There’s the group that works out incessantly to the point where that’s their whole life, the group that seems to always be at happy hour, cocktails flowing on the daily, the group that never goes out or is able to do anything without their significant other. I could go on and on and on. Where do you fit in?
Or more importantly do you find yourself not fitting in ?
When I think back to high school and all the cliques and different groups I realize I never really fit in to any particular one. I was friends with some of the jocks, the cheerleaders, the burnouts (yeah that’s what the kids who went to the smoking lounge were called, and also yes, the high school had a “smoking lounge” outside!), the punk rockers, and even a few of the completely nerdy introverts. I wasn’t a loner, but definitely didn’t belong in a specific group. My adult life has been pretty much the same I feel?! Guess what? I am MORE than okay with this!
Everybody tries to fit in because they desperately want to feel at home wherever they are, but fitting in will never get you home, not to mention it’s boring! Fitting in is about trying to adapt to a world that’s not your own, so you don’t really belong there. Steve Jobs said something that I love. “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”
Fitting in is not belonging. That’s huge! “Fitting in” often times means not only losing yourself in the process, but also in most cases not reaching your full potential in life. It’s super easy to fit in, but that’s not being true to you. If you just be yourself, not worry about what or who is cool, you’ll find your own interests and attract your own tribe in the process. Know that you’re already okay. Stop looking outside yourself to see if you’re pretty enough, smart enough, thin enough or rich enough. You will always belong where you know that you already are enough.
This focus on being YOU is really key. Don’t be the people pleaser and always do what everyone else wants to do or worry about what others think or how they view you. Instead, appreciate who you are. Each person is unique, so embrace your weirdness and let it out! Be confident with who you are.
As the decades pass I realize more and more the importance of this. I love having friends that are all different as well. From the athletes (jocks) to the happy hour crew (burnouts lol), they’re humans that support and nourish the better parts of me, mind, body, and spirit. So stop trying to fit in. The best place in life is where you’re already okay. Come home to you… it’s where you belong. #betruetoyou #weirdisgood