Ask Any Rich or Famous Person: Happiness Didn’t Necessarily Show Up Alongside ‘Success’

If you are like most people, you were taught as a kid that you needed to be extraordinary to be happy. We learned about the people who changed the world, and we were often told we should be like them. 

There is nothing wrong with wanting to change the world, but the truth is that not everyone can do it. Most people are simply ordinary, and while that’s fine, many have to deal with dissatisfaction due to not feeling extraordinary. Embracing ordinary starts by understanding that being extraordinary is not as common as it seems, and you’re likely great as you are.

History is full of extraordinary people who died unfulfilled, full of regrets, and without being recognized until decades or even centuries later. These people will live forever in books and memory, but not all of them for the right reasons — think Christopher Columbus or Robert E. Lee. On the other hand, many ordinary people live happy and fulfilling lives and many people change history in their own way as unsung heroes. Being ordinary doesn’t mean you won’t do anything special or of worth to others.

My high school English teacher would have been considered ordinary by most people. He wrote lesson plans, taught students, and spoke with parents and administrators about student progress like any other teacher. Still, he has found much success throughout his 30-year career. He has impacted hundreds of lives, instilled confidence, and inspired students to use their voices. He positively influences the lives of young people every day he’s at work. Through his feedback and encouragement, I found a passion for writing.

Just because you are ordinary doesn’t mean that you don’t matter. You can be a mentor to those on your team. As such, you might be able to expand their worldview, help them discover passions, and encourage them to reach their goals. Many great people have lived without being recognized as extraordinary.

If you are not yet extraordinary by society’s standards, you have more to offer than anyone who is. Not only are you not being pressured into fulfilling specific expectations, but you are also free to fail. By being average, you have the flexibility to choose something you’re interested in and work toward improvement each day.

Part of being human is pushing forward however you can. That might be finding a way to fix a lamp so your kids can study or invent new technology. All are good ways to contribute to the world while also improving yourself.

Being ordinary allows you to determine what success looks like. If you are an entrepreneur, this might be getting your startup to go public. If you are a father, it might be to see your kids do what they love after leaving home. Whatever it is that you define as success, it will make you remarkable, even if not everybody knows it.

You, as an individual human being, have had countless life experiences that make you who you are. Your values, beliefs, and attitudes are unique. Your interests and passions are likely personalized in some way. There is not a single human who is exactly like you. While you may not be extraordinary by society’s standards, there is something that makes you special — you just have to find and embrace it.

Scooter Braun is an example of the ultimately ordinary. He dropped out of college when he was 19 to pursue his passion for promoting parties and risked everything at 24 by leaving his job to start a music label. Now, 16 years later, he is known as one of the biggest power brokers in the music industry. Braun’s net worth is now $1.1 billion following the debt-free sale of Ithaca Holdings to Hybe, as well as all of his favorable investments in different industries.

In a conversation with Lewis Howes on The School of Greatness podcast, Braun said:

The people I manage have tremendous engagement and huge followings. I definitely think they’re extremely influential, and I have a responsibility being associated with their journeys to make sure that I try to be the best person I can be and help them and guide them in the best possible manner when asked.