The tree

I've been taking a new route to work in the mornings. It runs past a golf course which makes the morning commute a little less stressful. On Monday, a single tree caught my eye. Being the first and only one to welcome spring, it stood bold out in blazing reds and vivid oranges. Even though it wasn't the largest or the tallest, it was the one I would remember that defined the arrival of fall.

The next day, the tree's neighbours jealously followed suit, changing the canvas of green to a gradual sea of vermillions and reds. By day 3, I could not find the tree... It reminded me of Seth Godin's Purple Cow. Things that are extraordinary become less so when there are many of them or if we see them everyday.

We seem to be genetically trained to seek and admire those that stand out. We are inspired by those that have the courage to stand alone and stand out. Yet we seek to be the same and belong lest we are marked as different.

Perhaps that is what defines those who lead and those who follow.