Mogul In Training

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".