The "Weirdos" are Waiting for You

Cu-ri-ous:  1. eager to know or learn something  2.  strange; unusual, odd, peculiar, funny, bizarre, weird, inquisitive, intrigued, interested, eager to know

Are you curious? 

Do you find yourself wanting to know how things work and what makes the world tick? I frequently ask myself if I am a curious person. I wish I could say, “100% absolutely,” but I can’t. 

I am surrounded by people who are so curious that my head spins when they share how a pencil sharpener works, or why water is clear; I've become a professional eye-roller with my ability to not get busted!

But, I am 100% certain that I am deeply curious about people.

My interest in people is where I excel; it has become my life’s journey to know what makes them tick. I love engaging with folks that seem strange, unusual, bizarre, weird, etc. I find myself willing to step in with a burning curiosity, hungry to learn and experience what is waiting for me.

I find people’s perspectives—the way they think, their life experiences, the way they view the world—fascinating. I have learned to set my snap judgments aside, letting go of any perceived differences, and step into undying curiosity.

Do you make snap judgments?

I think we all have a story about a time that we judged someone for perceived differences, only to later realize we are more similar than not and became thankful that we truly got to know them. Take a moment and bring those times to your mind…

My most recent story is about a woman people hesitated to get to know.

She was sometimes avoided because others found her to be a “weirdo.” And then life put the two of us in a situation where we needed to interact daily.

I would see this petite woman coming my way—bleached hair dressed like a mini-Marilyn Monroe—wiggling, spinning, squealing with joy, laughing, speed talking…and then the hugs. BIG hugs. I became so uncomfortable that my eye-rolling came rapidly, and I would run to hide somewhere safe from this peculiar behavior.

As time went on, my curiosity piqued.

I set out to get to know this woman., and through many revealing conversations, I came to realize the wiggles and spins were the result of previous challenges in life, and she was now so full of gratitude that she had a hard time containing herself. The more time I spent with this beautiful human I began to see and experience what authentic joy looks like.

It became apparent that the lesson for me to learn was to let gratitude and joy be the driving forces in my life.

I was privileged to have this extraordinary woman stand up and share her story at one of my events—to invite others to live in gratitude, love, and joy. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room. Her lessons were eagerly embraced, and at that moment, this “weirdo” became their life teacher, wiggling and spinning out of the room.

Since then, I wear my curiosity on my sleeve.

I am ready to experience others without judgement as I continue to learn how to live in gratitude and joy, loving a little deeper every day.

Stay curious and don’t miss an opportunity—the “weirdos” are waiting for you, and maybe their message is exactly what you need to hear.