Guest guest Posted April 9, 2007 Report Share Posted April 9, 2007 Mickey, Ooh, I love this article!!! Thanks so much for sharing it with us around here!!! I have definitely felt as " one of the black sheep " for many years! But, fortunately, I've learned the exact things that the article discusses. I still embrace my background & family. But, I also " drum to the beat of a different drum " ! So in that respect, I claim " BELONGING " to both! What an interesting article -- such great food for thought for this Monday!!! Thanks so much for sharing it here!!! You are terrific! Hugs, PJ Mickey Peden wrote: Today's DailyOM brought to you by: April 9, 2007 One Of A Kind The Black Sheep Many of us have had an experience in which we felt like the lone black sheep in a vast sea of white sheep. For some of us, however, this sense of not belonging runs more deeply and spans a period of many years. It is possible to feel like the black sheep in families and peer groups that are supportive as well as in those that are not. Even if we receive no overt criticism regarding our values, there will likely be times when it seems that relatives and friends are humoring us or waiting for us to grow out of a phase. Sometimes we may even think we have been adopted because we are so different from our family members. These feelings are not a sign that we have failed in some way to connect with others. Rather, they should be perceived as the natural result of our willingness to articulate our individuality. Many black sheep respond to the separateness they feel by pulling back from the very people to whom they might otherwise feel closest and embracing a different group with whom they enjoy a greater degree of commonality. But if you feel that your very nature has set you apart from your peers and relatives, consider that you chose long ago to be raised by a specific family and to come together with specific people so that you could have certain experiences that would contribute to your ongoing evolution. You may be much more sensitive than the people around you or more artistic, aware, spiritual, or imaginative. The disparate temperament of your values and those of your family or peers need not be a catalyst for interpersonal conflict. If you can move beyond comparisons and accept these differences, you will come to appreciate the significant role your upbringing and socialization have played in your life's unique journey. In time, most black sheep learn to embrace their differences and be thankful for those aspects of their individuality that set them apart from others. We cannot expect that our peers and relatives will suddenly choose to embrace our values and offer us the precise form of support we need. But we can acknowledge the importance of these individuals by devoting a portion of our energy to keeping these relationships healthy while continuing to define our own identities apart from them. What do you think? Discuss this article and share your opinion Want more DailyOM? Register for your free email, or browse all articles Share the OM: Email this to a friend Printable version Save in My DailyOM Discuss this article Today's friend of OM: Sound healing uses sound to correct imbalances in the body, and our new Sound Healing section helps to align the energies of the body and invoke the power of healing. Featuring Deepak Chopra's Soul of Healing, Nubia Texeira's Pranayama, and Halpern's Chakra Suite, these are powerful healing experiences that must be heard to be believed. For more information visit DailyOM.com/shop From the Library: Messages From the Masters by L. Weiss More DailyOM: Browse the Library Today's Horoscopes Shop the Marketplace Join the Community Home | Gift Shop | My DailyOM | Marketplace | Community | Archives | Share The OM | Contact Us Subscribe | Change Email | User Settings | Unsubscribe | Privacy Policy | Disclaimer | Gift Shop FAQ | Advertising Info Make DailyOM Your Homepage | Link To Us | Publish DailyOM On Your Website © 2004-07 DailyOM - All Rights Reserved No portion of this site can be reprinted without express permission Artwork by Wang Chang-Ming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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