Be YOU-nique

Have you ever been called ‘weird’ or ‘different’, has anyone ever told you that the way you dress is ‘odd’ or ‘strange’, or that the activities you enjoy are ‘unusual’ or ‘atypical’?  Chances are, we have all encountered someone that considers some part of us to be odd or abnormal.  But when we really think about it, who is to say what “normal” is?  Normalcy is an incredibly subjective concept.  Each of us has our own idea of “normal”.  From this, we should recognize that it is futile to compare ourselves to others, and doing so will serve us no benefit.  Thus, we should never base our success off of what others have accomplished, or judge our self worth off of others’ opinions.  In life, we must strive to be better versions of ourselves and never to be anyone else.

When giving this more thought, I question, “Why is the word ‘outcast’ given such a negative connotation?”.  The way I see it, an outcast should be viewed as a diamond in a pile of ordinary rocks.  A diamond may be different from its neighboring rocks, but different doesn't mean bad, immoral, or harmful.  Instead, this difference just adds a sense of distinctiveness to a commonplace.  Likewise, a world filled with people who share the same thoughts and look the same way is a world that is insipid and mundane.  Think of each personal characteristic you have as a spark that only adds captivating quality to the world around us.  

Having said this, I challenge you to take one thing that you currently dislike about yourself, or something that others have told you “makes you weird” and turn it into something that you value, accept, and are even proud of.  Repeat to yourself that this quality is one that you are now able to appreciate and one that you perceive with dignity and gratitude.  Repeat it until you believe it.  I encourage you to embrace your differences and celebrate the things that make you unique.

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