"I'm sorry we can't come to the phone right now. Leave your name, number and message and we'll get back to you".
Does anyone not know what to do when the voice mail clicks on? Do we really have to be told to leave a message? It's not dangerous to leave the same message. It's un-offensive. It's non-remarkable.
In the pasture of sameness, it is the different ones that stand out and get noticed - even praised.
I used to live with my sister before I met my queen. When my sister wasn't looking, I changed the voice mail to "Hey cool cats, you know the drill".
In the settings of your cellular phone, the manufacturer places a tag at the end of every email that gets sent. It usually says something boring like, "sent from iPhone". I changed mine to "sent by intergalactic space's new carrier pigeon."
In both cases, I was scared what others would think of me. The feedback was positive. I was no longer boring. I peaked interest for a brief second. And in the world of sales sameness, my messages stood out. Those who don't like it are the same fuddy duddies I don't like to play with. My messages are filters. I don't have to be all things to all people. I just have to be the right things to enough people who value me, my ideas and abilities.
Everyone else can grip their tea cups properly by extending their pinky finger straight out. I don't care about high tea, the monarchy or any of the prissy people who can't feign a smile at a tasteless joke.
Messages aren't the only things that have become automated. So have our conversations. Digital conversations from Facebook and Instagram have become too predictable.
Predictable is boring. Boring is not living. Boring is safe. Boring is unremarkable. Boring is a slow death.
We're trained not to stand out. Our mom's taught us not be obnoxious. There's a huge difference between standing out and being obnoxious.
Standing out risks ridicule or worse criticism. It is safer to blend in than it is to offend.
Are you treating your life like an answering machine?
When no one is looking, I dare you to do something unconventional.
Anything...
Change your answering machine message, or your cellular phone settings, or your hair colour or car to a wild pink. Decide to wear shorts all the time, even in the middle of winter. It doesn't matter what you decide, a simple change will make you more vibrant, more memorable, more alive.
Find courage and act on something that scares you a little. Life wasn't meant to be recorded and replayed a hundred times. It was meant to be lived every day with all the nuance, and variables that each day can offer.
Boring doesn't garner attention. Boring doesn't elicit salesmanship.
Boring is like whispering.
Take mom's advice, whispering in front of others isn't polite.
Ta ta for now!
PS. Harland Sanders was given the title of honourary Kentucky colonel by a politician. He created the character, the wardrobe and his iconic facial hair to create a personality that belonged to him, outlived his life and will continue to sell fried chicken for the next hundred years. #anythingbutboring
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