Are you weird?
When I was in highschool, I was very shy and quiet. During recess, I would be inside the classroom, hiding under a desk with my nose buried in my favorite book- I hid to dodge the prefects inspecting the classrooms during recess since we weren’t allowed to stay inside the room during break time.
I was a pretty hard-core bookworm back then. I broke the rules just to read a book! I was such an avid reader that I would read books during parties, I even read books under the sheets. My book and I were pretty inseparable.
I always found it odd why I preferred my books over my peers. It felt strange that I was more content in chasing my thoughts over catching up with the latest homeroom gossip.
Until todayy, I still have this quirk – this unquenchable thirst for reading- and I eventually discovered that my ‘weirdness’ is my greatest strength.
I came across the StrengthsFinder 2.0 from Gallup in my favorite bookstore, Kinokuniya. The Strengths Finder is a test which helps people to discover what their natural talents are. It also offers advice on how to maximize your talents to the fullest!
Intrigued, I brought the book and took the test. When I received my results Intellection and Learner were amongst my top five strengths.
To give you an idea on how the test’s results are like, below is an excerpt of both traits as mentioned in my strengths report:
Intellection
You like to think. You like mental activity. You like exercising the “muscles” of your brain, stretching them in multiple directions. This need for mental activity may be focused; for example, you may be trying to solve a problem or develop an idea or understand another person’s feelings. The exact focus will depend on your other strengths.
Learner
You love to learn. The subject matter that interests you most will be determined by your other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, you will always be drawn to the process of learning.
AHA! It explains why I always have my nose stuck in a book!
It was because I love to think and to learn! What better way to achieve this than to soak in a sea of words resting on a bed of paper?
My eyes skimmed the results and it finally reached the recommendations section which offered suggestions on how to maximize my talents because even though you cannot be everything that you want to be, you can be exceptional on who you already are.
And this doesn’t require a superhuman feat- only a dash of authenticity.
Being weird is ok because that quirkiness is part of who you are. It’s what makes you audaysciously special and it holds the key to your raw talents. Along with the answer to your passions, which opens the path to your why.
Take a look at Bill Gates for example. He had his quirks, he was an avid reader and he developed a passion for programming at an early age. Now, he is the founder of Microsoft and is one of the richest men in the world.
There’s also Alodia Gosiengfiao, a famous international cosplayer and gamer who made a career from her quirky passions.
Both of them are unique and completely different but they share a similarity: they embraced their weirdness and it became their strength.
Nutty and cranky- being different comes with labels but what makes you weird is what makes you special. It’s what makes you unique and as Oscar Wilde has aptly stated: “Be yourself because everyone else is already taken.”
Embracing who you are is empowering. So don’t be afraid to embrace your weirdness, because being authentic will help you to grow. For all you know, you can be the next Bill Gates where your quirk will be a blessing unto others.
Audaysciously 
Leave a Reply