Embracing Your Quirks: The Gateway to Living Your Goodest Life
- Dr. Larry Goodman
- May 9
- 3 min read
By Dr. Goodman, Courage Catalyst + Transformation Coach
We all have them.
The odd habits. The peculiar reactions. The "little things" people sometimes point out with a raised brow or a loving laugh. Maybe you’ve heard:
"You always tap your pen like that?"
"You're so dramatic when you talk with your hands."
"You're too sensitive."
"You think too deeply about everything."
Those are quirks — and how you relate to them might just say everything about how much freedom you feel in your life.
The Quirk Awakening
Recently, I was coaching a woman who described herself as “too much.” Too expressive. Too bold. Too emotional. “People have always told me to tone it down,” she confessed, eyes welling up. “At work, in relationships, even in my own family.” And so, like many of us, she complied. She dimmed her light to avoid rocking the boat.
But I asked her something that made her pause:
"What if the things you've been told to mute are actually your superpowers?"
That question began her unraveling. Or maybe more accurately — her becoming.We peeled back the layers of who she had become in order to be accepted.And we found the real her — expressive, insightful, magnetic.
It reminded me of another client, a male entrepreneur juggling family, business, and the modern noise machine — news, politics, fear-based headlines. He came to me burnt out, overwhelmed, and disconnected from joy. Turns out, the very quirks that made him him — his relentless curiosity, his daydreaming nature, his unorthodox schedule — had been pushed aside in the name of productivity.
But here's the truth: Your quirks are often the breadcrumb trail back to your authentic self.
So What Are Quirks, Really?
A quirk is not just a habit. It’s a signature. A unique imprint of who you are when you’re not trying to be someone else. When we suppress our quirks to fit a mold — to appease "them" (parents, teachers, spouses, bosses, society) — we start living someone else's version of a life.
And somewhere along the way, we lose track of our joy.
We lose ourselves.
Quirks often come with a story — a history of being teased, rejected, or misunderstood. But with awareness and compassion, those same quirks can become sources of power, connection, and creativity.
The Quirk Test: A Mirror to Self-Acceptance
There’s an insightful self-assessment that asks you to rate your relationship with quirks. Questions like:
Do people point out traits you weren’t even aware of?
Have you hidden something about yourself that others found endearing?
Do you see quirks in others as charming?
Do you believe your quirks contribute to your success?
Your answers reveal a lot.If you scored low, maybe you’ve internalized a message that uniqueness is dangerous.Mid-range? You're beginning to awaken.High scores? You might already be wielding your quirks as creative weapons.
Regardless of your score — awareness is the beginning of liberation.
Coaching Through Quirks
In my 6-week “Your Goodest Life” Coaching Program, we dive deep into what I call the reclamation of self. That means identifying and embracing the parts of you you’ve tucked away to survive — and learning how to thrive by integrating them.
We don’t just talk about productivity or mindset.
We explore why you started hiding parts of yourself.
We rewrite those stories.
And then we craft a new, authentic way forward — one that includes your quirks.
Because when you stop fighting who you are, everything flows differently:
Your leadership becomes magnetic.
Your relationships deepen.Your anxiety calms down.
And your inner voice gets louder than the outside noise.
Final Thought: Your Quirks Are the Map
If you’ve been asking, “Who am I, really?” — start by tracing your quirks.
They’re not flaws.
They’re not signs that something is wrong with you.
They are road signs pointing back to your heart.
And when you begin to live from your heart — your real self —You don’t just survive.You soar.
Ready to remember who you are — quirks and all?
Join me for my 6-Week “Your Goodest Life” Coaching Experience.It’s time to reclaim the parts of you the world told you to hide.
Comments