Think Remarkable

In the summer of 2022, a young activist named Olivia Julianna found herself at the center of a political storm. A powerful congressman had publicly mocked her appearance, attempting to shame her into silence. Most people would have retreated, wounded and discouraged. Instead, Olivia transformed that moment of cruelty into something extraordinary: she raised $2.5 million for abortion rights, turning one man's attempt to diminish her into a rallying cry that reached millions.

This story captures the essence of what it means to be truly remarkable. It's not about perfection, privilege, or even natural talent. It's about recognizing that within each of us lies the power to transform challenges into opportunities, setbacks into comebacks, and personal pain into collective progress. The path to remarkableness isn't paved with gold or guaranteed success, but with growth, grit, and grace. These three stages form the foundation of a life that matters, a life that creates ripples of positive change that extend far beyond our immediate circumstances. The journey begins with a simple but profound recognition: you already possess everything you need to make a difference in this world.

Mark Rober spent years as a NASA engineer, working on projects that would eventually land on Mars. Yet when he created a simple Halloween costume using iPads to make it appear as though you could see through his body, everything changed. The video went viral, launching him into an entirely new career as an educator and content creator. What seemed like a playful side project became the foundation for reaching millions of young minds with science and engineering concepts.

Mark's story illustrates the power of embracing the growth mindset, the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, learning, and persistence. When we adopt this mindset, we stop seeing challenges as threats to our identity and start viewing them as opportunities to expand our capabilities. We become willing to venture into unfamiliar territory, to fail publicly, and to rebuild from setbacks. The alternative, a fixed mindset, keeps us trapped in the comfort of what we already know we can do well.

Growth requires us to plant many seeds without knowing which ones will flourish. Like Jane Goodall, who spent decades in the forests of Tanzania studying chimpanzees, we must be willing to invest in long-term pursuits that may not yield immediate results. Goodall's patient observation revolutionized our understanding of animal behavior, but it required years of uncertainty, discomfort, and dedication to a vision that others couldn't see.

The foundation of remarkableness isn't built on innate talent or favorable circumstances, but on our willingness to continuously evolve, learn, and grow. When we embrace this mindset, we discover that our potential is not fixed at birth but expands with every challenge we choose to face rather than avoid.

Melanie Perkins pitched her design platform Canva to more than 300 venture capitalists over three years. She heard "no" 299 times before finally receiving that first "yes." Each rejection could have been the end of her dream, but instead became fuel for her determination. Today, Canva empowers millions of people worldwide to create professional designs, democratizing a skill that was once accessible only to trained professionals.

Melanie's journey embodies the essence of grit: the combination of passion and perseverance toward long-term goals. Grit isn't just about working hard; it's about maintaining effort and interest despite repeated failures, adversity, and plateaus in progress. It's the ability to treat life like a marathon rather than a sprint, understanding that meaningful achievement requires sustained commitment over time.

True grit reveals itself when we encounter our first major setback and choose to continue anyway. Temple Grandin faced significant challenges due to her autism in an era when the condition was poorly understood. Rather than allowing these obstacles to limit her potential, she leveraged her unique way of seeing the world to revolutionize animal welfare in agriculture. Her visual thinking, once considered a disability, became her greatest asset in understanding how animals experience their environment.

The remarkable truth about grit is that it transforms both the person who possesses it and the world around them. When we refuse to give up on our aspirations, we discover reserves of strength we never knew we had, and we inspire others to persist in their own challenging journeys.

Carol Dweck, the renowned Stanford psychologist whose research on growth mindset has influenced millions, once attended the funeral of Chris Webster, a limousine driver who had served Silicon Valley executives for years. Among all the prominent entrepreneurs and venture capitalists Chris had driven to airports and meetings, Carol was the only recognizable figure who came to pay her respects. She didn't attend for publicity or networking; she came because she valued Chris as a human being worthy of honor and remembrance.

This quiet act of grace reveals something profound about remarkable people: they understand that how we treat others, especially when no one is watching or when there's nothing to gain, defines our true character. Grace isn't about grand gestures or public displays of virtue; it's about the countless small moments when we choose compassion over convenience, kindness over competition, and service over self-interest.

Grace manifests in leaders who hire people better than themselves, who ask "I don't know" when they lack answers, and who take the blame when things go wrong while giving credit when things go right. It shows up in conversations where we ask "how" instead of "why" when someone holds different beliefs, seeking understanding rather than ammunition for argument.

When we operate with grace, we create environments where others can flourish. We become the kind of leaders, colleagues, and community members who uplift those around us. Grace transforms not only our relationships but our entire approach to making a difference, reminding us that remarkableness isn't just about what we achieve, but how we achieve it.

Stacey Abrams lost her bid for Georgia governor twice, in 2018 and again in 2022. Each defeat could have marked the end of her political aspirations. Instead, she channeled her disappointment into voter registration and turnout efforts that helped elect two Democratic senators from Georgia, shifting the balance of power in the United States Senate. Her "losses" became catalysts for victories that extended far beyond her personal ambitions.

When asked how she maintains momentum despite setbacks, Stacey shared her three-part philosophy: be curious, solve problems, and do good. These principles encapsulate the essence of taking action in the world. Curiosity keeps us learning and growing, problem-solving focuses our energy on meaningful challenges, and the commitment to do good ensures our efforts serve something larger than ourselves.

The moment of "turn and burn" comes when we stop planning, researching, and preparing, and start doing. It's the recognition that perfect conditions will never arrive and complete knowledge will never be attained. We must act with the information we have, trusting that we can make decisions right through implementation rather than trying to make the right decision through endless analysis.

The path to becoming remarkable isn't about achieving fame, fortune, or recognition, though these may come as byproducts. It's about developing the capacity to grow continuously, persist through challenges, and lift others as we climb. From Olivia Julianna transforming an attack into advocacy, to Mark Rober pivoting from rocket science to education, to Carol Dweck honoring a limousine driver's memory, remarkable people share a common thread: they use their experiences, both positive and negative, to create positive change in the world.

The three stages of growth, grit, and grace aren't sequential checkboxes but interconnected ways of being that reinforce each other throughout our lives. When we embrace growth, we become resilient enough to develop grit. When we cultivate grit, we gain the strength to operate with grace. When we lead with grace, we create conditions that foster growth in others. The most profound realization is that remarkableness isn't a destination we reach but a way of traveling through life, leaving every place a little better than we found it and inspiring others to do the same.