Embrace Your Uniqueness: Finding Fun in the Unconventional
Ever wondered what fun means to you? I’m currently delving into a book titled “I’m Surrounded By Idiots” by Thomas Erikson. It’s all about understanding personalities and relationships, helping you decipher what makes people tick. The gist is that everyone operates differently—what motivates them might not be what motivates you, and that’s okay. Their perspectives and priorities may not align with yours, but that doesn’t make them any less capable.
The key takeaway for me?
It's totally fine to be different, to embrace your quirks and idiosyncrasies. Recognizing what makes you tick and recognizing that it isn’t necessarily what makes others tick and adapting how you interact with them based on their priorities and mindset helps you opitmize these interactions.
And this applies to how they see the world, how they unwind, how they express themselves, and how they see themselves. This kind of revelation was highlighted to me when during the week, I found myself in bed excited about an Excel formula that I got working. And all I could do was smile and laugh to myself catching myself pumped about an Excel spreadsheet.
Sometimes, when I talk about my hobbies or how I unwind, they might not fit the usual mold. You know the standard responses: lounging on the couch watching TV, going for a run, or aimlessly surfing the internet.
Recently, I’ve found genuine joy in something seemingly mundane—figuring out Excel formulas to streamline my database management. It's not something I typically need for work, but diving into this skill has been unexpectedly fascinating and rewarding.
My point? Being productive doesn’t have to be all about work. It's okay to derive pleasure from productivity itself. Sometimes, amidst the holiday season or societal expectations of what "normal" festive activities should be, I tend to forget the joy I find in my unique interests.
But here's the truth: it's okay to feel that way. It’s perfectly fine to revel in the things you love and to view the world through your own lens. There’s no rule book dictating what should be enjoyable. If you find it fun, that's what truly matters.
Society often sets these unwritten guidelines for how people "should" act or what they "should" be doing. Kids should be outdoors, not watching others play video games; parents should adhere to traditional holiday customs instead of late-night outings; grandparents should live quietly, not seeking out extreme sports.
Yet, there are always exceptions—those defying societal norms.
Whether that’s being an 80 year runway model.
Or being a 46 year old skateboarder
or being an Excel World Champion
In the end, it’s about celebrating your uniqueness and finding joy in what lights up your world, irrespective of what conventions or expectations suggest.
So, revel in your peculiarities and relish in the enjoyment they bring. That’s what truly counts.
