Don’t be ashamed of who you are.
Your differences make you uniquely you.
That which sets you apart holds the key to your purpose.
No one can be you better than you.
Instead of hiding, highlight your idiosyncrasies.
You will be much happier being yourself than trying to be someone else.
Embrace your weird and wear it proudly.
It is difficult to be weird.
It can be confusing and discouraging to feel like a stranger amongst your peers.
When you try to relate to others but always feel out of touch or out of step, life can be very lonely.
Try to remember that you are only strange relative to the company you keep.
Do not lose hope.
Do not give up.
There are others out there who feel just as strange, just as alien, and just as alone as you do.
They are waiting for you just like you are waiting for them.
When you find each other, life will start to make sense.
“Be the weird kid.
Be the funny kid.
Be the quiet kid.
Be the athletic kid.
Be the theatre kid.
Be the numbers kid.
Just don’t be the mean kid.”
-Anonymous
“As in life, so too in budo. As in budo, so too in life.”
-Robert Van Valkenburgh is co-founder of Taikyoku Mind & Body and Kogen Dojo where he teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Meditations on God 