Embrace the Enigma That is You

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     Society has defined a set of standards and ideals which they deem "normal".  It's not documented anywhere, nor is it enforced by law, it is just implied.  Creative types, by definition, don't fall into these standards, thinking outside of the box and coming up with ideas that others may deem odd at first.  For many, myself included, this can cause an internal struggle as we try to understand who we are and how we fit into the world around us.  

     Growing up, I always knew that the way I thought or viewed things didn't always fall in line with the way everyone else around me did.  I tended to try to stuff my personality quirks back into the box for fear of embarrassing myself in front of others.  I tried desperately to fit into a mold that wasn't designed for me and for a long time, that left me feeling very lost and alone.

     The older I get and the more I experience in life, the more I learn to embrace my quirks.  They are what makes me who I am, what makes me tick.  And I'm finding the people that matter the most to me, accept me with my quirks and all; they even like me all the more for just being who I am.  Letting go of the fear of not being accepted for who I am has opened a new door for my creativity.  The more I embrace it, the more I find myself wanting to do.  A world of possibilities is now open to me and I refuse to ignore it any longer.

It's never too late to follow your dreams.

     Some people are lucky enough to learn this lesson early in life.  Those are the people that you find changing the world and living their dreams.  But that doesn't mean the rest of us are lost causes, it just means that we have some lost time to make up for.  So the next time someone tells you that you are weird or odd, don't think of it as an insult, simply say "Thank you".  Because the truth of the matter is, there is no such thing as "normal".  We are all hiding something because we think someone will make fun of us or we feel self conscious about it.  The sooner we realize this and stop caring so much about other people's opinion, the sooner we are free to be happy.