Take a "Q" from You...

Today's Word is Quiddity

“Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.”
~ Margaret Mead

At some point I wanted to explore a word that is rarely seen; a word that you can use in a scrabble game that will truly take you to the next level! I love this word and as a life coach it speaks to me. Quiddity is the essential nature of something, literally its "whatness," or "what it is.” It is the essence, the core, the centre and that which makes someone or something separate or different from another. We are all more alike than different and despite culture, religion, status, humans all need the same things; food, shelter and clothing of course, but we also need appreciation and acknowledgment, to be seen and recognized. It is your quiddity that you hope others will see; qualities that make you unique, that make you special, that cause you to stand out. Because that is what you want and I want and your friends want; it is the common factor, the joiner and the irony; we want to feel unique and in that way we are all the same. Your whatness is a tapestry, woven together by all the different colored threads of your life experience. No two people will ever color the world the same way. This quiddity is what I see in you, in my clients and in myself. It is everything from how you like your coffee, to the way your voice sounds, to the hopes and dreams that you cherish and all the DNA of your existence that is yours alone. It is all these diversities that create your unique brand. A country’s cultural interests can define it as separate and distinctive from other countries: Australia and kangaroos, Italy and pasta, Canada and hockey, the maple leaf, cold temperatures, friendly people and our fascination with Tim Hortons, eh? As an individual, you are definable by the inimitable characteristics that separate you from your peer group.

“At bottom every man knows well enough that he is a unique being, only once on this earth; and by no extraordinary chance will such a marvelously picturesque piece of diversity in unity as he is, ever be put together a second time.” ~Friedrich Nietzsche

You do have “something” that makes you–you, and your best life happens when you embrace this central part, your quiddity. You are not meant to be an imitation, a mock up or a replica of anyone else. You are not meant to shelter, shadow or conceal the essence of you. Exploring your distinctiveness does not divide you from others but instead demonstrates respect for each person’s own experience and relevance. By our commonality we will be strengthened, by our diversity we will be inspired.

Today Ask Yourself:

1. How often do you acknowledge your quiddity?
2. What are three things about yourself that give you butterflies and makes you feel special?
3. How could you bring out these qualities today?

If you would like to delve into, strengthen and create ways to demonstrate your quiddity, I would be happy to explore with you. Please visit my website, http://www.onpurposelifecoach.com/ and book your free consultation today.