Do you celebrate your eccentricities or do you hide them away in a corner of yourself? If you feel like you have to put on many different masks in your life then you aren’t being true to yourself. Find how to start embracing your weird as a mom and discover how freeing it is when you do!

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This is my absolute favorite part of this entire series. I want all of us to embrace our weird because it leads to a more interesting and fun world to live in. To quote Alice, “The best people are.”

 

Little Weirdo

I realized at a very young age that I was never going to be what society considers “normal” and it upset me. We couldn’t afford the cool clothes or the latest gadgets and I was teased endlessly throughout most of grade school.

Then one day I simply made the decision that if I couldn’t be cool then I was going to be me. The messy, quirky me that evolves daily. All of it has led to the weird mash-up of a woman that I am today.

More importantly, I am teaching my kids the importance of being yourself. Frankly, I think I’m a pretty cool person and if you don’t like me then you’re not my people. That’s cool. There are other people out there for you.

When you take that stance in life, it becomes amazingly free. That’s why I’m such an advocate for embracing your weird as a mom.

 

Like What You Like

You don’t need an excuse or to explain yourself when you like something. For example, I will totally admit that I like some of Justin Beiber’s songs. I don’t owe any explanation to people about it. The same goes for you. If you find yourself qualifying your reasons behind why you read romance or listen to gangster rap, then you aren’t owning it.

When you catch yourself giving a reason for something you like think about whether it is a qualifying statement or not. Here is the difference:

Healthy Conversation:

• I love this painting because he pioneered this brush stroke technique.

Qualifying Excuse:

• I know it’s meant for kids but I love watching Frozen. It has a really good story line.

 

Throw Away the Mask

How often do you put on a mask for people? When you don’t feel up to par and still feel the need to put on a smile and get through it. Do you behave differently with different groups of friends? These are all situations that you are putting on the mask.

Part of embracing your weird as a mom means learning to throw the masks away. Don’t be something you’re not for people. For starters, it prevents you from creating meaningful relationships. Furthermore, it also is draining and can potentially lead to physical illness if you do it frequently enough.

Read more about wearing masks in your life here.

Note:

• This doesn’t mean that if you love to curse and make dirty jokes that you should be that way everywhere. Use your best judgment and know that there is a difference between being yourself and being rude.

Beware of Perceptions

I’ve referenced this before but it’s important to remember the Looking Glass Self when embracing your weird. Essentially, this is the psychological theory that you form your sense of self based on what you think people think of you (even if it isn’t even correct). That’s why it’s so important to beware of your perceptions.

The easiest way to do this is to simply not care what others think of you. However, if you struggle with that, try reminding yourself that your perception of what people are thinking about you is more than likely incorrect. That will help tame some of those destructive thoughts that can lead to inauthentic behavior changes.

Make a List

You know how much I love lists and this is yet another exercise in which it is useful. Pull out that beautiful journal and write down everything you love about yourself. This can literally be anything.

Example:

• Love my obsession with Buffy
• My Eyes
• Creativity
• Eclectic Taste in Music
• Nerdy Style
• My Strength

Admittedly this is a very short list to provide you with an example. I recommend coming up with at least 15 things that you absolutely love about yourself. This makes it easy to gauge when you aren’t being true to yourself and embracing your weird as a mom.

For example, if I ever met someone who hated Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I said, “Yeah, it’s okay.” (Okay, I’d totally never say that, I’d try to convince you why it’s awesome.) In that example though, I immediately know that I’m being a people pleaser instead of being me. When you write it all down you notice things that you might not have otherwise.

 

Flip the Script

This is my absolute favorite and one that I am happily teaching my tiny humans to embrace as well. In our family, it’s totally a compliment to call someone weird. Why? Because if you’re weird then that means you’re being true to yourself. People who don’t seem weird are either lying or never got a chance to learn about themselves. Either way it’s truly sad.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

I had the BEST conversation with my 9 year old recently that truly swelled my momma heart with pride. He told me that he had gotten in trouble at school because he called someone weird and they told the teacher on him. I didn’t even know this had happened.

It led to him telling me that when his friends get upset about someone calling them a name or other hurtful thing, he reminds them that just because someone says it doesn’t make it true. Hello my minivan analogy! Calling a minivan a sports car doesn’t magically change it into one.

That is what embracing your weird is all about. You should see the looks on people’s faces when they call you weird and you just smile a huge grin and say, “Thank you!” It is fantastic. Don’t believe me? Try it sometime. Furthermore, it doesn’t take long for the people you care about to catch on and soon it becomes a term of endearment instead of chastising.

 

How are you embracing your weird as a mom? I hope you are convinced to throw away the masks you put on and be unapologetically you. You will be happier, freer, and you’ll teach your kids the importance of being true to who they are (a trait that can help them through the hard teenage years, for sure).

See where I’m linking up!

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How to Rediscover Yourself After Marriage and Motherhood Series

1. Introduction
2. Why All Moms Need a Journal
3. Determine Your Why for Self Discovery
4. Find Your Cheerleaders
5. DIY Positive Affirmation Cards
6. Create Your SAHM Hierarchy of Needs
7. The Hard Truth About Carving Out Me Time
8. 5 Awesome Podcasts to Inspire Self Discovery
9. How to Love Yourself First
10. Stop Reacting to Life and Live Proactive
11. How to Set and Protect Boundaries as a Mom
12. How Moms Can Stop Being People Pleasers
13. Why It’s Okay to Outgrow Relationships
14. It’s Time to Break-up with Yourself
15. Create a Mini Mom Oasis for Recharging
16. Why Moms Should Date Themselves + How to Do It
17. How to Get Your Free Time Back as a SAHM
18. Turn Someday into Today
19. Why You Should Throw Out Your Clothes
20. Rediscover Your Old Hobbies
21. How to Find New Hobbies You Love
22. How to Create a Daily Self Care Routine
23. Shut Down Your Negative Self Talk
24. How a Haircut Can Help You Find Yourself
25. Make a Bucket List You’ll Actually Complete
26. Unique Alternative Ideas to Help You Find Yourself
27. Why SAHM Need to Unplug Weekly
28. 10 Mom Date Ideas You Can Do at Home
29. 10 Mom Date Ideas to Get Out of the House
30. Embracing Your Weird as a Mom
31. How to Practice Mindful Reflection