The Red Crayon

It has been said that your "reality” is only really “your” reality . A person’s perspective is influenced by their belief and experiences – everything they have been through, everything they have been taught, everything they have observed. We view the world, opportunities, expectations, scenarios, etc. through the lens of our personal reality. Right, wrong, and what we believe to be the best solution for a problem, is all based on how we see the world, which is based not only on WHAT we have seen in the world, but what we chose to pay attention to.

It comes as no surprise that people with similar realities often attract. They view things the same way, they have the same opinions and beliefs. Their conversations are “comfortable”. You can make a very neat and orderly drawing with only black and white crayons. Neat is reassuring. Orderly is expected. The result is average.

When you throw in a ton of colors, one of two things can happen. When you blend them, try and make them all the same, all have the same influence and the same impact, you get muck. The black and white photo was better.

Alternatively, when you add colors, some mixed with complimenting colors, some left to shine on their own, some emphasizing others, art is created. Art that is above average.

We are all crayons, we all have our own colors, we all bring something to the table. Our colors are influenced by how we see the world, which is based on what we have seen, but also on what we chose to focus on.

A new color can be offensive to neat and orderly black and white drawing. The result is no longer expected, but it is also no longer average. It could throw off the balance, but it is much more likely to center the picture.

If you feel like you do not fit in, like you do not belong, or even a little bit like a failure, consider the possibility that maybe you just are not a black or white crayon in the “expected” world of your peers. Maybe you are a red crayon. You have a different perspective, you see the job, the goals, the desired results, and you find them a different way. You change the picture.

The people watching the picture, a client, a colleague, or anyone who may be influenced by your impact, they think it is beautiful. The black and white crayons, they think you are different. They may fear you want to replace them, not just accent them.

Until people understand that different is not always bad, choose to pay attention to the change in results, to the people impacted, or even to the canvas as a whole, your color, your fresh perspective, will just be uncomfortable.

We cannot focus our energy or efforts on what we cannot change. But, we also cannot assume a change is unwanted or unwarranted without conversation, without perspective.

Never be embarrassed to be the red crayon, but also never think you are better than the black and white. Your "reality" is only "your" reality, and it is not better than anyone else's, just different.

Never feel disappointed, or like a failure, for your different viewpoint or different contribution. But also never assume you are the only one with something to contribute.

A black and white photo is clean, classic, expected, nostalgic even.

Bright red alone can be bold, aggressive, domineering.

A splash of color, an accent, can draw the eye to the beauty in both.

Full color, when each is a compliment to the other, rather than a replacement, draws in not only the eye, but also the heart.

Be proud to be a red crayon. Accent the classic image, do not try and replace it. Then go find the green crayon, and the yellow, and the blue, and make something beautiful.