Create vs. Copy

Since the dawn of the digital age, people across the globe have been able to do 2 things more quickly than ever before:be a creator, or be a copy-cat. These roles, however, are not new to the digital age. For centuries people have been creating new things or copying the success of others. One of the most obvious examples is Orlando, FL.This is my fourth summer working for Student Leadership University. When you spend an extended amount of time in Orlando, you begin to see one common thing: with Walt Disney, this place would be nothing. Thanks to the imagination of Walt Disney, Orlando is now one of the top tourist attractions in the world. Once Disney World become successful, everyone else saw an opportunity to be successful. So what did they do? Copied Disney.As you drive around this town you see few creative and original ideas, followed by multitudes of copy cats. I can't tell you how many t-shirt shops, electronics store, and luggage stands I've seen that all look the same. Very few have anything original or creative to offer. They merely copy the successful ideas of others, thinking that they will attain that same level of success.So often we are guilty of this in our own lives. We are captivated by the fear of failure, so we often choose the safe route when possible. Once we see someone else succeed, our initial reaction is to find out what they did so that we can also become successful. This world needs more people who have been liberated from the fear of failure and are ready to step out to be creative. If you are looking to make a genuine difference in the world, it is time to shake off that copy-cat nature and let your creative juices flow.