Isn’t this something we struggle with our whole lives? From the moment we begin interacting with others, we have to deal with their expectations. If we don’t meet those expectations, then watch out. Rejection. Bullying. Aversion. Topic of Gossip.
I wish that I could have embraced myself years ago. So much heartache could have been avoided. Did everyone like me when I was in school? No. Did I have at least one or two friends? Yes. Did my family like me? When I wasn’t being a sassy little brat, yes. Did they love me? Always. That’s really what counts.
Mary is in the third grade and 8-years-old. One of the biggest things I’ve been trying to get her to believe is that she is awesome. It doesn’t matter if that little boy called her an idiot or if they claimed something ridiculous about her so that she would be laughed at. She has a few friends who know her and love her for who she is.
She often hears me saying, “You are the only one who can allow you to be offended.” When you give that person the ability to hurt your feeling by simply using their words, you’re giving them too much power over you.
So be weird, if that’s who you are. The ones who love you will love you either despite of that fact, or because of it.
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