In order to communicate this clearly to your users, the styles of your clickable actions, selected elements, and plain text should be clearly distinct from one another and then applied consistently across an interface.
In the visual example, I've chosen a blue color to suggest anything that can be clicked on, and black as anything that has been selected or indicates where someone is. When applied properly, people will more easily learn and use these cues to navigate your interface. Don't make it harder for people by blurring these three functional styles.
