Don't Blend In to Fit In

Embrace what makes you unique!

My family and I ate at a Chinese restaurant a couple of weeks ago. We all chose a fortune cookie at the end of the meal. Everybody read their fortune, but when it came time to read mine, mine was empty. I loved it. Mine was unique mine was not like anyone else probably in the whole store. I cherished that feeling of being different.

Many years ago I went to a dinner with my husband where a photographer was the keynote speaker. I was so interested in his photography because he took pictures of the 6666 Ranch in Guthrie, Texas where my grandparents grew up. I bought one of his coffee table books for $65. As I looked through it I realized half of the book was upside down. When I took it to him to have it autographed and I showed him the pages, he asked me if I wanted another book. I told him no. I told him my book was unique and probably no one else had a book where the printer flipped upside down. It was unique and it was special and no one else had one.

As a small child my hair was orange. I got teased horribly, but I learned to love it. No one else had hair the color of an Orange Crush soda. I was unique it made me stand out. I didn’t want to be like everyone else. I learned to be content being me. I learned I didn't want to blend in to fit in. I have never colored my hair to this day. Now it has awesome silver streaks. I believe God likes to color too and if I color it, he’s just gonna color it back the way he wants it.

For me, being adopted was the same way. No one else in my class was adopted and I cherished that characteristic about myself. I would announce it to the class. When the doctor would ask about my medical history, I would boldly say, “ I don’t know I’m adopted,” and that was that.

My daughter just graduated and I have seen four years of ‘trends’.

During this time where everybody had to have the right shoes, the same color hair one year and then different same color hair the next, and the most updated phone, I have taught my daughter she does not have to blend in to fit in.

I saw so many compare themselves to their friends. They assess what makes them seem popular or seem happy and try the same to fit in. Don’t blend in. Stand out.

You also don’t have to be weighed down with expectations. Do your parents expect you to go to college or work and completely disregard your personality and talents? Don’t blend in to someone else’s mold to fit in.

One of my favorite movies is Runaway Bride with Julia Roberts. I think she ran away from 5 men at the alter. Why? Because she knew in her heart that she blended into her groom's likes and dislikes and she didn’t even know her unique likes and dislikes. There is a cute scene at the end where she is trying all types of eggs to see which one SHE likes. She does this little experiment with all types of things to find her likes and dislikes so she can share herself with the man she loves (Richard Gere). She learns to not blend in to fit in. She learns that people will take her and her likes and dislikes OR they are not worth having.

Ephesians 1:11, "In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will..."

I want to help you find yourself. Have you forgotten who you were supposed to be? Have you been blending in to fit in all your life? Do expectations of others hold you back?

I want to help you pull out those characteristics that make you unique, help you love those qualities and help you use them to inspire others not to blend in to fit in!!