Be Uncommon: 40 Ways to Leave Average Behind

By John Mason

God created you to be you, not someone else. So why do we so often settle for less? Why do we bow to the pressure to conform to others' expectations of us rather than boldly being the person we were meant to be? Why do we pretend to be satisfied with average, ordinary . . . common? What would it be like if we actually believed God desires to do something extraordinary with our lives?

In this inspiring new book from the bestselling author of An Enemy Called Average, you'll find the motivation and encouragement you need to stop settling and start stretching toward the goal of being you in the way only you can! In short, punchy chapters, John Mason shows you how to face down fear, doubt, criticism, and apathy with enthusiasm, decisiveness, persistence, and honesty. He shows you how to seek God's direction, develop wisdom, manage your time and energy, and take risks.

Outside of your comfort zone is where you'll find true fulfillment and contentment as you develop into the exceptional, extraordinary, uncommon person you were always meant to be. So what are you waiting for?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Release date: Mar 14, 2023
• ISBN: 9781493439799

John Mason

John Mason es un ministro y orador internacional. Es fundador y presidente de Insight Internacional, una fundación dedicada a ayudar a las personas para que usen todos sus dones y talentos mientras cumplen el plan de Dios para sus vidas.

Book preview

Books by John Mason

An Enemy Called Average

Beat Self-Defeat

Believe You Can—The Power of a Positive Attitude

Be Yourself—Discover the Life You Were Meant to Live

Let Go of Whatever Holds You Back

Never Give Up—You’re Stronger Than You Think

Proverbs Prayers

Seize Today

You Can Be Your Best—Starting Today

You Can Do It—Even If Others Say You Can’t

You’re Born an Original—Don’t Die a Copy!

The Power of You

© 2023 by John Mason

Published by Revell

a division of Baker Publishing Group

PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.revellbooks.com

Ebook edition created 2023

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

ISBN 978-1-4934-3979-9

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations labeled AMP are from the Amplified® Bible (AMP), copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

Scripture quotations labeled AMPC are from the Amplified® Bible (AMPC), copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

Scripture quotations labeled ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2016

Scripture quotations labeled MSG are from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations labeled NASB are from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org

Scripture quotations labeled NCV are from the New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled NKJV are from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations labeled TLB are from The Living Bible, copyright © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Baker Publishing Group publications use paper produced from sustainable forestry practices and post-consumer waste whenever possible.

I dedicate this book to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Following You always leads to being uncommon.

Thank you to my beautiful wife, Linda.

You always bring out the best in me, and I look forward to many more laughs together. I love you with my whole heart.

To my four amazing children:

Michelle, who is faithful and true. I appreciate all your years of sacrifice and service to others and to me. Keep singing!

Greg, who is a man of faith and the Word and dependably supports me in prayer. We all love your sense of humor too. Keep golfing!

Mike, who is the most resourceful person I know and can build or fix anything while never missing whatever is going on around him. Keep worshiping!

Dave, who is the most competitive person I know and brings joy and passion while being the best basketball trainer anywhere. Keep helping others improve!

To my five wonderful grandchildren:

Emma, you are a tender, artistic, and sensitive girl who has your grandpa’s fun-loving trickiness. Keep singing!

Olivia, you are C.E.O.livia! A loving girl and a born leader who loves to fish with Grandpa. Keep making it happen!

Beckett, you are one smart boy who can excel at so many things and loves to watch funny videos with Grandpa. Keep learning!

Darby, you are a girl full of boundless energy and smarts, and you’re sure to be a great athlete someday. Keep running!

Briggs, you are a peaceful, happy baby and a joy to everyone. Keep being yourself!

To my two daughters-in-law, Brittany and Kelley:

Brittany, you are a wonderful mother and wife while excelling at your work. Keep singing and cooking!

Kelley, you are a wonderful mother and wife while juggling three little ones and staying full of faith about everything you do. Keep believing God!

Thank you, Mom and Dad.

Dad, I sure miss you, but I will see you again someday. Mom, thank you for your love and support all my life.

Contents

Cover

Half Title Page    1

Books by John Mason    2

Title Page    3

Copyright Page    4

Dedication    5

Acknowledgments    11

Introduction    13

Looking Inward    15

1. Uncommon You    17

2. Be Grateful Always    20

3. Character Counts    22

4. Stay Off the Slippery Slope    25

5. Do Good, Choose Right    29

6. No Matter How Long You’ve Traveled in the Wrong Direction, You Can Still Turn Around    32

7. Finish First, Quit Last    35

8. You Can Be Humble and Strong at the Same Time    38

9. Nothing Changes If Nothing Changes    40

10. To Tell the Truth    43

11. Where You Are Is the Best Place to Start    48

12. Different Is the Difference    53

13. Keep Swinging    56

14. True Freedom Comes from Knowing for Yourself    59

Looking Outward    63

15. Don’t Let Them Scare You    65

16. Obstacle Course    70

17. Friends Become Our Chosen Family    74

18. Keep Going—It’s the Only Way to Get Where You’re Supposed to Be    80

19. God Blesses People through People    83

20. People Matter to God    87

21. Invest in Others—the Return Can Be Eternal    91

22. Learn from Others—You Can’t Make Enough Mistakes on Your Own    94

23. Success Is a Series of Small Wins    98

24. Don’t Add to Your Life Those Who Subtract from Your Life    101

25. Today Is the Opportunity You’ve Been Praying For    104

26. I Forgive You—Goodbye    107

27. Don’t Get Boxed In    112

Looking Upward    115

28. Mr. President, What Did You Say?    117

29. Find the Key That Unlocks Your Destiny’s Door    121

30. Strength Training    125

31. When God Stretches You, You Never Return to Your Original Shape    128

32. Look Who’s Coming across Your Path    130

33. Help Is on the Way    134

34. Advice More Valuable Than a Billionaire’s    136

35. Outlook Determines Outcome    141

36. Fear Lies    145

37. Go to Grow    148

38. Lord, Have Mercy    152

39. Saved by a Question    157

40. What If It’s True?    161

Be Uncommon    165

Notes    167

Author Contact    169

About the Author    171

Back Ads    173

Back Cover    177

Acknowledgments

I want to acknowledge and offer my deepest appreciation to Baker Publishing Group and its fantastic team. A special thank-you to:

Rachel McRae, for believing in me and this book. Your leadership and guidance are much appreciated.

Amy Ballor, you have done a fantastic job editing this manuscript. I appreciate your candor and commitment to excellence.

Erin Bartels, I appreciate your writing skills and how you skillfully combine marketing and content.

Olivia Peitsch, thank you for all you do to help market the book.

Kate Guichelaar, thank you for making my books available around the world.

Eileen Hanson, I appreciate everything you do to sell my books everywhere you can.

Laura Klynstra, thank you for the beautiful cover.

Finally, to the leadership at Baker Publishing, a heartfelt thank-you for nearly twenty years of publishing my books. I appreciate you working with me to publish books that encourage people worldwide.

Introduction

I eat berries and Greek yogurt every morning, but I put them in the freezer before I do. I drink a cup of coffee daily, but I microwave it right after it’s brewed. I like to think this means I have an attitude like God’s. He says in Revelation 3, I know you well—you are neither hot nor cold; I wish you were one or the other! But since you are merely lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth! (vv. 15–16 TLB). I get it. I don’t like lukewarm, or common, anything.

Definitions of common include having no special distinction or quality and average or ordinary.1 Yet God describes you and me as fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:14), as created for good works (Eph. 2:10), and as creations that put a smile on His face when He made us (1 Cor. 12:18). So there’s nothing common about you. In fact, God has planned for you to be not common but uncommon.

The purpose behind everything I’ve written and included in this book is to attack mediocrity and show you how God wants to bring you direction, freedom, and encouragement.

Many of the personal stories I’m going to tell you happened a number of years ago. There’s a reason for that. I think sometimes only the perspective of time can help us fully understand what God was doing in those earlier moments.

It’s fascinating to see how God finds a way to turn what looks bad into something good and how today He’s at work in our future. He has uncommon plans for you and has custom-created you to fulfill them.

As I share my personal thoughts and stories, I hope you will see how to avoid trouble, receive encouragement from the blessings He brought me, and, more importantly, understand how God’s love and plan for you are blessed.

What’s wonderful about God is that He can change anything in your life for good. So as you read this book, be ready to choose God’s best for you. His desire is for you to be uncommon.

Chapter 1

Uncommon You

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One day during the late 1980s, I was up early reading the morning paper, the Tulsa World. It was a daily ritual I’m sure I learned from my dad. (Nowadays, if you see someone reading an actual, physical newspaper, it’s almost certain they’re over forty.)

This day an article from the Associated Press caught my eye. The report stated, Here’s the average American, then described the average American in some detail. This American made x number of dollars a year. I thought, That’s what I’m making.

Then it said this American lived in this kind of house worth x. Hey, that’s how much my house is worth.

The average American also had two children. Yes, we had two kids at that time (four now). Wow, this is getting interesting, I thought.

The article went on to say that the most common name for a man was . . . wait for it . . . John! And the most common name for a woman was . . . drumroll . . . Linda! Yes, that’s my wife’s name!

I was amazed. I didn’t know what to think. Is