are you sick of hearing the word “ninja” in the presence of something or someone exceptional? facebook. tv. conversation. do you cringe when people throw around genius, brilliant, “a natural,” and the like? here’s the reality. unlike a ninja, intelligent and talented professionals don’t need to sneak up on anything. they’re out in the open, working hard, developing their skills, finding ways to make change happen — connecting like regular joes and josephines. while you may feel “they slay you,” they are more lovers than fighters. the pen is mightier than the sword. they’re not on some ancient revenge binge. it’s typically the opposite. your ninja novelty is often a liberator, a relationship builder and the person doing the work you should be doing in the now. many are plenty sick of being flattered as exceptional (on the positive end of the spectrum) or cast out as freaks (on the negative side of things). it’s difficult tp have an impact when you’re being set aside — whether that’s in a positive or a negative light.
i have a request. the next time you feel yourself over-simplifying and defaulting to ninja, genius, brilliant, “a natural,” and other deferences — ask yourself if YOU could be doing more. it may be that others aren’t quite as amazing as you project. maybe YOU’RE under-achieving, or YOU’RE suffering from low self-esteem. it’s entirely possible that you’re just that impressed, or that this ninja is just that remarkable, or that you’re a people person who simply enjoys building up others who are deserving. i get that. while it’s no guarantee, i’m willing to bet that at least some folks are straight selling themselves short.
