips from presentations I gave when I was first starting my public speaking career.  I pressed play to review the video to see what I could improve and update in order to get a better response and more fans, friends and followers.
The video begins with me facilitating a goal setting workshop to a class of young men involved the criminal justice system. I began to remember how, that day, I was really nervous and excited due to it being one of my first professional presentations yet I was confident because I knew my material and I knew my audience and I knew I was uniquely qualified to help them and give them hope about their futures.

Then it hit me like a brick.
In my moment of self-pity I was looking at everything from the wrong perspective.

I remembered, I'm not everyone's cup of tea. 

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​The first words I say in the video are "If you're stuck in that average life right now, some things I say might make you uncomfortable but it's life saving information which helped me (and others) turn my life around 180 degrees."
And as I continued on with my presentation, those guys drank it up. They took notes. They asked questions and when it was over, they got my contact information to follow up.

If you're stuck in that average life right now, some things I say might make you uncomfortable" - Jonathan McMillan

In a world where the masses are addicted to high fructose corn syrup, high calorie, artificial flavors and colors laden soft drinks, maybe I'm that unsweetened herbal tea.
I may be unsatisfying, uninteresting and unappealing to the those who crave junk but to the health conscious person who wants to nourish their soul and mind, I'm absolutely perfect.

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Or maybe I'm like a shot of wheatgrass. Intense and pungent with bitter flavor that a lot of people simply can't stomach.

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Hell. Maybe I'm not even tea. I'm more like an aged whiskey. The kind that burns when it goes down so you sip it slowly. An acquired taste only suitable for the mature, refined individual who knows how to really appreciate quality.
I'm not for everybody. Just those who are ready for me.  
So for them, the people who have ambitions to build and live better than average lives, I will continue focus on creating better than average, high quality, substantive, life improving and changing products and services. 
That may not get me a lot of fan and followers but it is what matters most.

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Have you ever started to doubt yourself because you've gotten caught up watching the next person's success? What did you do to get re-focused on your journey? How do you remind yourself that what you have to offer is unique and special and not for everyone? 

Jonathan McMillan is a success strategist and inspirational speaker. He specializes in gang intervention, desistance strategies, community service, goal setting, identity building and inter-personal relationship development. 
Please contact him at jonathanm@bebta.org for booking information