It’s easy to fall under the pressure of being like the next person, to follow a trend you truly care less about. But how about you try being you, being secure in who you are; in liking the most unpopular music, the weirdest books, the weirdest outfits, and bask in the peace and comfort your difference brings you?.
‘Your difference makes you special’. I was recently cooking in my kitchen when today’s thought came to my mind. And then I remembered a movie I watched a few days ago.
This high school kid couldn’t fit in with her schoolmates. She was probably the most unpopular kid in school, she wasn’t exactly a peppy high school kid or even interested in the things high school kids are usually interested in. She was treated differently and felt different. But always, always had her mum to remind her of how special she was in her difference.
It was just a regular high school misfit movie. But what struck me most, was the fact that there are people who have no one to tell them, to remind them, of how special their difference makes them; how special they are.
We live in a world where standards are placed for what a person should be like. Pop culture in place makes it even worse.
So you’re a guy who is indifferent to football, but society in it’s ridiculous ways has made football mostly a ‘male thing’. So you stay up almost the whole night watching a football match and even binge watching matches you previously missed, just to fit into the conversation the next day with your guys, when you’d rather have a good night sleep.
You dread social media, but ofcourse it’s like “who hates social media” so you just hang on there, not because you consider social media important or helpful to you in anyway, but to get acquainted with ‘pop culture’ discussions you truly care less about, when you’d rather log off and be you. You love classical music more than anything, but you pretend to prioritize hip-hop and afrobeat to be like every other person around you; to fit in.
There is nothing wrong with being different. Life is too short to not be you, to not acknowledge what you love and love it like a crazy person, to not also be indifferent or dislike something and dislike it like a crazy person too 🙂
There’s been too many times for me personally, where people just assume that because I’m a girl, I should like something or I’m probably this or that way. And I just laugh. It’s like “oh, but that’s what girls like”.
So for example, if you’re a girl who isn’t crazy about make up or screaming at a guys picture, then you’re just awkward. People start to give you those very cryptic stares. So you start to pretend to be obsessed with those things.
But being different makes you so special, you have no idea. Being different is your power.
No, you don’t have to gush over that movie because everybody loved it, you don’t have to like that song, because everybody loves it and dances to it, you can dislike it!
When you realize; when you’re hit with just how much peace and happiness that thing you hide to do, that thing you are ashamed of, brings to you, you will love you. You will appreciate it, and love to be different. Being different will seem like the best thing that has ever happened to you.
Just the fact that you are YOU, when everyone goes with the trend and are so alike, you are different, you’re in your lane; you’re unique and not trying to be like everyone else. That alone makes you special.
These days, I find that I gravitate towards people who like things nobody has ever heard of, who listen to music and talk about artistes not everybody talks about, who read the most absurd books, who think differently from people around them, who watch movies everyone will hate. Super weird, I know.
There’s something to me also, about guys who don’t like football, not because I have anything against guys who are obsessed with football, but because these ones are daringly different in a world where everyone just expects you to be a certain way and like certain things because of your gender, race or ethnicity. Because, I am sure that they get weird stares from people every now and then, but are okay with that, are not moved by people’s opinions and have accepted their indifference to something popular amongst their gender.
What makes us insecure about our difference is always the fear of how people will see us, how we will be looked at, the fear of not fitting in.
But you should know that you come first. So for a moment shut those voices out of your head, ask yourself;
“Would I care about being different if people didn’t have opinions about me, or maybe accepted me for who I am? Does my indifference or love for that thing bring me peace, happiness? Does my indifference just feel like me being ME? How important is this thing to me?”
Be honest with yourself, tell yourself the truth. Make a decision to just be fine with your difference, to love and accept yourself and see yourself as special because you are YOU. That’s your power! Own your difference!Love, hugs and kisses.
*What do you think about today’s thought? What contributions do you have? Can you share your experiences with being different in the midst of people who are alike? Do you now believe that your difference makes you special? Have you decided to be you?
THE END
Enun's Musings 