Do

Think about something unique that interests you and not everyone else. Do you collect strange dolls off the internet? Do you enjoy reading children’s books and redrawing the book art? Do you enjoy role-playing games and dress up like the characters? Do you like love story movies that make you cry at the end when the two people finally kiss?  Whatever it is, think of some interest that makes you seem slightly different from the majority of other peers you know. 

Here is your challenge.  

Step 1: Talk to someone (Partner up? Email your teacher? Share with your class? Discuss with your parents?) and be ready to discuss one of your unique interests that you really enjoy and have them do the same. 

Step 2: Describe your unique interests with each other. What is it? How can people interact through it? Make sure your person understands it. 

Step 3: Now explain why you enjoy it and why others might enjoy it as well. What is it about your interest that draws you to it? 

Step 4: Think of one skill or experience from your unique interest that has benefited you in some other part of your life.  Are you better in school because of it? Are you better with technology? Have you become better at communicating because of it?  Try to figure this out with your person and have them do the same. 

Step 5:  Here is the extra exciting part! Ask your person  honestly and confidently if they would be willing to try out your unique interest ever and what they really think about it? It is ok for them to be honest and polite about it.  Remember that they might not be interested at all in what you have been explaining. That is completely fine! Being comfortable in your own skin is about accepting our differences and knowing that we all have unique interests, that not everyone else does. 

Congrats on sharing something about yourself! You should be proud and comfortable of the person you are. Getting honest feedback from someone who might not find what you are saying interesting can be intimidating! What if someone doesn’t find the same things interesting that I do? No problem. Humans are allowed to be different and have different interests. But who knows…since you were comfortable enough to explain and invite someone into your world, you just might have created a new friend who has a new interest out of all of this.  Or at the very least, someone else now understands you just a little bit more…and that feels nice.