I received a letter in the mail from a friend last week. Yes, an honest-to-god, handwritten, snail-mail letter. What a delightful novelty!
My friend was asking for insight on an oracle card I pulled for him some months back at full moon time. The card message: Dare to Be Different. After meditating on my friend and the card, then hand writing the messages I received in a letter and putting it in the mail, something occurred to me. The oracle card was not only for my friend, it was also for me! And maybe for all of us.
There is a lot packed into that simple statement, Dare to Be Different. Let’s start with the last word. One interpretation could be different than, as in different than how I am currently being. Maybe there is something in my life that I need to shake up; perhaps it’s time I venture outside the borders of my usual habits or thought patterns. A nudging to dare to try something new.
Or, as it was in my friend’s case, an acknowledgement that being different is exactly what is needed at this time. That my tendency to be a little less attached to the “real world” and a little more rooted in the mystery of the unseen is a gift, even if it does make me feel a little weird sometimes. Perhaps Dare to Be Different is not a suggestion to modify who I am, but an invitation to be more fully myself.
I believe we all should consider the challenge of daring to be different, to be true to who we really are, despite who we think we are supposed to be, despite what we think others will think. And from that position of strength, dare to appreciate the differences we see in others and to feel compassion for those who may be struggling to be the fullest version of themselves.
Daring to be different doesn’t have to be difficult. In a world full of posts, texts and emails, my friend took the time to hand write a letter. That one small action made me feel special. I then carried my joy into the interactions I had with people that day. Perhaps that inspired them to do this same. I think my friend’s daring made a big difference.
