Standing Out Among The Crowd...

Sitting outside a couple of mornings ago, I noticed my neighbor's flowering bush.  While my photo doesn't due justice to the color of the flowers, in person the buds are a vibrant and breathtaking red.  What I found interesting about this moment, and why this image caught my eye, was how the red flowers stood out from the rest of the surrounding foliage; how it stood out from the crowd if you will.  The flowers are unique in the scene; they bring an unique presence and beauty that the trees or grass just cannot provide.  My "aha moment" was the realization that we need to follow nature's example more often.  We need to celebrate our unique qualities, talents, perspectives...and even our quirks.  We need to be proud of, rather than trying to hide, conform or tone down those traits that make us different from others.  Rather than shying away, we need to stand out from the crowd...per se.