5 Steps to Help You Discover You’re Not Crazy

We’re kinda weird.

We think a little different than the rest of the world.

We oftentimes don’t conform to the norm…and that sometimes makes us think we’re a little crazy.

Good news? You’re not alone.

Confirmation

Upon starting my blogging journey, something happened. But this wasn’t the first time it happened. I remember this same feeling when I started looking for Christian designers a few years back.

As I went off on my freelance career, I discovered that finding people who valued design as much as I did, and did it from a Christian point of view, were nowhere to be found.

So I went looking. 

And I found one. Turns out, he was connected to about 15 others. Who, in turn, were connected to 15 others. You get the point.

I had found the niche market I was looking for and started connecting with them because they had the same principles and thoughts I did. It was really remarkable and confirmed that I wasn’t alone.

But, as I said above, the same thing happened with my blogging journey.

With previous experience in mind, I set out to find people who thought like me. You see, most of the people I know in my daily life couldn’t care less about web design or pursuing your dreams. They’re more, traditional, I guess you could say. That’s not wrong, but it’s just not me.

And we’ve always had a problem with geography restricting us to who we can truly connect with on a personal level. I’m here to tell you that you can’t hide behind that excuse anymore. The internet has broken down those walls and allowed us to find truly like-minded people.

Those people think like us. They act like us. They believe and live and strive for the same things we do.

They confirm that we are not crazy. 

So here’s my list of ways you can discover that you’re not crazy for thinking and feeling the way you do.

  1. Begin by looking for someone, just one person, that shares your similar thoughts. It could be a blog, Twitter, Facebook, anything. But look for someone just like you.
  2. Get involved in that person’s tribe. Maybe it’s 5 people, maybe 5000, but engage with the people who are talking back and forth. 
  3. Follow links from those people who you’re talking with. They’re likely to share things of similar interest and it will help you find even more resources.
  4. Start sharing your own thoughts via a blog or some other platform. I can’t stress this enough. If you’re going to connect with people, they want to hear your voice too.
  5. Don’t get discouraged. It’s easy to give us after you’ve searched for 3 days and can’t seem to find anyone who remotely believes the way you do. Don’t give up.

Before you know it, you’ll be connecting with people who care and think and dream the same way you do. It’s amazing to see how many people are very similar to you.

One of my favorite stories from Jeff Goins is the one he tells where he’s talking to a friend. He says that his friend told him that if you’re 1 in a million, and there are 7 billion people in this world, that means there are 7000 people just like you. That scares me a little…but it gives me hope.

And who knows, you may even find someone in your actual family is thinking the same way, that’s just a bonus.

When have you felt like you were weird for thinking your way? Have people told you you’re crazy? Have they been extremely unsupportive? Share with us, we all think like you.

 

8 thoughts on “5 Steps to Help You Discover You’re Not Crazy”

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  2. I totally relate with you. Most of the people around me think I’m crazy when I share my passions and dreams. Sometimes they don’t verbally say it but I can see it when their eyes start glazing over. Connecting with people like you shows me I’m not all that crazy.

    1. Most people don’t ‘get’ the path I have taken. I don’t blame them though cos they are not in my shoes, they possibly can’t see what i see and are gifted differently. Though that doesn’t stop me from desiring 100% support from everyone! (not gonna happen :)). But am glad the most person in my life gets it – my hubby is my cheerleader.

      I do know that it’s the curves and hard times that makes us strong 🙂

      Great post!

      1. Thanks, glad you liked it. It’s kinda a weird situation because we know we’re not supposed to want approval…but we kinda need it to keep going on. It’s best to work for THE audience of one. 😀

    2. This reminds me of an experience I had last Monday with my wife. Eventhough she tries to understand my interest in blogging and cartooning…she kept complaining about the time I spent in front of the computer…thinking Im fooling around.

      Last Monday, we were taking photos with a pro-photographer, who happened to be familiar with my work. After we were done with the pictures…he stressed to my wife the value of what I was doing and how much potential I had on transforming lives with my web page.

      I felt so great. Because my wife could see that people from the outside valued what I do. This let me think that I’m not alone and I must be doing something right.

      Thanks for sharing this article

      1. Daniel,
        It’s always awesome to hear stories of when people are able to really connect their dream to a reality. I’m glad the post provoked some thought and that you shared! That’s what this is all about and you never know when someone will recognize your work. I’ll have to check it out later on.

        Thanks for stopping by and I truly appreciate your time!

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