Most of us spend a lot of time trying to fix what’s wrong with us—to round off our rough edges, so to speak.  (New Year’s resolutions, anyone?)  Dave Rendall says that’s exactly the wrong tack to take.  In his manifesto "The Freak Factor: Discovering Uniqueness By Flaunting Weakness,"  he says that our supposed flaws are actually the key to our greatness.  The trick is to see how your ‘worst’ traits might serve you.  Arrogant?  Be a leader.  Unfocused?  Brainstorm brilliantly.  Shy?  Be subversive.  Living in Japan among dainty waifs, I once felt hulking and enormous.  But then I realized that height is a sign of power, strength, and leadership; so now I wear heels and literally stand as tall as I can.   If you filed down all your spiky bits, you’d just be mediocre.  When you embrace your inner freak, you have the raw fuel to be outstanding. 

This was first published in Being A Broad magazine, where I write a monthly column called Advice For Renegades.  Reproduced with permission.