Square Peg, Round Hole

People quite often confide in me that they feel like a square peg in a round hole. Guess what?

You're not alone.

Everybody feels this way at some point. Some people feel like this everyday, no matter how successful they may be (or seem), no matter how confident they may appear, no matter how influential you think they are.

Very rarely would a day go by where I don't feel like a square peg in a round hole.

First time I ever visited the US was for a conference. I was a nobody surrounded by very successful and influential people in my industry. Square peg.

Second time I attended the same conference I had a higher profile and was more well known in the industry. Still felt like a square peg because I was from Australia and the majority of attendees were from the US.

I've spoken at conferences put on by US companies here in Australia in front of 700 people. Felt like a square peg because they were all more successful than me (I think).

I have a successful podcast and have interviewed Seth Godin, Joe Pulizzi, Guy Kawasaki and Andrew Warner. Square peg – don't even know why.

The point is, there will always be a reason you feel like you don't fit in. If everyone felt like they fit in all the time there would be no tension, no friction, no learning and life would be boring.

If you feel like a square peg, that means you're doing something right. Don't bother trying to get in the round hole. Pull the other schmucks out of their round holes and reshape them into traingles, hexagons or heptadecagons (go on, Google it).

Don't let this feeling stop you from being you and doing what you need to do to express your big, full and complete self to the world.

And the next time you feel like a square peg trying to fit in, just remember, most of the other people in the room will be feeling the same way.

I know, because they confide in me.

Stay curious and make some noise.