Do you consider yourself to be a bit of a misfit?  If you answered yes, there have likely been countless times when you felt isolated, alone, and disconnected from other people. You may have found yourself thinking life would be so much easier and simpler if you could just be like all the folks around you.  

Not fitting in with everyone else can be challenging at times, but there's another side to it.  Misfits possess all kinds of unique and valuable traits.
 
Here are five great qualities to be found among the misfits of our world.  As you review each quality, think about how it shows up in your own life and shapes who you are.

You're constantly making choices as you live your life each day.  You choose what to focus on and how to spend your time.  You choose who to spend time with and which relationships to invest in.  You choose your thoughts and responses to all the different situations and circumstances that come your way. 

Over time, the choices you engage in repeatedly become habits.  And those habits matter; they influence the trajectory of your life.


Habits Influence the Trajectory of Your Life
 
Your life reflects a collision of a multitude of factors.  Some of these factors can be anticipated and/or controlled; others are entirely beyond your control. 

You're tired of how things are going in your life and ready for a change.  Maybe you want to eat better, exercise more, and lose weight.  Maybe you want to get more organized.  Maybe you want to improve an important relationship; or perhaps start a new one.  Maybe you're looking for more meaning in your life, and a purpose you can truly get excited about.
 
Whatever it is, you think about it constantly and even visualize it, yet nothing happens.  Nothing changes and each day feels just like the one before.  Meanwhile, you find your hope and enthusiasm gradually draining away. 
 

Engaging in the same actions will lead to the same outcomes.

Regardless of where you're at and what you're dealing with, change is possible!  But if you keep engaging in the same actions, you'll likely keep experiencing the same outcomes.  For change to take place in your life, you need to change something. ​

Imagine someone coming away from a serious car crash with a major leg injury.  The crash itself might have only lasted a few seconds; the effects of the injury, however will last much longer.  Extensive rehabilitation will be needed over an extended period for the leg to fully heal and be restored to its original condition.  ​
 

Recovering from emotional injury and regaining full functionality takes time.

We readily accept that recovering from a physical injury and regaining full functionality takes time, work, and support, with a few challenges and setbacks along the way.  Yet we often struggle to accept that recovery from an emotional injury requires the same process.  We can be incredibly hard on ourselves, thinking we should be able to recover quickly and easily, all on our own.  

Or, perhaps you open up and share with someone in hopes of receiving support and empathy, but instead you're told you should “just get over it" and move on.  You're left feeling dismissed and diminished as a result.