There’s No Such Thing As One Size Fits All

I just read an article in the Smithsonian Magazine about the trillions of microbes in our bodies that create in each of us a “distinct microbial fingerprint, with individual variation based on diet, family, medical history, ethnic or regional background, and a host of other factors.” As if we weren’t already different enough, now the microbial life in our bodies (the normal community of bacteria, fungi and viruses that makes up what scientists call the microbiome) offer undeniable proof that we’re as different from one another as snowflakes.

I have been thinking lately about how mass marketers benefit from making us the same. They can sell more product if our problems were the same, if our taste buds were the same, if our weight loss solutions were the same. I cringe when a new trendy diet comes out that promises weight loss for everybody. Or when people try to tell others how to get rid of their migraines. What works for one won’t work for everybody, and when it comes to health, thinking otherwise can be  dangerous.  If we are so incredibly unique, wouldn’t it stand to reason that the solutions to our problems are going to be unique as well?

I myself have been getting wrapped up in lots of business sites that offer solutions for how to get clients and grow your business. Being a first time solopreneur made me more vulnerable to the differing tips and advice of others who convince you that if you just follow their guidelines (after buying their book), you’ll be more successful than that other bozo who claims something different. I’ve gotten to the point where my head is spinning and I often find myself so far away from what I really want to be doing (coaching, helping find solutions, being inspired, etc) that I have to take an information fast to nurse my hangover. One size doesn’t fit all. What works for you doesn’t necessarily work for me. I see that the only way I can navigate all the one-size-fits-all claims out there is to really know what resonates with me; to really feel what’s right and what’s wrong. To know my personality and to understand what makes me tick. Knowing that will help me connect with the unique solutions that work for me.