Individuality is today’s theme and has always been a favourite subject of mine. I remember when I watched the 1990 film Wild at Heart starring a young Nicholas Cage whose character Sailor had a beloved item of clothing that he often refers to in the film; “This is a snakeskin jacket and for me it’s a symbol of my individuality, and my belief in personal freedom.”

The quote made me fall in love with the film. It also gave me confidence to believe in my own sense of individuality. This is a topic that I have fondly written about for the past 10 years and beyond and is close to my heart. Have a read of these articles for some similar themes, though today is more of a manifesto on individuality and uniqueness!

Read these two articles for more on this and for some fine examples of really getting comfortable being the fullest possible expression of your unique self:
a) 7 Reasons Why Being a Geek is Awesome.
b) How to Accept and Depend Upon Yourself – Because “No-One Is Coming!”
c) How To Live Life On Your Own Terms.

What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others.” ― Confucius

We all have unique skills and talents. Think about what you enjoy, are good at, what inspires you and what brings a smile to your face. Our passions are an indication of our skills and talents. Interestingly, when we admire and even envy someone, it’s just a sign that we have the same skills, often dormant, waiting to be expressed. For example, if you admire inspirational speakers, you too can be one once you apply yourself, create the intention and follow diligently through with your actions.

Understanding what you are passionate about and expressing your unique gifts, leads you to your life purpose. You will be in sync with who you truly are, the authentic you and your individuality.

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

How can you express your individuality and uniqueness?
Let it shine when you speak, write, network or post on social media. You want your friends, clients and coworkers to see you, your most authentic you. They are attracted to you because of who you are. If you are one of many, fit in and stay in your comfort zone, no one will notice you. You have a message that is waiting to be expressed; your life has a purpose, and your career and business too.

Here are some articles to help you step out of your comfort zone:
a) Important Reasons to Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone.
b) 7 Steps To Leave Your Comfort Zone.
c) Self-Hypnosis To Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone.

Dare to be You!
We all have a personal brand with a number of impressive qualities. You can use your individuality and uniqueness and be remarkable to add value to your business, to your professional and personal relationships.

I’d like to share with you my own thoughts on what is more of a philosophy that I think very rewarding regardless of your field, but particularly pertinent to any hypnotherapist looking to enhance their business.

I have written about it before… Here in England we have Shrove Tuesday in February, which is the beginning of Lent in religious terms and that is when people should use up the remains of their larder before they fast. Typically, this would be flour, eggs and milk – Pancakes!! Shrove Tuesday has become known better as pancake day here in England, but I don’t mind that because as well as being an atheist, I love eating pancakes.
So indeed, we have pancake day and I make pancakes with a variety of toppings. I have been to a great deal of pancake celebrations and I want to tell you about one particular occasion that serves as a very interesting metaphor for what I am writing about today.

I made a big load of pancake batter – I made it with wholemeal flour so the pancakes were not as they usually are. They were received well and eaten by all. In England one of the traditional ways to eat pancakes is with lemon juice and sugar. We had all kinds of toppings and things laid out – I mean lots and lots of choice.
One of my friends is very English and fanatically kept on saying how wonderful it was to have Lemon juice and sugar and everyone agreed and the vast majority of people there ate the pancakes I made to my recipe with the topping sold to them by one of my friends. Interesting. I piled on strawberry jam, natural yoghurt and toasted almonds on to mine and scoffed the lot down. Yummy!

As a side note, if you ever get the chance to read “The Fountainhead” by a favourite author of mine, Ayn Rand, then please do so. Her works celebrates individuality greatly.

The lead character has red hair, so I liked him instantly! The real reason I liked the main character is because of his sense of individualism. I am not going to get political in this blog, I just want you to think about how much you think for yourself because this is important in so many aspects of our own personal development. How much you actually allow yourself to be an individual, how much you celebrate your uniqueness, how comfortable you feel sharing that with the world, all effect whether you blend in to the masses of sheeple, or whether you stand out in some way.

How individual do you allow yourself to be? Do you absolutely conform to some beige-wearing, magnolia painted, bland, nice yuck-o-rama styled template of how someone else has dictated you ought to be… Or do you dare non-conform, do you dare embrace all your idiosyncrasies?

By the way, I have magnolia painted walls in a couple of rooms at home and wear beige clothing… I have nothing against these things, there are metaphoric examples of what I mean… When I ranted on about this at one of my hypnotherapy trainings, a couple of my students defied the theory by turning up the next day in beige clothing and making it look sassy and awesome!

Thousands of years ago, the first person discovered how to make fire. What a moment that must have been! And what a shame no-one was on hand to record that moment and put it on YouTube. That person may have been thought of as being in league with the devil, clearly that person was some kind of baddy, or some kind of warlock or witch… You get the picture I am painting, right? However, from that moment forward, humankind had fire to keep them warm, to cook their food (I mean raw steak every night of the week must have been getting monotonous!) they could also light their lives at nighttime, though some may think that could have impaired their nightvision… All in all, it was something that gifted human kind.

Since then, throughout the ages, people have invented cool stuff, raised important issues, create new trains of thought, introduced radical new ideas.

Whatever the person did or said… In the history of what they did or said, the glory often began with that person paying in some way for their courage and daring to stand up and stand out and shine with individuality.

Throughout those ages, there have been people who took the first steps down new pathways equipped solely with their unique vision. The reactions and the responses these people received often created misery, sadness or problems for them in the initial instance. Those amazing creators, thinkers, artists, scientists, inventors, philosophers all often found themselves standing alone against the people or the institutions or establishments of their time. So many beautiful new thoughts have initially been opposed in this world.

It is potentially a cynical thing to say I suppose… But those that stand out today, who express individuality, are often made easy targets.They are swiped at by those in the shadows… So it does take bravery to shine, and be the real us celebrating our individuality. Yet ultimately, we are rewarded greatly…

I want to suggest that we can all make a unique contribution to the world and life – in the way we are and the way we allow ourselves to be. We do not have to invent anything other then our own existence with our own vision.
So many people that I work with in my hypnotherapy rooms, my hypnotherapy students, those hypnotherapists that I mentor and supervise… Are afraid of failure or success. Afraid of what others might think. Afraid to go against the grain of establishments and associations. Afraid to do things differently to their peers. Afraid of doing things that their teachers or parents would not have done. As a result, so many of those run the risk of living a life flavoured with dissatisfaction.

Our brain is what we are blessed with from the day of being born and our mind is born out of that as life goes by. The function of our reasoning mind dictates the vast majority of who and how we are on a day to day basis, so lets take control of our minds and allow them to be free for us to use as we choose, no? I believe this is so important to find true happiness and also to achieve the kind of success that we look for.

Individuality: Every single mind is individual.
I bet my mind is different to yours and yours is different to everyone else you know. There is no such thing the as a shared consciousness or a collective brain despite many big groups of people claiming it to be true, there is no evidence at all to suggest such a thing. We are each unique. Your mind is unique, isn’t it? As an entire human being, you are unique and though you may think it is cool to share certain facets with others, you are not the same as any other person out there.

Many of us find safety and protection in numbers and I understand that, how about getting naked every now and then though? Please, not literally… The next time you leave the house, or the office, have a very good look around you. How much of what you see would have existed if someone had not designed and built it? Wherever you are reading this now – look around you – all of that stuff was an idea in someone’s mind once. Someone who thought their own thoughts, embraced individuality.

How much of your creative, critical thinking faculty are you using today?
There generally two ways we can choose to exist day-by-day… With the independent work of our own mind or as someone fed by the minds and influences of others. How much of what you are doing today is because you truly chose to do it? How much of how you are communicating yourself to the world is because you think you should be that way, or because it is actually who you really are?

We are often taught that it is a virtue to agree with others. How often have you thought critically this very day and have disagreed? Of course, we do not have to go around arguing for the sake of it, however, have you disagreed with something because you felt differently in your mind? Have you applied an intelligent line of enquiry to what is going on around you, the things you are reading and seeing?

We are often taught that it is a virtue to swim with the current. How many times did you go against the current today? Again, I am not suggesting that you be different just for the sake of it, just that you do what fulfils and inspires you. We are often taught that it is a virtue to stand together. When was the last time you stood alone? Metaphorically, when was the last time you chose not to have lemon and sugar on your pancakes and had your strawberry jam, natural yoghurt and almonds? When was the last time you wore a snakeskin jacket?

For today, how about you police your own mind and look at what you put into it and how you make the decisions you make and how you express yourself. So come on fellow members of the human race, don’t allow yourself to be one of those people lurking in the shadows sniping at those that dare to be colourful… Embrace your foibles, be proud of them, communicate as the real you, enjoy being you and the rewards you’ll get from standing out will enhance your satisfaction, and your business! Have you thought about what makes you unique? What is your individuality?

What are the unique skills, gifts, talents, and experiences you bring to the world and your life, career and business? Instead of fitting in and doing what everyone else does, let your uniqueness and individuality shine. Only you have certain gifts, and only you can bring your purpose to the world.

Wouldn’t you agree the greatest inventions and advances came from those who utilised their unique skills and talents? When we become more of who we are, we become irresistible and attract the right people in our lives. We let the world know what we stand for and our values. In our businesses, we attract the team that thrives in our environment and customers who are attracted to us because of our company values.

The way in which you socialise with others can tell people if you are more on the introvert spectrum or extrovert spectrum. Social media gives a window to your personality, so make sure that those you are connected with see who you really are.

Form your own opinions but respect those of others. Understand that everyone has a right to their own opinion and truly adopting a belief. If you feel disrespected, mention it to them with the best intentions. Part of staying true to who you are is standing up for yourself when you feel you have to. People come from all walks of life and who they are and what they say is a culmination of their life experiences contributing to who they are.

The snakeskin jacket could be interpreted metaphorically or literally here regarding individuality. Clothing is a great way to get your personality across to others. The way you dress really can tell people more about who you are. According to Professor Karen Pine, psychologist, author and speaker, the way that you dress can affect the way you view yourself. She completed an experiment that suggested that if you wear super hero clothing you are more likely to believe that you are actually physically stronger than you are. This shows that the way you dress not only affects what other’s see you as, but the way that you see yourself.

Make no mistake, the world is changing and the pace of change is increasing. We will only ever overcome the new challenges appearing if we encourage and enable innovation, if we encourage and enable individuality – not because they are disruptive, but because they will utilise that great capacity for imagination to look at old problems in new ways – and find a way forward.

When I mentor and coach individuals looking to develop businesses, I often look deeply into the ways they market their personality or their brand and look for the individuality and uniqueness and how they communicate and express themselves. Those with whom you resonate with will like you and become a follower of your work. Those with whom it does not resonate can find other solutions and other people. You’ll never please everyone and attempting to do so just waters down who you are and what you stand for. Go be yourself. 

Go be unique, celebrate your individuality. Expose your foibles and quirks to the world and watch how it works wonders in so many areas of your life.


Have some of themes here resonated with you? Then have a read of these pages:

1. Do you need help or support in a particular area of your life?
Coaching with Adam Eason Or Hypnotherapy with Adam Eason
2. Would you like a satisfying and meaningful career as a hypnotherapist helping others? Are you a hypnotherapist looking for stimulating and career enhancing continued professional development and advanced studies?
Adam Eason’s Anglo European training college.
3. Are you a hypnotherapist looking to fulfil your ambitions or advance your career?
Hypnotherapist Mentoring with Adam Eason.

Likewise, if you’d like to learn more about self-hypnosis, understand the evidence based principles of it from a scientific perspective and learn how to apply it to many areas of your life while having fun and in a safe environment and have the opportunity to test everything you learn, then come and join me for my one day seminar which does all that and more, have a read here: The Science of Self-Hypnosis Seminar.