"BE YOURSELF. EVERYONE ELSE IS TAKEN." Oscar Wilde

Good morning, Beautifuls —

I was visiting an old friend recently and she was telling me about helping her sweet and lovely son apply to an elite private school which he had his heart set on attending. They were driving to the interview, and my friend was trying to figure out how to best encourage her nervous boy. Here is what she told him: "You know, it's going to be really hard to make an impression on these people, because they spend their lives meeting the best and brightest and most talented kids in the whole country."

Doesn't sound very encouraging so far, right?

But then she added, "So if you really want to impress the interviewer today, you have absolutely no choice except to walk into that room and completely be yourself. Because the only kid he has never met before…is you."

These wise and kind words reminded me of this Oscar Wilde quote I've always loved, so I thought I would share it today. This sentiment works so well as a guide across any number of situation — it's great advice for the workplace, for being a creator, for love.

Your own voice, your own character, your own gifts, your own offerings. Live that stuff fully. It's the only way to make an impression in a world of seven billion people.

Big, big love…

Liz

ps — My friend's son knocked it out of the park in his interview, by the way. They loved him.

via Elizabeth Gilbert’s Facebook Wall