Why Being "Normal" Is Overrated (And What to Do Instead)

Normal. What even is that?

Honestly, the word sounds a little boring to me. A little vanilla. Somewhat pedestrian. Like beige carpet or plain rice cakes — perfectly fine, completely forgettable.

And yet so many of us spend enormous energy trying to fit in, tone ourselves down, and smooth off the edges that make us genuinely interesting. We worry about saying the wrong thing, having an unpopular opinion, or standing out in a way that might make someone uncomfortable.

Here's what I think instead: stimulate people's minds with your thoughts.  Share your viewpoints. Show them how you see the world. Because the way you see the world is not the way everyone else sees it — and that's not a liability. That's the whole point.

When you let people know how amazing you can be — when you let them see the real you, your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours driven by your unique talents — something shifts. You stop performing and start connecting. And real connection is where the interesting things happen.

Here's a fact I love sharing with my clients: the chances of another person sharing your exact Top 5 CliftonStrengths themes in the same order as you is roughly 1 in 33 million. Not metaphorically unique. Mathematically unique.

So when you try to be normal — when you suppress or second-guess what comes most naturally to you — you're not being safe. You're actively working against something genuinely rare.

Own your weird. Own your wonderful. Own you.

That's where amazing lives.

Binny Langler is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach and career change specialist at The Inkling Effect. She helps people stop trying to be normal and start being themselves — on purpose.