Now, I know what you’re thinking. Why a wildflower? Why not title this article how to be a circle, or how to be a triangle, in a world full of squares? Well because my dear reader, that is entirely something a square would say.
During one of the first weeks of class, my professor asked us to write down what the opposite of a square is. Unsurprisingly, 99 percent of the class wrote, “circle.” He then asked us to write down not one, but five things that are the opposite of a square. Soon after, hands began to go up.
“A hexagon”
“A line”
“A cat?”
Now that was an answer my professor loved. “Yes!” he exclaimed, “A cat. That is what I’m talking about.” He was attempting to express to us the importance of creativity, even in the world of business, and about how to set yourself apart from the rest.
Props to you, you clever boy in the second row you. Because who would define the opposite of a square...a cat? A wildflower I decided, that’s who.
And so my friends, for anyone else who is afraid to define themselves as dull and rigidly conventional, here is how to be a wildflower in a world full of squares:
Know how to be solitary.
These days people fear spending time by themselves. They eat lunch together, they study together, they work out together. They are afraid of how others will view them for being caught sitting alone. But being solitary doesn’t make you unlovable; it is vital to love. When we can be alone, we can then truly be present with others.
Stay true to yourself.
Long gone are the days of following the latest trend. Wear what makes you feel comfortable and believe in what you know to be true. Heck, pull a Robert Frost and take the road less traveled by, it may even make all the difference.
Speak without regret.
The best conversations are the ones had without any hesitation or fear of consequence. Speak freely, deeply and intellectually with your best friend, your lover, or a stranger on a plane. Talk about the beautiful and the ugly and everything in between. The only words to regret should be the ones left unsaid.
Compliment other's quirks.
Every person you see is a work of art. Look for the beauty in everyone, admire it, and then compliment him or her for it. Tell the girl with the ring in her nose that it rocks, and tell the quiet boy hiding behind his long eyelashes that they’re lovely. People need to know that they’re beautiful.
Fall in love with someone's mind.
Get to know deepest, darkest parts of a person and just when you think you’ve reached the bottom, go deeper. Find the one’s who have been around, who have been hurt, lied to and had to rediscover themselves. These are the people worth loving. I once read, “What’s the fun in sharing your mind with a sane person when you can have the thrill, joy, adventure, misery and pleasure of sharing it with an insane one?" (Tumblr anonymous).
Why be a square when you can be anything that you want?
