Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different – you’ll find they’re what make you beautiful.
What makes me different... (1) my naiveté. Yes, this can be a weakness, as one friend has criticized me for. But Sandy says it's refreshing to her. I see being naive as the inverse of being jaded. As I grow older, my prayer is that this trait is not expressed as optimism to a fault. May I still acknowledge the very real dysfunction and pain that cause jadedness, but respond to it in a very different way.
Along the same lines.... (2) my excitability. I met a friend for coffee today and was saddened at how she no longer reciprocated my excited remarks with no inhibitions, as we both used to. Well, I haven't outgrown this trait. While it made me feel immature next to her, I also wouldn't want to lose this trait. Two of my very best friends in Jackson are like this, and they're older than me and absolutely brilliant (in my opinion), so I want to maintain this quality. As my friend today pointed out, it's what keeps me so curious and outgoing as far as asking questions in a learning environment goes. I think that does light my professors up, seeing me be inquisitive and engaged. I know I relish it when my own students are that way with me.
(3) my vocabulary. I really think being a nerd is paying off! Now the people I love most are those who respond positively to my quirky, over-analytical, overly-formally phrased comments. I feel so myself when I am free to say these things. It's a trait of mine that attracts top-rate company. Is that a stuffy thing to say??? I don't mean rich, snooty, over-educated company. I mean playful, intellectually alive company.
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