Why It Is SO IMPORTANT For You To Claim Your Differences
I talk about differences a lot … like, all the time … because it’s my favorite thing. If you have been wondering why I have chosen to focus on the things that make us different instead of the ways that we are all the same, today is your lucky day because I’m going to tell you! 😉
Yes, there are things that make people the same no matter their upbringing, opinions, or philosophy of life. Things like we all want to be heard and seen … we all want to be loved and to be loveable … and we all want to be accepted for who we are on the inside. These desires are all functions of our humanity, and we can all relate.
However, instead of stopping there and singing kumbaya I want to dive deeper into another part of our humanity that deserves deeper exploration and understanding.
No two people are alike. Even identical twins – though they look the same on the outside – have different gifts, skills, and experiences that set them apart from each other. I think those gifts, skills, and experiences need to be honored and celebrated and understood rather than brushed under the rug pretending that they don’t matter because “everyone is the same”.
For the longest time, our society handled differences by denying them and the gold star standard was to declare that “I don’t see your see difference” whether that difference was gender, race, disability, or any other attribute that made someone different. It’s a beautiful premise, but the reality of this philosophy is that if you don’t see my difference (in my case, my disability) then you don’t see me.
And just like that … with this “inclusive” philosophy … I slipped to the background of society with thousands of examples of literally being ignored when out and about living my life … restaurant servers don’t serve me, people speak to the person I am with rather than to me directly, I am never approached for random interactions like asking for directions or to be given a flyer.
You might be wondering if this really matters … why am I complaining that random people don’t try to shove papers at me? It’s about more than papers, people … it’s the message behind the papers. If there was an expectation that I was “normal” and counted like every other person in society, they would have been shoving papers at me!
If you don’t see my difference then you don’t see me.
That’s why I talk about differences. Not to shove them down your throat or to say “accept me or else” … not at all. My point behind everything I do and say is that I was given my differences for a REASON. My differences helped to shape my gifts, skills, and experiences into a special concoction that only I possess.
I don’t believe this happened on accident. I know down to my core that I was given my differences to make the world a better place. I am meant to use what I know and what I have experienced to fuel my purpose in life. How amazing is it that I have this unique gift to give to the world, and no one else is qualified in the same way as I am?!
This is true for every. single. person. alive. We all have differences. Yours may not be obvious to look at … they may be hidden because we are often embarrassed or ashamed of them. But don’t be! Your differences are your secret sauce. It’s your entry point to discovering and living your purpose. You were meant to share your uniqueness with world so you can leave it in a better place than before. Please don’t hide them or downplay them to fit in. Please don’t keep them to yourself because the world needs everything you have to offer.
So, I claim my differences. I know that I have a unique message and perspective on things that needs to be shared. I know that my purpose lies in my differences. I know that YOUR purpose lies in YOUR differences too.
Want to explore your Roadmap to Discovering Your Purpose? Get the FREE guide here.