Uniquely Me

Yes! This is me!!

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 its 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!!

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