Crippled CEO Blog #081:
I am pretty weird.
I have cerebral palsy. I use a wheelchair. I think differently than most people. My sense of humor is… unique. I’m weird emotionally — I’m pretty much perpetually in a good mood. I might get angry four times a year. I talk weird. I have weird interests. I can’t do anything without going all in with it.
I’m weird.
But if you’re also weird, I have good news for you.
It’s better to be weird.
For one, being weird helps you stand out. There are lots of people in the world, and being something different separates you from the crowd. If you have weird interests or hobbies, that means you probably have unique skills, as well. These are things you can use to your advantage.
The less obvious benefit to being weird, though, is that you probably have a clearer idea of things you are not suited for. You know the situations you do poorly in, the work you fail at, the people you don’t get along with, and so on. If you can come to peace with this and accept these things, rather than trying to force them, you will have an additional level of self-awareness, and few things are as powerful as self-awareness. For me, the physical things I can’t do are super obvious. I already know that I won’t be pursuing a career in carpentry. The ability to rule out bad ideas so you can focus on the good ones is so important, and it’s much easier if there are aspect of you that aren’t typical.
We all want people in our lives to accept us, to feel like we belong, so that makes being different seem scary. And the weirder you are, the smaller your tribe will be. But the people you do find will be your people. Your relationships will have depth, not width. I will take that any day. And the truth is, if you are kind, if you mean well, if you give people the benefit of the doubt, if you are generous, you will find people who care about you. I promise. Take it from me, a weirdo of epic proportions.
(You know who’s into some REALLY weird stuff? Your mom. And it’s definitely working for her. It would be weird if you DIDN’T sign up to get a link to the latest blog from me every Sunday by text message. Just send a message to 484848 with the word CRIP in the body and make me your servant.)
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