Be Yourself and Love It

When it comes to my personality, I will be the first one to admit that sometimes I can be a nutcase. I am quirky, odd, and a dork. For as long as I can remember, I have always been pretty silly and accepting of it. Sure, there have been times when I've been in social settings or time periods in my life where I went through trying to be someone I wasn't-- this was never fun. It's never comfortable trying to be someone you're not. As I have grown into my mid-twenties, had a career, and am beginning to start a family of my own, I am seeing my identity with greater clarity. This would be impossible if I didn't choose to only surround myself with loving people who allow me to be myself.

The message of this post is simple, be yourself. I'm sure many of you know this, but I find it to be such a powerful reminder. Especially when there are so many odd things about myself that may be embarrassing to own up to. However, these are the things that make me unique...even if they are flaws that I am working on.

“Imperfection is beauty, madness is genius and it's better to be absolutely ridiculous than absolutely boring.” - Marilyn Monroe

20 Random Facts About Me That I Like (As dorky and flawed as they are!)

1. Songs get stuck in my head in a matter of seconds. If I hear it, I'll be singing it (off key) all day. It makes me wonder how my future child will be when he/she hears a tune.

2. Sometimes I tell random stories that don't have a point or any plot whatsoever.I laugh when my audience gets confused and I realize I have done it again.

3. When I am feeling chipper, it's pretty normal for me to bounce into a room and make some odd noise.

4. If my kitchen isn't clean in the morning (usually after I breakfast) my day will feel off. So, I make it a point to start off my day productive with picking up the kitchen as the first thing on my agenda.

5. I love when my nails are done, but I am horrible at doing them myself. They always look like a hot mess! As a result, it takes me about an hour to give myself a manicure. I like to show my best friend how bad my nails look when I see her...she cringes. :)

6. I get very emotionally involved in T.V. shows I watch regularly. For example, I get SO frustrated with Andrea on The Walking Dead. Sometimes I go to bed irritated and keep my husband up as I vent about the events as if I was there. It's like I have a more exciting social life...HA.

7. If I am passenger on a drive, I will often read all the billboards I see along the road aloud. I won't realize I am doing it until I get really tired of talking and hearing pointless information come out of my mouth.

8. I admit to being easily amused. This leads to hysterical laughter at times.

9. Some people eat when they are upset. I tend to go on a neurotic cleaning streak or a long run when I am trying to release some steam. One time when Henry and I had an argument in college, my bathroom was spotless and my closet was reorganized. That's efficiency.

10. I didn't wear my retainer properly after having braces. Now, the alignment of my teeth is off and I can slide a piece of paper in between them easily. One time I showed my students this and tried to tell them it was a magic trick. I wasn't successful at winning them over.

11. I still think that feeding my dogs peanut butter is one of the most hilarious things (see fact #8).

12. My volume control isn't very good. I have a tendency to speak really loud when it's not necessary. I am definitely not a quiet little Asian! If Ross, from Friends, was my buddy, he would probably use his quiet signal with me.

13. Goals are important to me, and  I try to set them often. I think it's important to focus on something to stay motivated in any area of life. My goal for this list was to have 25 facts.

14. I can worry a lot, but I try not to sweat the small stuff. Sometimes things in life don't work out and I try to see the positive side (it's not always easy, but I try). For example, I got too tired to think of 25 facts, so I cut the list down to 20. No big deal. See what I mean? Staying positive.

15. When brushing my teeth, I squeeze the middle of the tube rather than pushing the paste upward. 

16. Since I grew up with two older brothers, I have hidden tomboy traits in me. For example, my favorite WWF wrestler was a dude named Razor Ramon. I must have liked his color spandex. 

17. When I taught, I loved having the kids participate in my wackiness. For instance, before a winter break, I bought them all fake mustaches to wear in class all day.

18. I love dogs so much. Our neighbor has a sweet dog and I have thought about ways to bump into the family with their dog so I can play with it. Yes, that's weird. But, asking, "Can your dog come out to play?" is weirder.

19. I have a fear of lice as a result of teaching children for 6 years. I worry about sitting in movie theater seats and always ask Henry if he thinks I'll get lice. I like to think I am health conscious.

20. I make up phrases that don't make sense and mix up idioms. For example, I tend to say, "Up the Kazoo" instead of, "Up the Wazoo". In my defense, I'd rather have a kazoo than deal with going up any wazoo. Right?

Here's a question for YOU, you fabulous reader, you. Leave a comment and share one random fact about you that makes you unique. :)