Find your sound and play it loud

I'm an avid watcher of American Idol. I have been for the past six seasons. This season has been the most exciting to me because the talent pool is much deeper than in the past and, as performers themselves, the judges are more passionate about the contestants. The advice these judges give time and time again is to focus on who you are as a performer - to stay true to who you are as an artist.

This advice comes as no surprise to us as viewers because we also believe each contestant should stay true to who they are, but do we actively heed this advice in other arenas of life? Does the advice "discover who you are as an artist" ring true outside of the music industry? To me, the answer is a resounding yes.

I believe it is the responsibility of every individual to discover who he/she is as an individual and embrace the uniqueness that God has gifted him/her with.

God created you as a masterpiece. You are one of a kind; an original piece of art. There will never be another you. You are a masterpiece created by the greatest artist who has ever lived.

One of the single most important roles I see myself in as a coach is guiding each one of my athletes to embrace their own strengths (on and off the mat) and be the unique men and women God has created them to be. Today, we live in a carbon copy world with institutions that are trying to stamp out uniqueness, but the thing that makes you unique also make you powerful.

Steven Furtick, one of the most relevant and inspirational pastors of this generation, sums up this idea by using another analogy from the music industry. He says we need to "find our sound and play it loud." The best musicians and best musical groups in history have made their mark because they had a unique sound. The Beatles took America (and the world) by storm because they had a sound that was different than anyone had ever heard. Michael Jackson sang and danced in way that no one else had experienced and even dressed in a way that no one had experienced. They knew what made them unique and they stood out because of it.

Our world doesn't need individuals who are striving to become someone else. Our world needs individuals who are willing stand out by being different that everyone else. We don't need more "normal" people, because normal is not working. We need more people who understand what God has given them that makes them unique and embracing it.

Stay true to who you are as an artist. Embrace the qualities and gifts that God has given you that makes you unique. Stand up and stand out by being who you are created to be. There will only be one you that will ever live on this planet. What is it that you can contribute to this world that no one else can? What is that you're good at that is unique to only you? What makes you come alive? Figure that out and do that with your life. Find your sound and play it loud.