I often feel like a square in a world of circles. I stand out and rarely blend in. A phrase I hear often is, “I have never met anyone like you.” In reflection, I realized people were complimenting me on how much they enjoyed my personality and humor; however, for some time, it left me feeling self-conscious. I would ponder to myself, “I think they just called me the village weirdo.”
One day I was sitting in traffic, and it hit me. Of course, there is no one else like me. There is only one me. I needed to stop comparing myself to everyone else. I couldn’t be anyone else. Those positions were filled. I could only be me. I decided then, if I was going to be me, I was going to be the best me I could be! I only wish this was something I realized in my teens opposed to my 30s.
I also realized in being myself I was actually honoring and praising God. I needed to be who he made me to be. I was not a mistake. He made me on purpose for a purpose. He already had great and wonderful plans for me before I even took my first breath! The only thing God was asking of me was to be the person he made me to be and to have faith. Stubbornness, ironically, is one of my gifts.
In being myself, I found out who my real friends were. I realized hateful people actually need the most love as their remarks and attitude were a reflection of their own insecurities. I also discovered the more comfortable I was in being myself, the more comfortable others were with being themselves around me.
Currently, I am finding the confidence to unapologetically be myself and find comfort in the perfect imperfections that make me who I am…sarcastic, random, awkward at times, quirky, real, honest, flawed, Christian, and suffering from volume control issues. Basically, I am the one and only Kim, who was made by God to be awesome.
P.S. He made you awesome too! Internet High Five!
