Since starting this site, I have spent a lot of time talking about what causes people to become outcasts, the emotional and mental struggles faced by outcasts, etc.
But I have to make a confession: I’ve always hated using the word “outcast.”
There is something about my use of that word that has always made me cringe. Aside from the fact that it feels disrespectful to serious outcasts who are in seriously dire situations, I also feel that this word sort of conveys a sense of hopelessness, and that is not what I want to accomplish or write about.
For the type of people I’ve been writing about… and for the record, I am one of those people… it’s very easy to play the victim and want someone to make them feel better all the time. Granted, there are times where all of us need someone to comfort us. But if you are always walking around with that mindset, you’re just a victim, and that eventually becomes problematic.
Author and business coach Donald Miller puts it this way in his book Business Made Simple: “In stories, the victim is a bit part. The victim exists in the story to make the villain look bad and the hero look good. They do not grow, change, transform, or receive any sort of recognition.”
The type of people I am trying to reach with this site are often types who want to be understood and valued, and if Miller is correct, then playing the victim is pretty counterproductive to a misfit’s goal.
All of this is my build-up to announce why I am changing the focus of this site. I’ve already mentioned my issue with the word “outcast,” but I do have a word I love much more.
That word is “misfit.” The word misfit suggests that one missed fitting in. And to me, there is something so endearing about that word. In my last post I wrote about how in spite of feeling lonely at times in my childhood, I was happy to be rejected for who I was rather than changing who I was to make people accept me.
Truth is, I’ve never wanted to fit in. I wanted to be understood, but I didn’t want to change. I was and am perfectly happy to be a misfit.
And now I want to be more than a misfit. I want to be a motivational misfit. My favorite stories and biographies are about entrepreneurs, writers, musicians, artists, etc. who didn’t conform to the world standards but used their unconventionality to make a difference in the world. To me, those people are heroes of their own stories and many others’ stories.
I am now actively making myself the hero of my own story. I, who was once a lonely boy who found solace in stories about heroes overcoming evil, am now writing my own stories about heroes overcoming obstacles hoping that readers will be inspired to overcome their own obstacles. If I can help others have hope and be overcomers, then I can be the hero of my own story.
That’s what I want for you reader. I want to be a motivational misfit, and I want you to be a motivational misfit. Moving forward, I will be writing think-pieces, profiles of famous misfits, and book reviews to help fellow misfits see that not fitting in can be a powerful tool in making a positive impact in the world.
Fellow misfits, join me on this journey. Embrace not fitting in. Make yourself stand out in the crowd. Be the hero of your own story. Be a motivational misfit!
Love your written!