I’m an Author, I create Worlds for a Living, I’m also the King of the Weird, don’t tell Me Weird is an illusion!
By John Irvin
You know, all my life I’ve been called weird. I’m the nerd. The quiet one in the corner at a party. The one who finds more interest in books than socialising.
Funny thing about people, when you try to fit into their “normal” circles, you’re called weird. But when you finally begin to accept yourself as being weird…
“I’m weird. I’ve accepted this, it’s time you do too.”
I’ve noticed, in my experience, once you start setting this up, people begin to make comments like, “Weird is just an illusion, if you think about it. Because weird just means different and we’re all different—so you’re actually normal.”
That’s a load of horse manure.
I think, accepting yourself for who you are makes people uncomfortable, probably because they haven’t accepted themselves. Maybe you intimidate them by your confidence. To insecure people, confidence is scary.
The other day, my brain was wandering while I was taking a shower—as it often does. Thanks to a quote by Morticia Addams, this thought finally came to me.
“Normal is an illusion. What is normal for the spider is chaos for the fly.”
So the same goes for human beings.
These past few years, while I struggle with climbing my mountain called “the Author’s dream” I come across so many disbelievers who tell me I need to get a real job. Then there are those whose intentions are good, when they ask how the work is going. When I tell them things like, “I’m writing away” or “I’ve been coldpitching more proofreading clients” they give me that look and you know they think a 9 to 5 would be real work.
I know it’s out of the kindness of their hearts and they want to see me secure.
Or, with time, when they see no success—not to mention I don’t share much unless they ask and usually they don’t—they start to doubt I’m actually working. Over time, they consider me lazy and I just don’t want a “real job.”
It’s so easy to get frustrated, especially when you spend most of your time alone. Your brain likes to take those thoughts and turn them into self-doubt.
Am I really doing what I should be doing?
If I really were climbing that mountain, why haven’t I seen any success yet?
Is this just a pipe dream? Should I really get a 9 to 5 and just suffer and settle for misery the rest of my life? Or should I keep suffering the misery of this struggle, being misunderstood and having no validation for the hard work I’ve put in over the past years?
Let me tell you something, my friend. Your friends, your family, your well-meaning acquaintances…they are not you. Yes, the struggle makes you feel like a mess. That’s what happens when there’s a struggle!
Battles end up being extremely messy! Don’t you agree?
When your critics or well-meaners express their doubts in what is not their dream but yours, just smile and whisper.
“Excelsior.”
I just had to share this journey with you, my friends. While I slowly become more enlightened, more self-aware, I want to share it with each of you. Maybe my struggles and thoughts will inspire someone to keep going?
If you keep going, you’re already a winner.
Now, I do have to share my team’s GoFundMe link again, we’re still trying to raise that goal for this book tour of mine coming up in August. We’d appreciate any amount you could give!
Until next week, y’all have a great life.
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