The Wonders of Being Different (and Why It’s Worth Writing About!)

August 18, 2022
Reading time: 2 minutes
Appreciation, Change, Motivation

Share:

When our daughter Abigail was little, she struggled with reading. I’m not talking about the usual preschool alphabet-mix-up kind of struggle; I mean, she really struggled. We didn’t learn until much later that this struggle had to do with a learning difference. Finally, two years ago, she was diagnosed with dyslexia.

Yet even before she’d begun to close the gap with her peers, Abigail was way ahead in the communications realm. As they say, our obstacles often lead to strengths elsewhere. When a rolling stream meets a barrier, it redirects to another passageway with equal or greater force. Such was the case with Abigail. She couldn’t read, but (wow!) could she speak! In fact, she was able to articulate ideas more clearly and eloquently than most people I know. So we decided to “write” about her experiences in her first book, The Gift of Being Different (coming out on October 18!).

Abigail didn’t want to feel ashamed anymore, nor did she want other kids like her to feel ashamed. Instead, she wanted to convey the idea that often, our greatest gifts are hiding within our struggles. In other words, our differences can be our superpowers!

So many people in history have channeled their differences into great accomplishments. Artist Frida Kahlo, who suffered from polio as a child, also had spina bifida and other physical issues. In part because her movement was restricted, she turned to art as a therapeutic way to express herself. She became one of the most famous artists in modern times. Stephen Hawking, one of the most celebrated theoretical and astronomical physicists in history, continued to grow his mind and scientific knowledge even as ALS compromised his physical condition. And musician and famed opera singer Andrea Bocelli has achieved international fame despite the fact that he was born partially blind (and later became legally blind). He could feel the piano keys and understood the spatial elements of music better than he might have with full sight.

Consider the challenges that you (or your child, or someone else close to you) may face due to an aspect of yourself that runs contrary to the mainstream. All too often, we equate “different” with “lesser,” when in truth, the opposite is often the case! Whether it’s a learning difference, a physical difference, or another way that you do or see things differently, your uniqueness is part of your wonder. The world doesn’t need more cookie-cutter ways of being–the world needs originality! And there’s no one who can do what you can do in exactly the same way.

One of the most powerful messages in The Gift of Being Different is that you don’t need to know how to read or write to create a book. Abigail may not have been able to read with proficiency until the third grade, but she did have a voice and wasn’t afraid to use it. She believed in herself and her story. She is a shining example of what can be done if we embrace what makes us unique and dare to transform it into a superpower!

This week, try re-seeing one of your own challenges as a strength, or consider how that challenge might redirect you towards building other areas of yourself in new ways.

And when Abigail’s book is released on October 18, I will invite you to join in the celebration–while reminding you to keep discovering and sharing your own beautiful differences with the world!


Recommended Posts

Comments

  1. I look mainstreamed but my partner who is a female looks like a guy and is always being picked on or looked at. I told her not to be reactive but instead to look directly at them and smile.
    They might even smile back. All the challenges she has faced in life have made her stronger.
    I appreciate all that I have learned from Kabbalah.
    Love and Light,
    Lynn Saives

  2. Roberto Gamaliel Saldivar Silva : August 19, 2022 at 2:53 pm

    Todos los temas que desarrollan son importantes para la autoestima y la elevación del espíritu.

  3. Anne Louise Carpenter : August 25, 2022 at 1:13 am

    Way to go Abigail on your first book coming out. That’s amazing.

    Monica thank you. I’m a bedridden lady and have been for 7 years. It’s because of this I found Kabbalah which has improved my life as I feel closer to the Creator than I’ve ever been and got tools to help me bring and share the light.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *