Let Your Awesome Shine | Uncustomary

I just wanted to take a minute to remind you that you’re awesome for all the unique and weird things you do. Everything you might be worried about someone finding out, everything you don’t begin the answer to the question of “So what do you do?” with, everything you might even be embarrassed to share? That shit makes you awesome.

When I was working on my Body Positivity e-course, I was writing a lesson about how beauty is about essence. I shared my past fear of re-entering the dating world for the first time as an adult after a six-year relationship, and how I was worried I wouldn’t be attractive enough, worth enough, or just plain good enough for someone from scratch. How I had gained so much weight since I had begun a relationship at the beginning, and how I would probably have to settle for someone I found unattractive.

I shared how I was so pleasantly surprised when I realized all I had to do was be myself and share my awesomeness and I could the people I wanted to date. People I found really attractive, people who were “my type”, people I definitely wasn’t settling for. And you know what? I’m pretty sure it’s because of my awesomeness. I don’t think I’m a troll by any means, I have high self-esteem and confidence (which also helps), but I’m definitely not a “traditional beauty”. Things I heard over and over from men were “Oh wow, you’re great to talk to — you can actually have an interesting conversation!”, “You’re so strange, I like it.”, “I think it’s really cool that you take the time to do all those things for people who you don’t know, like the street art. I don’t know anyone who does stuff like that.”, “You send snail mail still? That’s ridiculous. *smile*” Stuff like that.

People can be scared to share what’s “weird” about them, but I think we need to embrace and celebrate our inner weird. I even made sure to include it in the title of my book. Weird is what makes life terrifying and interesting and bizarre and worth talking about and experiencing and moving forward for.

You’re awesome. You’re weird. Accept both of those things with zero negative connotations and love yourself for it.

Will you share something weird about yourself with me in the comments?

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Photo: Maura Housley