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Not everyone will understand your journey. That’s fine. It’s not their journey to make sense of. It’s yours.

Zero Dean

Author | Photographer | CG Artist | Filmmaker

Your life is a puzzle without edges.

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Your life is a puzzle without edges. And everyone’s is unique.

No one is born with all their pieces — or knowing what their “life puzzle” will look like.

We gain pieces of our life puzzle by having meaningful life experiences. The more unique that the experiences we have are, the more unique are the pieces of the puzzle we receive.

Every truly meaningful moment we experience in life provides us with another piece that fits somewhere within our puzzle.

The more meaningful experiences we have, the more pieces we receive, and the more the pieces begin to connect with others in our possession.

Our life puzzles are all something we have to piece together on our own and try to figure out as we go.

Your life puzzle doesn’t have to make sense to anyone but you — and sometimes it won’t make sense at all, because not all the pieces you have connect with each other. So you have to be patient — and live, and reach out for more meaningful experiences.

And because your life puzzle has no defined edges, you will never know exactly how big your puzzle will be, but if you have enough meaningful life experiences and gain enough pieces as a result, it will start creating a picture you can see.

And from that, you can begin to make sense of the journey that is your life.

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It’s OK to be weird (and the best people usually are).

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In case no one told you, it’s OK to be weird (and the best people usually are).

Being weird doesn’t mean everyone will like you. But what’s the point of fitting in if you sacrifice your real self to do it? What’s the point of fitting in when it still doesn’t guarantee that everyone will like you?

And what’s the point of being liked when you are being liked for pretending to be someone or something you’re not?

Be your authentic self and you will attract people into your life who will like you for being you.

And then you can stop pretending to be “normal” and simply be comfortable with who you really are.

“Masks” by Shel Silverstein

She had blue skin.
And so did he.
He kept it hid
And so did she.
They searched for blue
Their whole life through,
Then passed right by –
And never knew.

[ And let me be clear, celebrating your weirdness doesn’t mean being disagreeable. It doesn’t mean completely disregarding people’s personal comfort or disrespecting individuals or customs or the environment. And it doesn’t mean allowing yourself to be totally socially inept. Quite the opposite.

Even if you don’t want to conform, it is important to conduct yourself in a way that is compatible with the society in which you find yourself.

Eccentricities can be good. And being quirky can be good. But if “being yourself” means you’re an assclown — try to be someone more agreeable. ]

From the comments:

Jackie: I’ve been told I’m weird since I was in my late 20s. I’m now 63 working on being totally myself before my birthday next month! Weird is wonderful! Weird is wild, wicked, wise, real, delightful, devilish, roguish, reliably funny, and so many other things. Why would anyone aspire to “normalcy”? How flipping boring, don’t you agree?

Zero: I do agree. I love the unique things about people that make them interesting.

Of course, not everyone’s “weirdness” is compatible with everyone else’s “weirdness”, but it’s still so much better to live life authentically than it is to pretend to be something you’re not — or be caught up in trying to be liked for things that just aren’t a part of your genuine self.

To live that way is to live a lie.

Jackie: Tried living the lie. Hated it. Decided to be me. Then learned how to be me. Scares the crap out of many folks. Makes me giggle, giddy, goofy, and best of all weird because there is no concentration on “fitting in” or being “normal.”

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The master of your destiny

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People often know exactly what they need to do to get the results they want, but fail to start because they don’t want to put in the work or subject themselves to the discomfort necessary to get from where they are to where they want to be.

Don’t fall victim to your brain telling you that it doesn’t want to do something — that could benefit you or others — because it is challenging or uncomfortable.

Most things you think are difficult to do at the beginning get easier with repetition. Not because the task gets easier, but because you get better at it. Stronger.

Every challenge you face and overcome today helps provide you with the strength & knowledge necessary to overcome the challenges you face tomorrow.

You have it within you to be the master of your destiny by resolving to bravely face the challenges necessary to get the positive results you want in life.

But you must stop trying to cheat your way through life by looking — or waiting indefinitely — for the magic pill or shortcut that never comes.

Do what is necessary to get the results you desire, and the discomfort you feel at the beginning of your journey will greatly diminish — or go away completely — if you commit yourself to getting through it without giving up.

Don’t sacrifice the kind of life and health you truly desire by catering to your short-term comfort over your long-term goals.

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Genuine kindness doesn’t have ulterior motives.

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Genuine kindness doesn’t have ulterior motives.

“The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” — Samuel Johnson

The reward for being kind is inherent in the act of giving it.

“Love is always bestowed as a gift – freely, willingly and without expectation. We don’t love to be loved; we love to love.” — Leo Buscaglia

Give kindness and do good because you can. Because the world needs more people who do. And there’s no better person to do it than you.

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Your life story

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“Today, I persevered.”
“Today, I tried something new.”
“Today, I learned a new skill.”
“Today, I made someone smile.”
“Today, I went outside my comfort zone.”
“Today, I encouraged someone.”
“Today, I showed appreciation & gratitude.”
“Today, I made progress toward my goals.”
“Today, I was a force for good.”
“Today, I loved everything about how I acted and how I lived.”

“Today, was a great day.”

Your life story is written by you — one day at a time. Make it worth telling.

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If you build it…

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Sunshine on your skin.
The smell of coconut oil.
The clink of ice in your drink.
Sand under your feet.
A gentle breeze.
The sound of birds.
Distant laughter.
Waves crashing.
A smile on your face.
And total relaxation of your mind, body, and soul.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it today, is to take 60 seconds or more painting your own vivid mental picture of what peace, happiness, and relaxation means to you today, breathing deeply, and simply enjoying it.

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Empower yourself

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Yes, there are a lot of problems in the world. And the media is happy to share them with you.

One of the most deceptively easy ways to start feeling bad about things is to start focusing on all these problems — and/or your own — without putting in quality time to focus on solutions and ultimately taking action.

The chances of miraculously solving all of your own or the world’s problems by focusing on how bad they make you feel are next to none.

Casually or subconsciously focusing on problems is one of the quickest ways to feel overwhelmed — and many times you won’t even realize why you suddenly feel miserable, only that you do.

If you’re not willing and/or able to commit to action and taking steps to change something for the better, then simply acknowledge your negative thoughts for the time being and move on to something more productive, more positive, more empowering.

Especially if you’re prone to depression.

It is totally ok not to start a project when you don’t have the strength, focus, or tools necessary to complete it.

Gather your tools and the right mindset, and have a strategy. Then you can tackle your problems with intention.

Einstein said, “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

Along those lines, I say we can’t solve life’s toughest problems from a state of mental or emotional weakness. Rather than make things better, attempting to do so often makes things appear worse. That’s when you, instead, focus on something else.

And if you ever find yourself stuck having to take action, and you have neither the tools or the strength necessary to do it, then reach out to someone who at least has the potential to help you.

There are always people out there willing to help you in any way they can. Even when they, too, have their own problems.

One of the greatest ways to feel empowered and valuable is to find a way to help someone else.

And by doing so, you might just find someone willing and able to help you solve your own problems. Or together, problems you weren’t capable of solving alone.

Student says, “I am very discouraged. What should I do?” Master says, “Encourage others.” — Zen Proverb

Synergy is a wonderful thing.

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Life is short.

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Life is short.

Have a purpose. Set goals. Complete as many as possible.

Live with intention. Don’t waste your time caught up in things that don’t matter. But take time to smell the flowers or stare up at the sky and marvel in wonder.

Live with integrity. Set the example you’d like to see.

Connect with those things that fuel your passions.

Stray from your comfort zone now and again. Try new things. Stretch yourself.

Find someone or something you can be good for.

Wear your invisible cape.

Every day.

Even on Mondays.

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