Quirky; Strange; Odd--these might be words some of us may have heard a time or two in our lives as a description of who we are, especially if we are into Minimalism and/or Frugality. Most people consider being calld weird an insult; I know I used to. Now, I consder being called weird a compliment

Nowadays, when someone is called weird, it simply means he is different from the masses. When I take a look at American society, I mostly see a culture of people who have no idea who they are, what they believe in, and, as a result, are living unfulfilled lives. We are, largely, a media driven, mass consumerism, keep up with the Jones society that is waking up to the same humdrum life, day in and day out. If this is what it means to be "normal", then I'd rather be labeled weird any and everyday of the week.

So, the question is: Are you normal or are you weird? If you conclude that you are normal and would like to join us weirdos, I might suggest taking the following steps:

Find a "weird" mentor

Growing up I didn't have any real-life people I looked up to or aspired to be like. Although my grandmother was somewhat of a financial role model, ALL of her views and opinions were EXTREMELY antiquated, to say the least. As a result, I gained my "weird" role models from viewing and reading biographies. My top five "weird" role models are, in no particular order: Mia Farrow, Marc Cuban, Oprah Winfrey, Maria Shriver, and Ted Turner.

Learn to Put Little Value on Other People's Opinions

Some of the best advice I've ever heard came from Oprah Winfrey. She said, 'It is not my business what others think of me." When I heard this statement, I had an 'Aha' moment. Additionally, I would advise you to stop telling people your plans because people, especially "normal" people, are dream killers. When you tell your plans to dream killers, it's in their nature to be pessamistic and you have no one to blame but yourself for subjecting yourself to their judgment.

Take the Necessary Steps to Eliminate Fear From Your Decision Making

We were not born with a spirit of fear. We become fearful because we begin to conform to societal pressure to be "normal". Fear, therefore, is nothing more than allowing other people's opinions influence your decisions for your life. Learn to block out the other voices, while listening to your inner voice and you will find that your fear will begin to dissipate. Do this until it becomes a habit, and your fear will vanish permanently.

When you take the essential steps to be true to yourself and embrace your inner oddball, you'll be surprised at how natural it becomes to be labeled "weird".

6 Comments:

  1. Karin said...
    Another EXCELLENT post, Mogul! I love the way you think! I think girls especially are raised to be "approval seekers" and for most of my life I've been afraid of doing or saying something "wrong". Being shy didn't help matters. Anyway here's to embracing our inner oddball ~ love that!
    Serendipity said...
    I myself have been called quirky more times then I necessarily care to admit but now I actually like it. That's how my fiance describes me and I'm glad. My weird role models have been Oprah Winfrey, Sandra Bullock and anybody I've noticed just marches to their own beat and doesn't care.
    Annienygma said...
    I've been called "weird" since I was in high school. I dressed and acted totally different from my "normal" peers and occasionally suffered for it, though eventually I earned their respect.

    As my interests changed I did as well; while some are fascinated by the things I do to reduce my possessions and save money I get lectured on occasion but that's okay.

    I guess being called Weird is a compliment; I am weird and I am able to live on a lot less than most people I know and I am MUCH happier as a result.
    Young Mogul said...
    @Karin:
    Thanks for the compliment! I'm glad you enjoyed the post.

    @Serendipidity:
    Your standard for choosing your "weird" role models is the same standard I use: Defied the odds to become a success by creating their own lane while everyone else was stuck in 'follow the crowd' mode.

    Maria Shriver may not exactly fit this description given her priviledged background as a Kennedy, but I love the fact that she chose service as her profession instead of just becoming another spoiled rich kid. She sets an excellent example for women and mothers, in my opinion.

    @Annienygma:
    I have been considered weird/different since high school also. My sister and I are only two years apart, so we attended high school together. Whenever we would get money, she would rush out to buy the latest fad, and I would be perfectly content to save my money. Of course this raised a lot of questions from the other kids as to why she had the latest fad and I didn't. When I explained why, no one believed me and chose to believe that one child was actually favored by the parents. Despite the ridiculousness of their thinking, even as a teen, I didn't care what they thought. Back then, being called "different" use to bother me a little bit, but not much. The "weird" label mainly came from family more than anywhere else. Now, I would be wholeheartedly INSULTED if anyone ever told me I was just like everybody else.
    Goose and Gillian said...
    Very cool post. Yeah no doubt we're weird. Honestly the only times in my life when I felt "off" was the few times when I was younger when I'd try to fit in. Now days we own our weirdness. We wouldn't want to be any onter way. Great post!
    Everyday Tips said...
    I know I am quirky, and that is fine. I would rather be my own person than be a fake conformist. I have also created three quirky kids, and we are all good with it!

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