One confidence tip of the day from Molly Burke, CPCC MSU, Queen of Confidence: Celebrating what makes you different is great for building confidence.

You’ve heard the old adage: people are like snowflakes, no two are alike. Essential and delightful are all those differences. Worthy of celebration.

Society, humanity, tribe, family, partners. While our similarities draw us together, it’s really the differences that make it go. The differences between us give our world richer flavor, greater opportunities, more options. We can use those differences to drive our research, ignite our passions, inspire our art and music. They exalt us, challenge us, delight and surprise us.

I am pleased to live in a Bubble of Extreme Tolerance AKA the San Francisco Bay Area. Here we have all manner of folks, from arch conservatives to tree huggers, haute couture to Haight Ashbury, gender benders to traditionalists, all religions to “None, thank you” and everybody in between.  Here you either get over your petty prejudices or you are miserable from exposure. This glorious diversity affords great opportunities for celebrating what makes you different.

Yeah, you. Sitting there reading this blogpost. Hello. What makes you different?  Where are your square bits that don’t quite fit the round holes of society?

Come on, out with them. Everybody has something that makes them different. Your divine differences are exactly what the world wants, craves, needs. Your differences enrich us, touch us, move us to action and emotion. Your differences are provocative, stimulating, unnerving and edgy. They make us think. Differently.

Your differences make you who you are, as special as that clichéd snowflake and likewise worthy of great praise.

Too often we make ourselves wrong for being different, as though our unique qualities are flaws when they are in truth the spice for our individual and collective stew. Release the bonds of fitting in. Let your freak flag fly. Un-apologize. Be unrepentantly yourself, from soup to nuts. In this way, you relax into who you really are, and from there, confidence springs up naturally. Lovely uplifting confidence. And all you have to do to get it is be yourself without reservation. Warts and all. Ever so different.

It’s time now to embrace that which makes you different, unique, special. Time to celebrate!

So show us your differences. Reveal your unique qualities so that we may celebrate them. So that we may celebrate you. For truly, what makes you different changes the world. And for that, mille grazie.

“I, <your name>, honor what is different in me even as I strive for improvement.”

Molly Burke CPCC MSU
Queen of Confidence
www.lifepurposeworks.com
“Everyone can use an extra wee dram of confidence every now and again.”