"Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius, and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring." - Marilyn Monroe
How many times throughout your day do you notice something about yourself and wish that it was different? I'm guilty; everyone is guilty. It's really easy to get caught up in the negative thinking about ourselves. As humans, we tend to focus on the bad things more often than the good things. However, this is not another reason to look down on yourself.
You might have some really good friends, a relationship or some idols or mentors, but no one else in this world is exactly like you. You can get close, but just like snowflakes, you'll never see the same one twice. There's a reason why were all different. Everyone has something to bring to the table. Whether it's visible or not, a person has at least one quality that separates them from the rest of humanity.
If you don't notice that quality in a person, don't shy away. It just means that they might be a little deeper than the surface. They're diamonds in the rough, just waiting for someone to break that wall that's hiding something special. Different doesn't mean that you're bad, different means that you have something else to offer.
It's important to focus on the good things in your day. It reminds us that amongst the unavoidable downs in life, there's light. Light that can take one of your worst days and transform it into something beautiful. If you're feeling like darkness might be overshadowing you, remember that conversation you had with a friend, that compliment you received, that look that your crush gave you in class the other day, the great test grade you worked for, the text from someone that made your day, or the call from a family member because they miss you. Remember that people like you, they value you, and they care about you.
"I'm different."
"Hell yeah you are... but different in the greatest way possible."
We struggle, we feel lonely, we hurt, we cry, we look down at ourselves. The most important thing to remember is that everything is OK. You're OK. You weren't made to be perfect; you were made to stand out. You might think you're weird, but guess what? I feel like I'm the weirdest person in the world, and I'm OK with it. I'm OK with standing out, I'm OK with being a little mysterious, and I'm OK with feeling down sometimes. All because this is exactly how I'm supposed to be, I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.
If you were perfect, you wouldn't be able to go through the hard times, the experiences that make us question ourselves, the moments where we get knocked down...and feel the motivation to stand back up, the moments that make us appreciate how good life can be. Embrace the fact that you're different.
A good friend and I once had a conversation about life. He said, "Are you happy?"
I thought for a few minutes and responded with, "Yeah, I think I am."
"How do you know?" he asked.
I realized, "I feel OK, and I'm OK with being OK."
