What's Wrong With Being a Square Peg?

Do you ever feel like you’re unsuccessfully trying to fit into what’s considered the “norm?”

I realized I’d been doing that for months. Even though I know myself pretty well, I still tried to make something work that didn’t have a chance.

When I worked for a large company, I got up at 5:00 a.m. in order to get to work on time. I had a forty-five minute commute and the expectation was that I be on the job between 7:00 and 7:30 a.m.

When I left that position in April to work full time at home – writing and editing – I was excited to finally be on my own schedule. I was finding my way back to living a more balanced life. Flexibility was my mantra. Only, I didn’t live it.

I fell into what I thought I needed to do in order to maintain and grow my own business. Every morning, Monday through Friday, I’d attempt to get out of bed early and be at my desk by 8:00 a.m. at the latest. I thought if I worked eight to five, I’d accomplish everything I needed to. WRONG!

First of all – I never made it to the desk by 8:00 a.m. There was the treadmill to tackle, prep for dinner that night to complete, laundry to throw in, errands to run, flowers to water . . . And then when I did make it to the desk, half the morning had flown by and I had an e-mail box overflowing with messages that needed to be returned. There seemed to be one distraction after the other. Evenings were set aside for meetings with fellow writers, worship team rehearsals, or just time hanging out with my husband.

Most days ended in frustration. I never seemed to get up early enough. And I never seemed to accomplish all that I wanted to. It was becoming a vicious cycle. I beat myself up for not fitting into the mold of what most people do during their legitimate “work” day.

I realized that I wasn’t embracing the freedom I’d been given. I’m not an eight to five kind of gal. So why was I trying to prove to myself – or anyone else - that I was?

By nature, I’m a night owl. This week I gave myself permission to stay up as late as I felt like working and sleep in as late as I felt like sleeping. It’s been GREAT!!! If I work from 11:00 p.m. – 4:00 a.m. and then sleep later – who cares???

I think too often we expect people to be round pegs. We want them to fit what we feel is normal, right, or good. We want them to be like us.

We may look at the person who’s covered piercings or tattoos and think, “gross.” The unmarried teen who totes a baby and hands over food stamps makes us wonder what her life is going to be like a year or five years from now. We question why a young man would quit college to follow his dream in the music industry. How can he be so irresponsible? We may feel pity for the heavy person who lumbers down the street. Why doesn’t he try to lose weight? And how can a homeless person prefer to live on the street instead of choosing to clean up and get a job?

We may want people to act, think, dress, talk like us, and believe in the same things we do. Because if they did, we’d feel more comfortable in our own skin.

But we’re not the same. We were never meant to be. With love and care, God made us unique and “special.”

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb” (Psalm 139:13).

Have peace with the fact that God never intended for us to all be round pegs, manufactured to look, feel, and act like the next peg.

Take joy in being a square, triangle, octagon . . . or whatever you are . . . and that you fit just right.

Dawn

P.S. - No, you're not seeing things! The design template I previously used is no longer available, as of today. So I had to make a few changes. Hope you like the "new" look! :-D