I love learning people’s quirks and idiosyncrasies: the things that make them unique, the things that you wouldn’t expect, the things that take them out of the box that you may have been putting them in without even realizing it. Those things.

I recently asked a friend what her favorite music was – we’ve been meeting every week online for almost a year and I was surprised that I didn’t know this about her. She said Heavy Metal, which I never would have guessed. I love that. She is soft spoken and spiritual, and the thought of seeing her drive down the freeway with this loud music playing made me so happy! I loved being surprised in this way, and it really got me thinking about these little preferences that each of us has that add up to create our whole – that add up to create who we are.

I started to wonder how much I really knew about my friends. How much did I assume and how much was true? How much did they fit into the mold that I had created for them without even realizing it, and how much did I fit into their subconscious mold of me?

And trust me, none of us are putting our friends into boxes consciously. I would guess that we’re not thinking about it at all – it’s a mix of our brains wanting to sort of “figure people out” and place them into the right places and society letting us know that if someone is “this” way, then they must also be “that” way.

But I’m learning that, if we are really sharing our true selves, we will never completely fit into the box that society or anyone else has created for us. We will always have some part of us (if we allow it to come to the surface) that is unique and that perhaps goes against the norm.

And I would love for all of us to feel safe in sharing these parts of ourselves. The parts that we normally wouldn’t share because we feel silly or embarrassed or uncomfortable or vulnerable. Those parts.

Much of who we are does fit in with what others would expect, and so I think – because of our innate need to be liked – we give these parts more airtime and share them more with others. But, that sort of casts a shadow on the parts that maybe don’t fit in as easily, and my concern is that – without our even knowing it – we feel a sense of shame surrounding these parts of ourselves (even though there is absolutely nothing wrong with them).

So here’s what I suggest: I would love for all of us to leave a comment sharing how we may differ from what others would expect. How we don’t fit into the box. How we’re unique. We can share something about ourselves that might surprise others to learn.

Because in doing so, we’ll allow ourselves to be the entire soul and the entire human and the entire amazing person that we are. We’ll allow all of our parts to blend together, and we’ll feel proud and stand a little taller sharing the bits that we normally would have left in the shadows.

I’ve found that when we start shedding light on the parts of ourselves that we’ve kept in the dark, the less power they hold over us. The more we’re apt to bravely share our entire self with the world. The more we’ll see that it’s completely okay. 

I will start by sharing my own list, and I hope that you’ll join me by writing yours, too. (Since I’m pretty much an open book, it’s going to be a challenge for me to come up with things that I haven’t already shared!) 🙂

Things about me that might surprise you:

1. I swear. A lot. Not in a mean way, but more in an excited way. In a “This F*^$*%$ Rocks!” way. I do keep swearing out of my writing, for the most part. And you’ll rarely hear me swear in a group session. I mainly just swear at home – around Dan and my closest friends. But it’s a part of me that most people don’t know about.

2. This isn’t anything scandalous, but it’s something that not a lot of people in the online world know about me. Unless I am chatting with someone over Skype or filming a video, I never wear makeup or do my hair or wear anything other than comfy clothes. I am not one to dress up – I wear jeans or pajama pants – preferably with my fluffy robe or a cozy, over-sized sweater. I never wear heals or dresses, unless I’m going to a wedding. And even though I used to own a jewelry company, I never wear it – except my wedding ring (which I never wear in the house).

3. I’m extremely afraid of spiders. It doesn’t make any sense because I’m not afraid of other similar crawling bugs. I dream about them often – pretty much the only nightmares that I’ve ever had involved spiders. Huge ones.

4. While much of what I watch on TV most likely fits in with what you would expect (eg., Super Soul Sunday, Lifeclass, and Long Island Medium), I watch some shows that you may not expect: Keeping up with the Kardashians, Drop Dead Diva, and any singing competition show. I love unwinding at the end of a long day, and these shows help me do exactly that. They are my guilty pleasures.

5. I rarely leave the house and rarely drive. I love my cocoon that I have created, and there has to be a good reason for me to want to leave it. That’s not to say that it’s not fun when I go out and shop or go on a date with Dan, but there’s something so wonderful about coming home again.

6. I don’t use a cell phone. While I do have one in the car for emergencies, I never am in the car so I never need to use it. Because I’m always home, I just don’t see the point. When I do go out, it’s really nice to disconnect and not be available to anyone. There’s something really decadent about it, actually.

7. I’m known in my family as “The Chihuahua.” While I may be petite and appear soft spoken at times, I have a primal side that comes out when someone in my family or inner circle is being mistreated or threatened in some way. I’m very loyal and very protective, and a yappy, “in your face” side shows up in these situations. Thankfully, I haven’t had to use this side very often, but I’m glad that she’s there – ready to protect myself and my loved ones when needed.

8. I eat foods that most people wouldn’t want to eat. My diet is a bit extreme. It didn’t start out that way, but it’s definitely evolved into a quirk. It’s been gradual – from becoming vegetarian to vegan to bringing eggs back in to taking out almost everything that was processed or that contained wheat or sugar or chemicals of any kind. I started eating based on how I felt afterwards, and I found that my body wanted whole foods that were natural and fresh. It definitely takes more time to prepare food in this way, but feeling great is worth it. (A huge thank you to Dan for all that he does to help both of us stay healthy.)

9. I’m pretty funny. (At least I think so.) 🙂 Seriously though, while I do spend a lot of my time thinking and feeling and helping others, I am a great laugher. I love people who can make me laugh. I love watching animals do silly things. I love comedies. I love to laugh. It’s such a great release.

10. I had no idea that my life would turn into what it has. I’m someone who spent so many years shying away from the spotlight and from being seen, and so I still pinch myself when I look at how “out there” I am – how many beautiful souls I get to connect with – how awesomely expansive my life has become. I’ve previously shared how I used to be a skeptic, but I think it’s worth repeating. Just three short years ago, I wasn’t open spiritually. At all. I was in the dark. And just by being willing to trust the universe and be led in the direction my soul was asking me to go in, everything changed. I spend time each day thanking my lucky stars (and my angels, and my spirit guides, and God) for this miracle.

I’m sure there’s a ton more, but this is enough for now! 🙂

I can’t wait to learn more about you!

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Hugs,