Well, talk about uniqueness! This is me in my silliness. A Few years back as I was teaching adults I created this character that I used for examples of things NOT to do! It was fun, effective, unique, and combined my serious and silly sides.

Unique means being the only one of it's kind, unlike anything else. A synonym for unique is DISTINCTIVE. Antonyms for unique are COMMON, NORMAL, GENERIC.

How many of you have been told that you are created unique comparing the uniqueness to fingerprints or snowflakes (no two are exactly the same)? How many of you believe that? How many of you are comfortable with that? I would say the answers are mixed to these questions. Though the ideal of uniqueness resonates with us, how many of us are comfortable with our uniqueness? How many of us desire to blend into the crowd looking normal or common versus being seen and identified by our uniqueness? How many of us strive to be like someone we admire and abandon our own uniqueness in the process?

Oh, I'm not talking about doing crazy, forbidden, or unacceptable stuff. I'm not talking about causing riots, etc. I am talking about being willing to let your personality and gifts shine for the good of others. Being willing to CELEBRATE YOU!

One thing I have learned through expat living is not to take my image so seriously. I stand out and I have had to learn to be comfortable with being DISTINCTIVE.

"Yes, I am the foreigner. Yes, I am not like you and I'm not trying to be like you. Yes, my culture is different and that's okay. Yes, your culture is different and again, that's okay."

And I have found that my uniqueness has opened doors in the lives of people. They are curious. They desire to speak English with me...the foreigner who is the native English speaker. I am also aware that as my DISTINCTION is recognized, I have more responsibility to manage the example that I am leaving in the lives of the people. They remember my actions because I am that DISTINCTIVE (unique) individual who came into their world.

Believe it...You are Unique!
Get comfortable with it...You are Unique!
Celebrate it...I am Unique!!

Having fun with my friend Mai as we experience life from the 65th floor of the Lotte Tower in Hanoi.

As I thought of this month's Blog, I thought I would share some words that have been resonating within me recently. Actually a story...

Several weeks back I was listening to an encouraging talk on not quitting. Getting a "stick with it" type of attitude even in rough patches of life. In the talk, a story was shared that I had heard before BUT this time it just stuck with me. The story was about a runner in a race. It was something like the Olympics (not quite sure the exact type of race). The guy had traveled to a country that was not his own to compete in a long distance race. Hours after all the runners (but this guy) had crossed the finish line, this runner comes into the arena and crosses the finish line. He is clearly hurt and limping as he finishes his race. When he was asked why he had not quit like others had who were hurt, he simply stated, "My country sent me here to finish a race, not start a race."

Wow! It's not about 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc place...it's about having the gumption-the grit-to FINISH when everything (and everybody) says go ahead and quit!

I reflected on myself. When I figuratively fall down and scrape my knee; when I get slapped across the face with words of others; when I stumble on a stump of self-doubt and stub my toe--OUCH!!; when my heart sinks as I realize I just ran in the wrong direction for the last 20 minutes (or 20 years--oops!); when my breath gets knocked out of me as I trip on my own failures and fall flat on my face. What is my reaction...QUIT!!
IT'S JUST NOT WORTH IT!!

Oh BUT it IS worth it! I realize the FINISH of the race is more important than the START of the race. Everyone starts the race but not everyone will finish the race. The prize and the satisfaction is in the finish. Getting back up and moving forward...staying in the race until the race is done...until the Finish Line is crossed.

So I have started saying...I AM A FINISHER!
How about you? What do you say?