Yesterday I came across one of those clickbait articles about Robin Williams. I rarely read those kinds of pieces, but Robin Williams remains my favorite actor of all-time so I decided to read it. It said:
“When auditioning for the role of Mork, Robin Williams reportedly sat on his head in the interview when they asked him to sit down. The producers immediately hired him because ‘he was the only alien who auditioned.’ ”
So often we’re trying to fit in to a job, a relationship, a community. We don’t show our whole selves at first because we want to test the waters. Is it safe to be weird? Is it safe to be who we are? Am I what they’re looking for?
This story about Robin Williams made me think that maybe we’re doing ourselves a disservice by reeling ourselves in. Maybe we should be exactly who we are right from the outset. And if that means we don’t fit in, then so be it. Authenticity is what matters. And not fitting in can be a wonderful stroke of luck because it encourages us to move on and find our pack.
Let’s not be afraid to be our wonderfully weird selves. Let it all hang out.
Christa Avampato 