FREAK FACTOR

Freak Factor: click me!

In this article, David Rendall is talking about existing between your strengths and weaknesses, and figuring out what needs to be "fixed," versus what can actually be used to your advantage and shape you into a successful and society-accepted individual. He talks about how instead of fighting his weakness -- such as being hyperactive, needing to be the center of attention, and talks to much -- he used them to find a career as a professor, always standing and talking to his class.

He talks about taking your weaknesses and finding out how you can create a strength out of them -- how you can work with yourself instead of fighting yourself. The latter will only make you unhappy and uncomfortable, whereas the former will give you a sense of being in control of your life.

One point Rendall makes is to Find the Right Spot. He uses the example of Rudolph: all the other reindeer laughed at and belittled him, and he felt as though he was a freak amongst the others with no purpose. Rather, Rudolph's "flaw" was what caused him to become Santa's favourite, lead the others, and save the day! Rudolph's nose was the "perfect fit between his unique qualities and the situation." You don't have to change yourself or hide who you are to be successful, sometimes you're just looking in the wrong spot. You need to choose situations that fit you, fit your strengths and spotlight you for the difference you can make.

Another point Rendall makes is to recognize the Power of Uniqueness. Here, he uses the example of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The Tower was, of course, a complete accident but as we like to say in the creative world, it was a happy accident. Because of its uniqueness, tourists have simply flocked to Italy to see this landmark, spending absurd amounts of dollars to do so. People are attracted to its "flaw" because it makes the Tower interesting and unique. Quite simply, it is better to be interesting than normal, because we are surrounded by normal and people trying to be "normal" every day of our lives. What we want is a breath of fresh air, and that is what uniqueness gives us.

A third point Rendall makes is to Put Your Quirks to Work. Throughout this article he has made very clear that being unique and working with your strengths and weaknesses is the key to success, so how do we do all that? How do we channel our individuality like he says we must? Rendall put together a wee list explaining this, and they are an excellent way to get started. You need to do things like seeking out situations that maximize your strengths, and keep yourself from situations that highlight flaws. Stop doing activities you don't like, because they will only drag you down and stop the creative juices from flowing. Find people who complement you and bring out your strengths, while you bring out theirs. This kind of partnership will benefit all parties involved. Finally, find the uniqueness in others, and that will help you understand them and understand yourself. These connections, bringing together all his points, really helped me understand everything he was saying and how I could relate it to my own life.

I have found out a lot about myself and my strengths and weaknesses. My weaknesses include:

• I am a perfectionist, and it is often hard for me to be satisfied with an end product and stop continually tweaking it.
• I can get restless. 
• I can sometimes bite off more than I can chew, and then be very reluctant to admit this and ask for help. 
• I am easily distracted. 
• I am very impulsive and will jump into one thing or another, sometimes without taking the time to really think it out. 
• I often like to be in the center of attention. That might be the product of my theater major. :P

Some strengths I have found include: 

• I am a very good listener. 
• I am good at self-entertaining and am very patient. 
• I am very organized and like to keep everything in order in my head. 
• I am always punctual. In fact, the clocks in my room and my car (and my wristwatch) are set 5 minutes fast so I am never late.