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ABUNDANT LIVING: Learning how to embrace your inner weirdo

What is weirdness?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines weird as supernatural, uncanny or eerie. Conversely, urbandictionary.com says the word weird lacks a finite definition, but the most popular definition on the website was someone that wasn’t afraid to be themselves. Personally, I prefer to use the latter definition.

Often, the word weird has a negative connotation. That it is somehow wrong to be different. True, to be productive members of society some level of conformity is necessary. Society has laws and social norms. We need to follow rules and listen to our supervisors at work if we want to get paid. Where, however, is it written that the very things that make us unique need to be hidden? Genius and creativity are not merely things we possess but must be expressed to have any real value.

Comedian and motivational speaker JP Sears gave a speech entitled the Virtues of Weirdness. Sears goes on to say that underneath our clothes, all people are just a bunch of naked weirdos. What he means by this is that humans all possess some innate quality that makes them unique.

It is this uniqueness that makes us special in one or more ways. The clothes in this metaphor are the notions of how we should look and act that we place upon ourselves to cover up what makes us different so that we might better fit in. Often, this push to become “normal” crushes and extinguishes what makes us truly special.

If we think about people we admire, however, there is likely something that makes them weird and unique. In fact, they are terrible at being normal. Think about it. Of all of the great people in history or even people in our own lives who have had a profound impact upon us, there is very likely something that makes them different, weird and unique. Something that makes them stand out.

This does not need to mean that they dress or behave strangely (though they might). It simply means that they possess some quality that sets them apart. They may be creative, think differently than the group, have a unique hobby or skill that at first glance would seem odd but is part of their overall genius.

In an article by Rose Leadem in the July 23, 2017, edition of entrepreneur.com, many of the most famous people in history and in business have weird traits and habits. For example, it is said that Henry Ford’s favorite lunch consisted of stewed “roadside greens” and soybean bread.

Besides being an author, inventor, and one of our country’s founding fathers, Ben Franklin liked to “air dry” after bathing, then hang out in the nude for 1 to 2 hours daily. He believed it would help prevent illness.

Abraham Lincoln is said to have battled depression most of his life, failed at his first business, and was part of seances in the White House after his son died.

I am not proposing that you quit your day job, put on a green taffeta dress, and sell daisies but the roadside (unless you are into that sort of thing). I am saying that everyone possesses an innate genius and needs to find a way to expresses it. If not for the betterment of the world, then simply for the sake of your own sanity. So, take a chance, shed your clothes (figuratively) and become that naked weirdo you were always meant to be.

Bellomo has a master’s degree in exercise science and health protion, is a certified strength and condition specialist and performance enhancement specialist with 24 years in the fitness and wellness field. For more fitness tips contact him at dbfitnesslab@gmail.com or visit Bellomo Online Training on Facebook.

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