Be brave enough to be different

Oh man. We all just want to fit in, don't we? But I want my kids to HUG IT OUT with what makes them different. No two people are exactly alike. All of us have our own little quirks and gifts, and I wish we led with those qualities when we met for the first time. I wish we led with those qualities for those that I have known forever. This is what it usually sounds like when I meet someone for the first time, "Hi, I'm Nora. I'm married and have two boys. We live in Sacramento and like to play outside and work on home and garden projects. I work at Shriners Hospital in Marketing."

YAWN. Where is the passion? Who am I? What makes me get up in the morning? What makes me smile? What helps me through?

What if instead I introduced myself like this, "Hi, I'm Nora. I am married to the most awesome man and we have the coolest kids. Sometimes when a killer song comes on, I can't help myself and I have to interpretive dance. I have a voice I created for my dog, and I love pretending to be the thoughts in his head. I hope to be remembered as someone that spread joy and solved problems."

I think we have to be brave enough to share what makes us different in order to embrace our special qualities and nurture them. We have to stop squashing them down.

I would love to hear about what your heart really wants. I would love to hear about what you dream about. I would love to hear about what makes you happy. That would be my MOST favorite conversation EVER.