Some people think I’m weird for practicing meditation, Yoga, and not believing in organized religion. I’ve also created my own way of exercising and it’s a mix between Tai Chi and Yoga. It’s best when performed naked. These are minor oddities compared to many people, but I’m working on releasing more of it.

I don’t have any external deformity, so a kid won’t stare at me because I’m walking down the street. Most of my weirdness comes from within. I don’t do anything that breaks the law, so I do try to fit into society. The more I practice at being unique the better I get at releasing my fears of other people’s judgments. I like to stand on one leg while I’m reading a magazine in the airport. Most people think this is strange, but actually I’m just trying to practice my balance.

I guess most people wouldn’t consider me weird, but I am – ask any of my friends. After a few meetings my strangeness comes shining out; I just can’t hide it. I laugh at inappropriate times (like important meetings with upper management) or I’ll call a friend out of the blue and ask them how their right ankle is feeling. I believe most people are odd, they’ve just learned to hide it better than most and they’re afraid to let it out. The problem with holding your weirdness back from everyone else is that you don’t let your true self shine through and that’s the part that we need loved. When we are loved for our unusualness then we can relax and enjoy our lives. Look at a child – they laugh 10 times more in a day than an adult because they haven’t let society freak them out, yet. American society wants weird people to laugh at and judge, but they don’t want to be the person being laughed at.

The people who are weird and are comfortable with it are more interesting to me because they bring something to the table that most people don’t – personality. Unusual people aren’t afraid to do what they like because it’s who they are. I would like to be in that group. Eventually I’ll work up to being my complete self who doesn’t care about other people’s judgments. I must be patient because it all comes in time, with practice and awareness I’ll be completely at peace with my unique view on life.

Finding a strong relationship does wonders for your weirdness because it allows you to relax and let the real you come out. My wife, Nikki, has given me the freedom to do and say as I please as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone. She never came right out and said it, but it’s an understood rule. She actually smiles when I’m being outlandish; it’s endearing to her. You know you’re in good shape when you can stand on one leg in the airport and your spouse walks up to you and rewards you with a kiss.

It’s good to be different because people like to be around others who are comfortable with who they are. That’s why kids are so awesome – they are weird as all heck and people love them for it. It’s a natural strangeness that flows out and that’s what I think all of us should tap into. When we aren’t afraid of our naked bodies or saying something stupid or even laughing at a mistake then life becomes more pleasurable.

I don’t want you to go to bookstores and eat the pages from a book or splash coffee all over the Starbucks employee because it didn’t taste good that’s just being a jerk. I want everyone’s weirdness to be natural, a state where they can be totally comfortable making a joke that people might not laugh at or dance as they walk down the street to their next meeting.

Learn to tap into your deviance one small step at a time. Try holding water in your mouth while you walk down a busy street. Or wear a flower in your hair at work. Or put your ear on someone’s naked chest and listen, really listen for not one or two minutes, but 5, 10, or even 20 minutes. Or pretend you are dying and act it out – that’s one of my wife’s and my favorite way to make each other laugh. By taking small steps you start to break out of the mold you put yourself in – that old mold that doesn’t really fit who you are any more. You are giving yourself the chance to break out of the past and into the present.

Being weird is not bad if you allow it to fit your personality. People who try too hard always turn me off. So be who you are and don’t be afraid to look foolish. The worst that can happen is that people might laugh at you, and if you can laugh at yourself then all they are doing is laughing with you.

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This entry was posted on Sunday, November 26th, 2006 at 8:55 pm and is filed under enjoy everything.