Fitting In and Standing Out

This caught my eye. Among a bunch of red berries, there is one green berry. It stands out right away. It shares the same bunch, stem, and space, but it is still different.

Made me think – there may be a small 𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝘁. Being part of the bunch feels safe, but being noticed for what one is also matters.

Often, there is an unconscious pull to be different. Not in a loud way, but in small moments – wanting to say something uncommon, take a slightly different position, or be seen as distinct. Then awareness comes in and asks, “Is this natural to me, or am I trying too hard to stand apart?”

That is when I pull back a bit to reflect. There is a real 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲.

The green berry in the picture is not doing anything special. It is just at a different stage. Its color is different. Maybe it will turn red later, or maybe it will stay different for a while. But it is neither fighting the bunch nor hiding.

Maybe our uniqueness is already present in how we think, feel, and act. And in how our experiences have shaped us.

The 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗮𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀. And then somewhere it drops.

There is a certain ease in accepting that we are already different. We do not have to become the same to be accepted, and we do not have to force ourselves to be different to matter.

WIP – to hold on to the uniqueness, not by forcing it. Also, by not hiding it. Just “being” there.