Stand Out…Never Blend In

The other day it was almost 100 degrees in New Orleans and I was looking for something to do.

In that kind of heat, you literally can’t go outside and do anything because you could have a heatstroke.

My favorite place to go no matter the weather is a bookstore and there is still a Barnes and Noble bookstore close to me.

I never tire going there because I wander around the magazines, the non-fiction books (my favorite), and the art section.

This day I decided to go exploring into areas I never go to, like the medical area, the history area, the science area, and the psychology area.

I love walking around slowly to see if there’s anything that might jump out and draw my attention.

Every time I wander with the intention and curiosity that something might jump out to me that I never would have noticed, something fabulous does.

A book on one of the end shelves in the psychology section had the best title and I couldn’t help myself, I HAD to pick it up.

The title was “The Fun Habit.”

More on this book in another blog.

After about 2 hours of wandering I felt that my break from the heat was finished but I needed to use the restroom before leaving.

As I took a shortcut through the children’s section, something stopped me in my tracks.

No. it wasn’t a book.

It was a stuffed animal!!

Why did this one thing that I wasn’t even looking for get me to stop and notice it?

Because it was so different from everything else around it.

It was a black and white striped stuffed animal and was surrounded by solid color stuffed animals.

IT STOOD OUT BECAUSE OF THE CONTRAST.

I picked it up and was looking at the card that was attached to it which read…

STAND OUT…NEVER BLEND IN.

These five simple words summarize one of the best and possibly hardest things for us to do.

Our nature typically wants us to fit in.

Now, when you think about how those words relate to a painting, standing out is important.

You need to have things that aren’t like anything else around them in order to bring attention to it.

It’s the contrast that draws our attention…just like the striped stuffed animal did to me.

My immediate response to this stuffed animal proved to me that this happens even in everyday life.

This concept might seem simple, but it is so powerful.

I invite you to go into any store, wander around and see what calls your attention. It’s like a fun game.

Sending you a world of love,

Adele

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