quirk-y

– an individual peculiarity of character; mannerism or foible

also: far-out, kinky, offbeat, way-out

Your quirks are the qualities that make you stand out from the crowd.

 

Does the thought of standing out from the crowd make you sweat a little? Have you spent most of your life just trying to fit in?

Then this is your wake-up call.

When you resist your quirky bits you’re saying there’s something you can’t be with about yourself. And if you can’t be with it, how the hell can anyone else be with it?

Truth: What you can’t be with owns you.

The flip side, when you embrace those parts of yourself, not only do you stand out, but you make room for others.

All those people you compare yourself to? They’ve got their quirks too.

And all those qualities you wish were different about you? Someone out there is looking for just those qualities and you might fit the bill brilliantly!

 

So just how do you embrace your quirky bits?

 

What have people said about you your whole life?

What’s the common denominator (either +/-)?

For as long as I can remember I was told (first by family and then later by friends, and even men I dated!) that I was too intense. When I do something I go for it fully, and over the years I learned it wasn’t ok with a lot of people. They said things like, “Tone it down, why do you have to rock the boat all the time?”

So I suppressed it so that others would feel comfortable, and that suppression had a cost greater than I imagined. Suppression always has a cost, usually an impact on health and well-being.

Now imagine taking that quirk and unleashing it. . .

You can you know. . .let that quirk show up as the fullest expression of you. Think of the time and energy you’ll be freeing up as you fly your quirk flag!

When I did, I’m sure it felt like a tsunami of intensity to some people. And maybe they unfriended me, or perhaps unsubscribed (and yes, I’ve been told my writing is often too intense) because they couldn’t handle it. Guess what? That’s their issue. It’s not my job to make them feel comfortable!

But something else happened too. . .

Other people were blown away, attracted to my intensity and kept coming back for more.

Clients come to me because they want someone who’s not afraid to get in their face and tell the truth. They want someone who’s not willing to tolerate their someday thinking.

Friends, colleagues and opportunities come to me because I own this quirk completely. I’m reliable for it and it makes a difference for them.

I’d even say that my husband was attracted to me because of my intensity. Sure, it can be challenging to be with me, but the challenge causes us both to grow every time.

You don’t have to be all things to all people. You only have to be yourself and attract your perfect people.

When you embrace your quirks those people will show up, and everyone else will move on. There’s a flow and rightness to this that we just don’t talk about enough.

You could say it’s a bonus side effect of embracing your quirks – more energy and a lightness of being.

And who wouldn’t want that?

 

p.s.

“You have been created as one of a kind. On the planet, there has never been one like you. . .and there never will be again. Your spirit, your thoughts and feelings, your ability to reason and act all exist in no one else. The rarities that make you special are no mere accident or quirk of fate.” ~ Andy Andrews (From The Butterfly Effect)

 

Over to you:

1.  Make a list of your quirks.

2.  Pick the one that you’ve tried for so long to suppress.

3.  Go be that intentionally and blow people away.

Open the floodgates, unleash your quirkiness and watch your perfect people line up!

Bonus action: Share some of your silly quirks below, ie: I always eat the bottom of the muffin first and I’m addicted to murder mysteries!

 

 

This post is part of the May 2012 Word Carnival — a monthly group blogging event specifically for small business owners. (It’s the most fun you’ll have all month!) Check out the rest of the fabulous carney work here:  Word Carnivals