Living Outside the Ordinary – There is Beauty in Being Different!

Have you ever wondered what it’s like?

I have…

When I moved to the United States at the age of 18, I knew that I had to grow up. Of course, I was a grown-up, but I had never lived away from my parents. Heck, I had never even attempted to live alone, so to me, I was starting over again as a baby learning to walk.

I took to reading as a way to calm my nerves; it was my coping mechanism to deal with my new reality. I fell in love with a book called “The Single Woman: Life, Love, and a Dash of Sass by Mandy Hale.”

What stuck with me to this day and kept me going was this quote…

“You’ll learn, as you get older, that rules are made to be broken. Be bold enough to live life on your terms, and never, ever apologize for it. Go against the grain, refuse to conform, take the road less traveled instead of the well-beaten path. Laugh in the face of adversity, and leap before you look. Dance as though EVERYBODY is watching. March to the beat of your drummer. And stubbornly refuse to fit in.”

This quote reminded me that if you want to live a meaningful and extraordinary life, you have got to step out of that box of FEAR and step into the path of FAITH.

Embrace Change

The truth is that whether you realize it or not, the only constant thing in this world is CHANGE – the weather, the economy, the environment, society, technology, culture, trends, your friends, your family, yes and even YOU.

Everything!

Change may be terrifying, but it isn’t something you should fear or dread; instead, it’s something that can open up new adventures and improve your life.

Realize Your Uniqueness

Feeling different can feel uncomfortable in a world that values sameness. It can derail your confidence and progress and cause you to demean yourself for your differences.

It may cause you to feel out of place, misunderstood, and alone. As a result, you may want to work hard to fit in or find yourself fighting a constant and frustrating inner struggle with no friends or family to help you cope.

But the moment you decide to stop conforming to the idea of this sameness, you can automagically realize that your unique and immediately embrace the person that you indeed are.

Have a Sense of Belonging

Say it with me, “I deserve to be here.”

And you are 100% right. We tend to feel uncomfortable or have a sense of thinking of “I don’t belong” when we are in unfamiliar and new spaces, I know I have. I struggled with this for a long, long time. It’s the kind of experience you inherently desire of wanting to feel complete. We all do.

Then one day, I realized that every uncomfortable and new space I was in, I excelled, so yeah. I Belonged.

Consequently, you must experience a sense of connection at all times. You can do this by being in the company of people that uplift you, love on you and who have felt what you feel so they will understand you better. Everyone struggles and has difficult times; no one is immune to pain.

Never Look Down on Yourself

I had my insecurities growing up.

I didn’t always have the best hair…

I didn’t feel beautiful…

I wanted to be a flight attendant, but I can’t swim…

I didn’t feel like I was ever enough. Luckily, I discovered something about myself….

Make Yourself This Promise

Everything that I feared in my life can only affect me if I allowed it, and if I continued, I honestly wasn’t living at all.  I made myself a promise that I would never let anything or anyone make me feel less than what I am and what I know I can become and what my destiny holds for me.  I hope you can make yourself the same promise too.

Understand that Expectations Only Lead to Disappointment

Expect the act of expecting to leave you disappointed.

I bet you’ve experienced the pain of not having what you expected from something, someone, or a situation.

If you have, then I’m 1000% sure you know that life and people are unpredictable, and situations keep changing all the time. You understand that you cannot control life or people because it is this understanding, that will help you to be better able, to let go of the need to control what you cannot control.

Be comfortable in your skin….

Different is ok!

Issa Vibe 🙂