I love the word “weird”: Unusual. Unique. Special. Out–of–the–box.
“Keep Austin Weird.” I’ve seen this slogan everywhere since moving to Austin,Texas. And “weird” does describe this funky, fun, different place. From its vast creative music scene, to its bohemian South Congress area, to the political climate of this capital city, to it arts community, to its multifaceted university… This place is definitely unusual, unique, out-of-the-box.
But aren’t we all? Don’t these words describe each one of us: unusual, unique, special?
I love the way that no two things that God creates are exactly alike. We say this about snowflakes, but isn’t it also true of every human being? We each have our very own appearance, personality, patterns, and strengths. This is cause for great celebration! Of our own uniqueness and everyone else’s!
But isn’t it strange, how we instead compare ourselves, placing ourselves as either inferior or superior to others in tiny and huge ways. Don’ do it! Comparison is the great robber of joy! The opposite, and the antidote for comparison, is celebrating uniqueness. Noticing and savoring our own unique traits and strengths, and doing the same toward others.
So try this today: Mentally take note of one unique positive trait of each person you encounter, and then do the same regarding yourself. One-for-one. Celebrate being uniquely and wonderfully made, as David put it in Psalm 139.
This is just one more way of developing a lifestyle of Philippians 4:8: training your mind to dwell on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy– think about such things.”
This mental lifestyle stimulates endorphins and dopamine in our brain chemistry which translates into greater health inwardly and outwardly.
So rejoice in this fact: You are unique…and so am I!