How To Deal With Being Different

What is wrong about being different? It is perhaps one of the questions that cross your mind whenever everyone else is headed in the same direction, and you are on your way to the other side. 

Most of the time, people worry whenever they are labeled differently by those around them. While this may be based on something physical in the beginning, it could also be something more as the relationship becomes deeper. 

It's not easy to be different. It can be quite impossible to see how being different is good when you are the odd one out. Being different means that you don't blend in. It means that you do not fit in the jigsaw puzzle, just like everyone else.

But is it possible to be different and still feel good about it? Will you ever come to a point where you can tell yourself, "I feel different that's okay"? 

Why Is It Hard To Be Different?

While people can tell you that being different is beautiful, it can be quite impossible to believe that. In fact, whenever you feel different, you wish you could turn back time and be like everyone else. To avoid feeling left out, you think that you would be better off being like everyone else. 

If being different is so special and makes you unique, why is it so hard being different?

First, you want to feel like you belong

Belonging in a community is like finding comfort in a bigger kind of family. But when you are different, you are treated differently. Members of that community will make you feel like you don't belong, and that is what hurts. Everyone wants to feel like they belong. But for others, it is not that simple. 

Second, you have to always prove yourself

People you want to be one with are the very people who will demand a lot from you. They are the people who will ask you to do this and that or change this to that before they decide if they want you in their crowd. There is always a need for you to prove yourself, and that's just downright hard, in addition to frustrating. 

Third, rules do not apply to you

When you need to ask for guidance, it takes a lot of effort on your part before you get it. Unlike others who have already been accepted, the generic rules that apply to them do not necessarily apply to you. It's like people have created a different set of guidelines. It can be a bit tricky because the rules that apply to you are based on how it impacts them. 

But do not let any of these things discourage you from being different. Look around you. No one who has ever achieved success has ever given in to the temptation of being just like everyone else. Being different can take its toll on you, but it could also open doors to opportunities that others may not have. 

Being different is beautiful. You just have to discover what it truly means for you. 

What Makes Being Different Valuable?

Being different comes with its own set of benefits. While you may be too busy counting the negative aspects of it, here are the top reasons why you should rejoice in being different. 

Being different makes you belong

You are not the only person who feels different in this world. There are a lot of others like you. When you begin to think about the value of being different, the first real benefit of it is that many other people can relate to how you feel. 

These are minority groups, gay people, creatives, introverts, recovering addicts, and many others. While you may not share every trait with them, you share similar emotions, especially the one of feeling like you're on the outskirts of your community.

You know how it feels to be treated differently and judged even before you say or do anything. You know how to be outside looking in. You try to fit yourself into the norms only to be rejected in the end. 

You can relate to the feeling of wanting to belong and be accepted despite being different. 

Being different makes you celebrate those differences

Because you have been treated differently, you have learned to embrace empathy. You have become more sensitive to other people's feelings.

Everyone wants to be accepted and understood. And this is why it pays to be different because, in the process, you begin to see how it can benefit you. 

You take on the risk of listening to other peoples' stories, but you are also opening yourself up to be heard. You are no longer afraid of who you tell your story too. After all, there is much to celebrate when you know that you are not alone in your struggles. 

Being different keeps, you motivated

Being different has given you another kind of motivation. You know that wanting to belong will always be there, but there is a part of you that seeks to help others like you. So instead of working hard to be one with the community that you desire, you create your own community where everyone is different, and that's okay. 

While being excluded from the rest, you saw how difficult it was to struggle on your own. You experienced discrimination, and you lacked the confidence to make things work to your advantage. And so you find yourself with this renewed sense of belonging once you do find yourself a community. This time, you are focused on making everyone belong, no matter how different they may be. The shared realities that you have are what brings you together. 

Though you won't be able to escape the judgment and discrimination from the majority, knowing that there is value in being different is more than enough. By then, you can at least stop judging yourself and start loving who you are.