I was inspired by an interview Entertainment Weekly did with Will Smith where he talked about how terrifying it was to follow in the footsteps of the iconic Robin Williams and take on the role of the Genie in Aladdin. What really stood out to me was that despite feeling terrified, he did it by making a lane for himself instead of trying to compete. Simply put, he did not try to be Robin Williams as the Genie, he was Will Smith as the Genie and both well played (in my opinion). This is such a great reminder that not everything in life is linear, two people can be great doing the same thing in different ways. Being yourself and pulling from what makes you great often yields a better outcome than being inauthentic. I challenge you to keep this message in the back of your mind and instead of following “the” path, make your own!
“To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else-means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.”
E.E. Cummings
