“There’s a thread you follow. It goes among
things that change. But it doesn’t change.
People wonder about what you are pursuing.
You have to explain about the thread.
But it is hard for others to see.
While you hold it, you can’t get lost.
Tragedies happen; people get hurt
or die; and you suffer and get old.
Nothing you do can stop time’s unfolding.
You don’t ever let go of the thread.”

This William Stafford poem has been with me for years. It’s a famous poem, so I’m not alone. The curious part about the poem is that it refers to a thread. But the poet doesn’t directly tell you what the thread is. The thread can mean many things. The vitality of life. Our calling. Our purpose. God. Love. And so on. Each potential meaning-lens adds a new understanding of the poem.

I recently landed on a new way to see The Way It Is that has to do with the advice that I encourage in myself and others, which is to "own your weird." I talk about this in my recent book The Beautiful Business, through the context of business. But not only should a company own their weird, you and I should, too.

One of the weird things about owning our weird is that it's not what we think it is. At least, the version that society has taught us to believe may not be completely accurate, nor in our best interest. Your weird is the thing that makes you uniquely you. It's the thing you likely got teased about as a kid. And, if you’re like me, society has done its best to chase or beat it out of you in the name of normalcy and fitting in. That thing that made you unique as a child is still there, perhaps dormant, and ready to help you so you don't get lost in the journey of life.

If you're unsure or unready to own your weird, consider this. The etymology of “weird” comes from the Welsh/Middle English word wyrd, which alludes to having a connection to the divine, the unseen, and having the power to control destiny. Shakespeare used it in Macbeth through the Weird Sisters, originally known as "the fates,” which were considered “unearthly.” Oh yes, those Macbeth witches were weird, and so are you and I.

The way I see it, (and maybe the way it is) to be weird is to live in unity with your divine nature. After all, this is the essence of our true nature as humans—part primal animal, part divinely animated by unseen forces. That way you, me and everyone we know is beautifully weird.

So, go ahead. Step towards it. Embrace it. Your weird is waiting, and the world needs your weird.

From surfing to creating artwork to beekeeping, Steven Morris is an ever-curious brand and culture advisor, author (The Evolved Brand and upcoming The Beautiful Business), and seeker who’s served 3,000+ business leaders at more than 250 companies — discover more at: https://matterco.co/