Embracing Idiosyncrasy
Community Service Prefect Jemima (Year 12) encouraged her peers to celebrate their idiosyncrasies and elevate others to do the same.
Each week, our student leaders share their insights with their peers in Assembly.
For anyone who knows me, I am notorious for telling an excessively long story with no punchline, no ending, and not even a complication. I have learned to pride myself on my rambling. My New Year resolution is always to tell shorter stories, or even just ones with an ending. However, every year, this fails; my stories keep getting longer. In fact, they have earned me the name “Jemima Stories” amongst my friends and family. This was intended to be condescending, however, I have taken it under my belt, and am now very proud of the title. I have learned to celebrate something that was not necessarily meant to be positive.
Weaknesses do not have to be a source of shame. In line with the Prefects’ 2024 theme “Celebrate to Elevate”, we can celebrate and even take pride in them, because everyone has at least one. They are what make up an identity and a personality. Without our unique strengths and weaknesses, life would be boring.
But at the same time, I strive to improve my storytelling. Weakness and pride are not mutually exclusive. You can take pride in a weakness while striving for improvement. This principle is the same for strengths. You can excel in a skill that you simply don’t enjoy. And that is okay.
I have had first-hand experience of people dragging me down because I expressed excitement or passion about something. While I regret it, I have also pretended I didn’t like something, purely because I didn’t think it was cool, or my friends didn’t share my interests. The worst people you can surround yourself with are those who make you feel bad about being excited, or who don’t appreciate your strengths and weaknesses.
So, celebrate your successes, failures, strengths, weaknesses, and everything in between, because they are what make up you! Elevate others to do the same and support them as they strive for improvement too!