Consider Yourself a Misfit? You Have Some Great Qualities Worth Celebrating!

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.

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1. You're a Thinker.

Most misfits are independent thinkers; on top of that, you think deeply.  You're not willing to blindly accept everything you're told from family, friends, the media, or society at large.  You're not lazy-minded; you analyze and assess things for yourself.  You invest time and effort thinking things through to determine whether or not it makes sense to you based on your own logic, reasoning, and values. 
 

2.  You're Honest.

Once you've had a chance to think something through, you're honest about your findings.  Does it hold up, or are there cracks and inconsistencies? 

As a misfit, your honesty fuels your personal integrity and keeps you in touch with your conscience.  This makes it near impossible for you to go along with something you don't genuinely agree with or feel good about.  As a result, there will be times when you don't fit in with the rest of the crowd as they go along with things.  This might make things difficult or awkward in the moment, but at least your conscience is clear.
 

3.  You're Spiritual.

Why are honesty, personal integrity, and a clear conscience so important to you?  It may be due to the fact you're deeply spiritual.  That doesn't mean you're rigid and dogmatic; or even that you necessarily adhere to a particular religion.

But inwardly, you're attuned to something bigger and more powerful than yourself that guides your actions and decisions.  You consider far more than just the short-term gratification to be gained when you make a decision.  You're capable of distinguishing between what's easy vs. what's best.  You experience your feelings, but you're not ruled by them.  Once you establish a moral code for yourself, you prioritize adhering to that code over fitting in with the crowd. 


4.  You're a Dot-Connector.

Why is it that something can be so obvious to you, yet no-one else around you is able to see it? 

While most people are focused on the biggest, loudest, flashiest, most urgent event happening right in front of them, you have the capacity to stand back and look at the big picture.  This enables you to acquire a different perspective from everyone else, and makes it much easier to connect all the dots.

At the same time, you're able to see all the places where things aren't adding up.  Meanwhile, what seems obvious to you often gets overlooked by others.
 

5.  You're a Rock and a Refuge for Others.

Lastly, while misfits might not always fit in with the crowd, they're often a rock and a refuge for others in times of need. 

When someone is experiencing intense emotional pain, they eventually reach a point where they can't ignore it or hide from it.  Reaching a point of despair and desperation can be a frightening and overwhelming. During such times, the qualities that make you a misfit are the very same qualities that make you the kind of person others want to lean on and confide in.  The depth of your thinking, your integrity, your spirituality, and your ability to see the big picture and connect the dots, all make you a faithful friend, a sound advisor, and trustworthy confidante. 

You're not flippant or dismissive, and you're able to go beyond offering empty platitudes.  You connect and empathize in a sincere and meaningful way.  You cut through the fog with your incisiveness and help illuminate the way with your insight. 
 

Conclusion: if you view yourself as a misfit and find yourself struggling or feeling discouraged, recognize your strengths and the amazing qualities you possess.  Be confident that simply by being yourself, you have something unique and incredibly valuable to share with others.

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