September 8, 2025 • 16 mins
Embrace Your Inner Weirdo: The Freedom of Authentic Living (Living Lucky® Podcast)
What happens when you finally give yourself permission to be completely, unapologetically you? ✨ In this wonderfully weird Living Lucky® Podcast episode, Jason and Jana Banana dive deep into why embracing your authentic self—quirks, eccentricities, and all—is the most powerful choice you can make.
This is a self-help and personal development guide to breaking free from the fear of judgment and unlocking a life of magic and synchronicity. Get ready for these "nuggets of wisdom":
- The "Wonderful Weirdo" Conflict: Unpack the psychological tension that holds so many of us back—the dual fear of standing out too much and blending in too much.
- Tall Poppy Syndrome Explained: Learn why the fear of being "different" is a rational response to social pressure, and why you must rise above it to live your purpose.
- The Invisible Box: Discover the truth about the "box" you've been conditioned to fit into. It's not real; it's a social construction designed to keep you from changing the world.
- Your Unique "Flavor": We challenge the homogenization of modern society, reminding you that your uniqueness is your greatest gift and your most valuable contribution to the world.
- Unleashing the Magic: Hear how stepping into your authentic self creates a flow of synchronicity, attracting the right people and opportunities into your life in ways that feel like pure magic.
Are you ready to stop hiding and start thriving? We challenge you to celebrate National Wonderful Weirdo Day (or any day!) by doing something outside your comfort zone that you've always secretly wanted to do. The world needs your unique flavor.
- How to embrace your authentic self.
- The psychology of being different.
- What is Tall Poppy Syndrome?
- Overcoming fear of judgment.
- How to be yourself and not care what others think.
- The importance of being unique.
- How to break free from societal expectations.
- Living a fulfilled life.
- Personal growth and authenticity.
- "What is National Wonderful Weirdo Day?"
- "What is Tall Poppy Syndrome?"
- How can I be more authentic? Why is authenticity important? What are some ways to embrace your uniqueness? How do I deal with the fear of standing out? How does authenticity lead to a better life?
For mind-blowing inspirational content that we implement ourselves, join us by subscribing and connecting to our private community.
Thanks for joining us.
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Email Jason Shelfer HERE
The 4 pillars of Living Lucky
Believe in yourself
Believe in the people around you
Believe in your circumstances and
Believe that God is working through you, for you, and always conspiring in your favor.
*Previously Recorded
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Jana Shelfer (00:00):
Are you ready to create a life you crave?
Let's spin that doom loop ofnegativity into an upward
success cycle and start LivingLucky®.
Jason Shelfer (00:14):
Good morning.
Jana Shelfer (00:15):
I'm Jana, I'm Jason and we are Living Lucky®.
You are too Happy, national.
Wonderful Weirdo.
Jason Shelfer (00:23):
Day.
I'm a weirdo.
I'm a wonderful weirdo.
I'm a weirdo, you are too.
Jana Shelfer (00:30):
Just so you know.
We did not practice that If youcouldn't tell.
Jason Shelfer (00:34):
It just happens, sometimes Today, sometimes my
weird comes out.
Jana Shelfer (00:40):
It's National Weirdo Day and first of all I
find it kind of crazy that wehave to celebrate this day.
Jason Shelfer (00:49):
Well, I think sometimes we need to be reminded
that it's okay to be you Holdon.
Jana Shelfer (00:55):
You have a nose hair.
I'm going to pull it Ready.
Jason Shelfer (00:58):
Oh, it's on the outside, ah I think I got it
yeah.
Because that is a slippery sonof a gun.
Jana Shelfer (01:03):
You've been trying to get it I have for days.
For days I thought maybe youwere just trying to beat.
No, we were out skiing witheverybody.
Jason Shelfer (01:11):
Yesterday or Saturday, yes, and so yesterday
was Sunday, Saturday.
We were out there skiing and Icould see it flapping in the
wind.
I was like what the hell isthat?
I keep seeing a sparkle and Iwas like what the hell is that I
?
Jana Shelfer (01:26):
keep seeing a sparkle and I was like it's my
nose hair, it is, it's kind ofsparkly gray.
Jason Shelfer (01:29):
If you're out there listening right now and
you've ever had one of thosehairs that just comes out on the
side of your nose just on awhim, and you'll see it right
before you walk into a meeting,right before you meet with a
client, and you're like, oh crap.
Jana Shelfer (01:43):
There it is.
And it kind of slips throughyour finger.
And how did I miss it?
Jason Shelfer (01:45):
Because it's like three inches long you got to
have.
Jana Shelfer (01:47):
It's not really three inches long.
You got to have fingernails.
Jason Shelfer (01:50):
Yeah, but it's like the length of a long
eyelash and it's very fine.
I thought it's one of thosethat hides in the sunlight.
Jana Shelfer (01:57):
You should put mascara on it and just claim it.
Define it.
Do a Marilyn Monroe thing whereyou actually just accentuate.
Jason Shelfer (02:06):
Marilyn Monroe, cindy Crawford, you just put a
little dot on it, so it's alittle darker than it would be.
Jana Shelfer (02:12):
Put some what is it called Mascara?
That would make you weird andwonderful.
Jason Shelfer (02:16):
Yes, I'm going to start claiming that nose hair.
Jana Shelfer (02:20):
Which is what we're talking about today.
I'm not sure why, but there isa fear of being and we use the
word weird today because that'swhat the national holiday is
celebrating.
However, I think there's a fearof just being different, being
outside the norm or standing outfrom the crowd.
Jason Shelfer (02:43):
Right.
Jana Shelfer (02:44):
Yes, Am I right or am I right yeah?
Jason Shelfer (02:46):
you are right, and I think that the nose hair
thing is not what I want to be,not the authenticity that I'm
looking for.
Oh, okay, but I do.
There are things in me thatwhere I'm like if I'm hiding
that from myself, like hidingthe person that I want to be, I
will start not liking myself.
But I'm not going to.
(03:06):
I'm not sure what you're tryingto say.
There are times where I havesuppressed who I am.
Maybe, who you really want to be.
So I remember growing up andthere was a friend of mine I'm
going to say his name, lance,okay, and people would make fun
of him for him being authentic,like he loved to draw.
(03:28):
He was kind and people weren'tcomfortable with him being kind
or him like being in hisartistic mode, and there were
times where I would want to bewith the quote unquote, cool
people, Okay, and I hated myselffor that.
Oh interesting and so, like,quietly, I would want to be with
(03:53):
Lance.
I would want to be around Lance, because I loved being artistic
, I loved being kind, like I wasa kind person, you are a kind
person, I am a kind person.
And then I was like, but Idon't want people to be unkind
to me, does that make sense?
Jana Shelfer (04:10):
So would people make fun of him, would people
chastise?
Jason Shelfer (04:13):
him.
It was just like he wouldn'tget included sometimes.
Jana Shelfer (04:17):
Okay, because he was different.
Jason Shelfer (04:18):
Because he was different but he was so talented
, so talented, so smart, allthese things like there were.
There were multiple people thatI ran into through, like in
this little area of middle itwas middle school ish like where
people are finding those littleclicks.
Jana Shelfer (04:33):
Yes.
Jason Shelfer (04:34):
And I recognize this, and it was that point
where I was like OK, well, whoam I going to be?
And I think that's where Istarted kind of breaking out and
becoming just a different, likeI was.
I started a very differentversion of myself and I started
(04:55):
kind of lashing out like being Igot the nickname, I think wild
man.
Jana Shelfer (05:01):
Really yeah, because it was like Okay, you've
told me you were always like oh, that was my nickname in
college, that was my nickname inhigh school.
Jason Shelfer (05:08):
You've never actually told me, there was like
wild man and shell, like wildman, shelfer.
Jana Shelfer (05:15):
It's kind of like a wild hare that grows out of
your nose Right because Istarted kind of acting out to
set myself out of all groups.
Interesting.
Jason Shelfer (05:24):
It was really and I'm just kind of reflecting on
this now like in this podcast,I've been told many times don't
use your podcast for your owntherapy.
Here I am.
Here, I am giving myselftherapy.
However, when this helps us, ifwe can do a podcast that helps
us, then I know there's someoneelse out there that it can also
(05:46):
help but it was part of, I think, because I was, I was hating, I
was not liking myself because Ididn't necessarily want to fit
in with the cool kids.
Quote, unquote cool kids,because who was telling them
they're cool?
But it's cool to be cool likeand then I also didn't want to
say, I didn't want to Identifywith.
Jana Shelfer (06:09):
Lance.
Jason Shelfer (06:11):
Yeah, I wanted to be available for everybody,
kind of in that situation, likeI was like hey, don't put me in
with you because you're being anasshole to Lance.
You know what.
Jana Shelfer (06:20):
I don't like when people label me or try to put me
in a box either.
Jason Shelfer (06:24):
That's something that you and I have in common,
but here I was creating my ownlabel.
Jana Shelfer (06:29):
Interesting.
That's a very interesting wayof looking at it.
Don't label me.
Jason Shelfer (06:35):
I'm creating my own label.
Jana Shelfer (06:36):
Okay, so on my end .
Okay, now my therapy Now myturn.
Jason Shelfer (06:40):
Okay, let's get in it.
Lay back.
Jana Shelfer (06:42):
For me so I'm a paraplegic and I definitely am
different.
It's like one of these thingsis not like the other.
And that's me, that is totallyme, and I know that I've always
had this limiting belief of Ijust want to be normal.
I just want to be normal.
And I know I've told this storymany, many times, but it wasn't
(07:05):
until my cleaning ladyliterally said normal, you want
to be a setting on a washingmachine, right?
And then I was like well, Idon't really want to be that
either, right?
So I guess, on that seems soaverage Right, so like.
Jason Shelfer (07:21):
And actually that's on everything, so I have
a fear going both ways.
Jana Shelfer (07:25):
I have a fear of being mediocre, average, and I
also have a fear of standing out, and that's a conflict that
lives deep within me.
So I guess I really appreciatetoday, wonderful Weirdo Day,
because it feels like I'm givingmyself permission to just be
(07:51):
whoever I want to be.
Jason Shelfer (07:52):
I'm giving myself permission to just be whoever I
want to be.
I think Wonderful Weirder Daybrings out that permission slip
to find your true authenticityand curiosity, to say, hey, what
are those things in my soulthat have called to me where I
didn't answer the door or answerthe phone?
Jana Shelfer (08:11):
You know, just as you say, that I had a little
flash of a memory that happenedto me, and it was one day I went
to work.
I worked at a radio station.
I went to work and I wore theseI mean these overalls, and they
weren't like super cooloveralls, they were kind of just
(08:31):
like overalls that I had.
I was like I'm going to wearthese.
They were ones that I would artin, ones that I needed to go to
work that day.
So I wore my overalls.
Jason Shelfer (08:41):
You got called Mrs Green Jeans.
Jana Shelfer (08:42):
I remember Topher.
I'm going to call Topher out.
Topher said to me he whispered,he was like I'm just going to
give you a little fashion adviceDon't ever wear those again,
ever in public.
And I remember him making mefeel a little weird, like I
(09:04):
don't fit in, like that'sdifferent and that's so not cool
.
Jason Shelfer (09:10):
Yeah, and he was so he wanted to be fashion
police.
Jana Shelfer (09:15):
I don't know it, just I just remember this.
Oh my gosh, like it's like ifyour boobs are hanging out.
So in psychology there is athing called tall poppy syndrome
, where sometimes the tall poppy, the one that grows taller than
the rest of the group, gets cut.
It's the first to get cut right.
Jason Shelfer (09:36):
Yeah.
Jana Shelfer (09:37):
When the lawnmower comes, it's definitely going to
get cut.
Jason Shelfer (09:40):
Yeah, because the more attention that gets put on
you, the more people are goingto find, like look for your
flaws, you become a target.
Jana Shelfer (10:14):
So it is rational to have a fear of being outside
the norm.
However, I want to encourageeveryone to push that limit,
because every time I just allowmyself to be my authentic, true
self, which, I guarantee you, isvery unlike anyone I've ever
met.
In fact, it's very hard for meto find someone like me, and the
reason is because I feel likeI'm very eccentric I think
that's the word eccentric and Ijust want to encourage people,
though truly experience magic.
(10:40):
It's when my most creative selfcomes out.
It's when my most innovativeself comes out.
It's when I feel opportunitiesstart coming my way.
There's synchronicities thatstart happening.
Jason Shelfer (10:52):
I think it's when you are in true rhythm and
harmony with who you're meant tobe and who you truly are, and
when the like the universe isworking in, like you're in the
rhythm with the universe, likeyou're in that total flow state
is when you're allowing yourwhat?
Quote unquote, weird.
We can call it weird.
(11:13):
I'm going to call it your trueauthenticity, your true flavor,
like if we're.
Jana Shelfer (11:20):
And sometimes that's outside of what society
thinks you're supposed to be.
Jason Shelfer (11:28):
Yes, I'm going to say like, if you and Jana gets
on to me sometimes because myanalogies or my metaphors are
very out there and weird, but ifyou think of the world, we're
celebrating that today as a hugedish, like a huge plate of food
.
The people in it are alldifferent spices, so we are not
(11:52):
all meant to be the same flavor.
You are all meant to have yourown individual, very unique,
very specific taste.
Individual, very unique, veryspecific taste, as if you were
picked up and tastedindividually like a little small
taste bud and you have adistinct flavor.
So be that very specific,individual, distinct, weird
(12:15):
flavor so you can set the tasteof the world apart.
Jana Shelfer (12:20):
You know, I remember when I was younger,
growing up, radio stations youcould actually tell where people
were from by their accents andthe music they listened to,
because each radio station wouldkind of have a different flavor
.
Yes.
And then when everything becamedigitalized and the online era
(12:43):
started happening, then thatstarted to homogenize the entire
nation, because the same musicwould go out Everywhere,
everywhere.
And all of a sudden, my littleyou know, like I would, I would.
I grew up singing Dolly Parton,you know, and Minnie Parton,
(13:04):
ireland's in the stream.
That is what we are.
Yeah, like the Oak Ridge Boys.
You know what I'm saying?
Oh gosh, yes.
Are you with me?
Yes or Elvira?
Jason Shelfer (13:16):
Elvira yeah.
Jana Shelfer (13:21):
And I remember when I would meet people from
other places I felt a little-.
Jason Shelfer (13:26):
They're singing Joan Jett.
What?
Who is this Joan Jett?
Jana Shelfer (13:29):
Introduce me.
They would look at me like Iwas a weirdo, yeah.
Jason Shelfer (13:33):
So just going from Tallahassee?
Yeah, so just in Florida?
Yes, so going from Tallahasseeto go meet one of my mom's
friends who had a kid my age inCrystal River, florida, which is
only 250 miles, the music wastotally different.
Jana Shelfer (13:49):
And the reason I bring this up is because it
feels just in general.
With everything we do, it feelslike we are becoming more and
more the same and it also feelslike when we do step outside
that sameness there is I don'twant to say a judgment, but for
(14:14):
me there's a fear of steppingoutside that.
However, when I do step outsideand have the courage and the
bravery to just be me, it's likefreeing your soul and again, I
cannot express enough how.
When I let my soul just unleash, that's when the magic happens.
(14:38):
That's when I feel so luckybecause all the right
opportunities come my way, allthe right people come my way and
I just feel like I send outthis authentic energy.
Jason Shelfer (14:50):
Yeah, and I would argue you mentioned that you
feel free when you get outsideof that homogenous sameness of
everything and I would arguethat if you are doing the same
(15:11):
thing that everyone else isdoing, if you're trying to fit
in, if you're hiding your weird,someone has trained you or
encouraged you or conditionedyou to stay in your box.
Jana Shelfer (15:25):
Yes.
Jason Shelfer (15:26):
So someone has probably conditioned you to hide
yourself, to be someone thatyou're, not to be
inauthentically you, so that youcan be something they need you
to be.
So you will not be able tochange the world in the way that
you are meant to change it.
Jana Shelfer (15:47):
Okay, so today, to celebrate Wonderful Weirdo Day,
because weirdos unite I'm goingto challenge everyone listening
to this to get outside your box.
Do something different today.
Do something that you've alwayssecretly wanted to do.
Maybe you want to make up yourown language, or maybe you just
(16:08):
want to Just go for a walk.
Jason Shelfer (16:11):
For me it's just hiking through my own town In a
costume, in a big backpack.
Jana Shelfer (16:15):
Yeah, go for a walk in a weird costume.
Let's just celebrate beingweird.
Let's get outside the box,because I'm going to tell you
one thing there is no box.
Jason Shelfer (16:28):
So weird.
Jana Shelfer (16:28):
That's a societal construction that we have all
bought into.
Happy, wonderful Weirdo Day.
Keep Living Lucky®, you big oldweirdo.
If the idea of Living Lucky®appeals to you, visit us at www.
LivingLucky.
com.
Are you ready to create a life you crave?
Let's spin that doom loop ofnegativity into an upward
success cycle and start LivingLucky®.
Jason Shelfer (00:14):
Good morning.
Jana Shelfer (00:15):
I'm Jana, I'm Jason and we are Living Lucky®.
You are too Happy, national.
Wonderful Weirdo.
Jason Shelfer (00:23):
Day.
I'm a weirdo.
I'm a wonderful weirdo.
I'm a weirdo, you are too.
Jana Shelfer (00:30):
Just so you know.
We did not practice that If youcouldn't tell.
Jason Shelfer (00:34):
It just happens, sometimes Today, sometimes my
weird comes out.
Jana Shelfer (00:40):
It's National Weirdo Day and first of all I
find it kind of crazy that wehave to celebrate this day.
Jason Shelfer (00:49):
Well, I think sometimes we need to be reminded
that it's okay to be you Holdon.
Jana Shelfer (00:55):
You have a nose hair.
I'm going to pull it Ready.
Jason Shelfer (00:58):
Oh, it's on the outside, ah I think I got it
yeah.
Because that is a slippery sonof a gun.
Jana Shelfer (01:03):
You've been trying to get it I have for days.
For days I thought maybe youwere just trying to beat.
No, we were out skiing witheverybody.
Jason Shelfer (01:11):
Yesterday or Saturday, yes, and so yesterday
was Sunday, Saturday.
We were out there skiing and Icould see it flapping in the
wind.
I was like what the hell isthat?
I keep seeing a sparkle and Iwas like what the hell is that I
?
Jana Shelfer (01:26):
keep seeing a sparkle and I was like it's my
nose hair, it is, it's kind ofsparkly gray.
Jason Shelfer (01:29):
If you're out there listening right now and
you've ever had one of thosehairs that just comes out on the
side of your nose just on awhim, and you'll see it right
before you walk into a meeting,right before you meet with a
client, and you're like, oh crap.
Jana Shelfer (01:43):
There it is.
And it kind of slips throughyour finger.
And how did I miss it?
Jason Shelfer (01:45):
Because it's like three inches long you got to
have.
Jana Shelfer (01:47):
It's not really three inches long.
You got to have fingernails.
Jason Shelfer (01:50):
Yeah, but it's like the length of a long
eyelash and it's very fine.
I thought it's one of thosethat hides in the sunlight.
Jana Shelfer (01:57):
You should put mascara on it and just claim it.
Define it.
Do a Marilyn Monroe thing whereyou actually just accentuate.
Jason Shelfer (02:06):
Marilyn Monroe, cindy Crawford, you just put a
little dot on it, so it's alittle darker than it would be.
Jana Shelfer (02:12):
Put some what is it called Mascara?
That would make you weird andwonderful.
Jason Shelfer (02:16):
Yes, I'm going to start claiming that nose hair.
Jana Shelfer (02:20):
Which is what we're talking about today.
I'm not sure why, but there isa fear of being and we use the
word weird today because that'swhat the national holiday is
celebrating.
However, I think there's a fearof just being different, being
outside the norm or standing outfrom the crowd.
Jason Shelfer (02:43):
Right.
Jana Shelfer (02:44):
Yes, Am I right or am I right yeah?
Jason Shelfer (02:46):
you are right, and I think that the nose hair
thing is not what I want to be,not the authenticity that I'm
looking for.
Oh, okay, but I do.
There are things in me thatwhere I'm like if I'm hiding
that from myself, like hidingthe person that I want to be, I
will start not liking myself.
But I'm not going to.
(03:06):
I'm not sure what you're tryingto say.
There are times where I havesuppressed who I am.
Maybe, who you really want to be.
So I remember growing up andthere was a friend of mine I'm
going to say his name, lance,okay, and people would make fun
of him for him being authentic,like he loved to draw.
(03:28):
He was kind and people weren'tcomfortable with him being kind
or him like being in hisartistic mode, and there were
times where I would want to bewith the quote unquote, cool
people, Okay, and I hated myselffor that.
Oh interesting and so, like,quietly, I would want to be with
(03:53):
Lance.
I would want to be around Lance, because I loved being artistic
, I loved being kind, like I wasa kind person, you are a kind
person, I am a kind person.
And then I was like, but Idon't want people to be unkind
to me, does that make sense?
Jana Shelfer (04:10):
So would people make fun of him, would people
chastise?
Jason Shelfer (04:13):
him.
It was just like he wouldn'tget included sometimes.
Jana Shelfer (04:17):
Okay, because he was different.
Jason Shelfer (04:18):
Because he was different but he was so talented
, so talented, so smart, allthese things like there were.
There were multiple people thatI ran into through, like in
this little area of middle itwas middle school ish like where
people are finding those littleclicks.
Jana Shelfer (04:33):
Yes.
Jason Shelfer (04:34):
And I recognize this, and it was that point
where I was like OK, well, whoam I going to be?
And I think that's where Istarted kind of breaking out and
becoming just a different, likeI was.
I started a very differentversion of myself and I started
(04:55):
kind of lashing out like being Igot the nickname, I think wild
man.
Jana Shelfer (05:01):
Really yeah, because it was like Okay, you've
told me you were always like oh, that was my nickname in
college, that was my nickname inhigh school.
Jason Shelfer (05:08):
You've never actually told me, there was like
wild man and shell, like wildman, shelfer.
Jana Shelfer (05:15):
It's kind of like a wild hare that grows out of
your nose Right because Istarted kind of acting out to
set myself out of all groups.
Interesting.
Jason Shelfer (05:24):
It was really and I'm just kind of reflecting on
this now like in this podcast,I've been told many times don't
use your podcast for your owntherapy.
Here I am.
Here, I am giving myselftherapy.
However, when this helps us, ifwe can do a podcast that helps
us, then I know there's someoneelse out there that it can also
(05:46):
help but it was part of, I think, because I was, I was hating, I
was not liking myself because Ididn't necessarily want to fit
in with the cool kids.
Quote, unquote cool kids,because who was telling them
they're cool?
But it's cool to be cool likeand then I also didn't want to
say, I didn't want to Identifywith.
Jana Shelfer (06:09):
Lance.
Jason Shelfer (06:11):
Yeah, I wanted to be available for everybody,
kind of in that situation, likeI was like hey, don't put me in
with you because you're being anasshole to Lance.
You know what.
Jana Shelfer (06:20):
I don't like when people label me or try to put me
in a box either.
Jason Shelfer (06:24):
That's something that you and I have in common,
but here I was creating my ownlabel.
Jana Shelfer (06:29):
Interesting.
That's a very interesting wayof looking at it.
Don't label me.
Jason Shelfer (06:35):
I'm creating my own label.
Jana Shelfer (06:36):
Okay, so on my end .
Okay, now my therapy Now myturn.
Jason Shelfer (06:40):
Okay, let's get in it.
Lay back.
Jana Shelfer (06:42):
For me so I'm a paraplegic and I definitely am
different.
It's like one of these thingsis not like the other.
And that's me, that is totallyme, and I know that I've always
had this limiting belief of Ijust want to be normal.
I just want to be normal.
And I know I've told this storymany, many times, but it wasn't
(07:05):
until my cleaning ladyliterally said normal, you want
to be a setting on a washingmachine, right?
And then I was like well, Idon't really want to be that
either, right?
So I guess, on that seems soaverage Right, so like.
Jason Shelfer (07:21):
And actually that's on everything, so I have
a fear going both ways.
Jana Shelfer (07:25):
I have a fear of being mediocre, average, and I
also have a fear of standing out, and that's a conflict that
lives deep within me.
So I guess I really appreciatetoday, wonderful Weirdo Day,
because it feels like I'm givingmyself permission to just be
(07:51):
whoever I want to be.
Jason Shelfer (07:52):
I'm giving myself permission to just be whoever I
want to be.
I think Wonderful Weirder Daybrings out that permission slip
to find your true authenticityand curiosity, to say, hey, what
are those things in my soulthat have called to me where I
didn't answer the door or answerthe phone?
Jana Shelfer (08:11):
You know, just as you say, that I had a little
flash of a memory that happenedto me, and it was one day I went
to work.
I worked at a radio station.
I went to work and I wore theseI mean these overalls, and they
weren't like super cooloveralls, they were kind of just
(08:31):
like overalls that I had.
I was like I'm going to wearthese.
They were ones that I would artin, ones that I needed to go to
work that day.
So I wore my overalls.
Jason Shelfer (08:41):
You got called Mrs Green Jeans.
Jana Shelfer (08:42):
I remember Topher.
I'm going to call Topher out.
Topher said to me he whispered,he was like I'm just going to
give you a little fashion adviceDon't ever wear those again,
ever in public.
And I remember him making mefeel a little weird, like I
(09:04):
don't fit in, like that'sdifferent and that's so not cool
.
Jason Shelfer (09:10):
Yeah, and he was so he wanted to be fashion
police.
Jana Shelfer (09:15):
I don't know it, just I just remember this.
Oh my gosh, like it's like ifyour boobs are hanging out.
So in psychology there is athing called tall poppy syndrome
, where sometimes the tall poppy, the one that grows taller than
the rest of the group, gets cut.
It's the first to get cut right.
Jason Shelfer (09:36):
Yeah.
Jana Shelfer (09:37):
When the lawnmower comes, it's definitely going to
get cut.
Jason Shelfer (09:40):
Yeah, because the more attention that gets put on
you, the more people are goingto find, like look for your
flaws, you become a target.
Jana Shelfer (10:14):
So it is rational to have a fear of being outside
the norm.
However, I want to encourageeveryone to push that limit,
because every time I just allowmyself to be my authentic, true
self, which, I guarantee you, isvery unlike anyone I've ever
met.
In fact, it's very hard for meto find someone like me, and the
reason is because I feel likeI'm very eccentric I think
that's the word eccentric and Ijust want to encourage people,
though truly experience magic.
(10:40):
It's when my most creative selfcomes out.
It's when my most innovativeself comes out.
It's when I feel opportunitiesstart coming my way.
There's synchronicities thatstart happening.
Jason Shelfer (10:52):
I think it's when you are in true rhythm and
harmony with who you're meant tobe and who you truly are, and
when the like the universe isworking in, like you're in the
rhythm with the universe, likeyou're in that total flow state
is when you're allowing yourwhat?
Quote unquote, weird.
We can call it weird.
(11:13):
I'm going to call it your trueauthenticity, your true flavor,
like if we're.
Jana Shelfer (11:20):
And sometimes that's outside of what society
thinks you're supposed to be.
Jason Shelfer (11:28):
Yes, I'm going to say like, if you and Jana gets
on to me sometimes because myanalogies or my metaphors are
very out there and weird, but ifyou think of the world, we're
celebrating that today as a hugedish, like a huge plate of food
.
The people in it are alldifferent spices, so we are not
(11:52):
all meant to be the same flavor.
You are all meant to have yourown individual, very unique,
very specific taste.
Individual, very unique, veryspecific taste, as if you were
picked up and tastedindividually like a little small
taste bud and you have adistinct flavor.
So be that very specific,individual, distinct, weird
(12:15):
flavor so you can set the tasteof the world apart.
Jana Shelfer (12:20):
You know, I remember when I was younger,
growing up, radio stations youcould actually tell where people
were from by their accents andthe music they listened to,
because each radio station wouldkind of have a different flavor
.
Yes.
And then when everything becamedigitalized and the online era
(12:43):
started happening, then thatstarted to homogenize the entire
nation, because the same musicwould go out Everywhere,
everywhere.
And all of a sudden, my littleyou know, like I would, I would.
I grew up singing Dolly Parton,you know, and Minnie Parton,
(13:04):
ireland's in the stream.
That is what we are.
Yeah, like the Oak Ridge Boys.
You know what I'm saying?
Oh gosh, yes.
Are you with me?
Yes or Elvira?
Jason Shelfer (13:16):
Elvira yeah.
Jana Shelfer (13:21):
And I remember when I would meet people from
other places I felt a little-.
Jason Shelfer (13:26):
They're singing Joan Jett.
What?
Who is this Joan Jett?
Jana Shelfer (13:29):
Introduce me.
They would look at me like Iwas a weirdo, yeah.
Jason Shelfer (13:33):
So just going from Tallahassee?
Yeah, so just in Florida?
Yes, so going from Tallahasseeto go meet one of my mom's
friends who had a kid my age inCrystal River, florida, which is
only 250 miles, the music wastotally different.
Jana Shelfer (13:49):
And the reason I bring this up is because it
feels just in general.
With everything we do, it feelslike we are becoming more and
more the same and it also feelslike when we do step outside
that sameness there is I don'twant to say a judgment, but for
(14:14):
me there's a fear of steppingoutside that.
However, when I do step outsideand have the courage and the
bravery to just be me, it's likefreeing your soul and again, I
cannot express enough how.
When I let my soul just unleash, that's when the magic happens.
(14:38):
That's when I feel so luckybecause all the right
opportunities come my way, allthe right people come my way and
I just feel like I send outthis authentic energy.
Jason Shelfer (14:50):
Yeah, and I would argue you mentioned that you
feel free when you get outsideof that homogenous sameness of
everything and I would arguethat if you are doing the same
(15:11):
thing that everyone else isdoing, if you're trying to fit
in, if you're hiding your weird,someone has trained you or
encouraged you or conditionedyou to stay in your box.
Jana Shelfer (15:25):
Yes.
Jason Shelfer (15:26):
So someone has probably conditioned you to hide
yourself, to be someone thatyou're, not to be
inauthentically you, so that youcan be something they need you
to be.
So you will not be able tochange the world in the way that
you are meant to change it.
Jana Shelfer (15:47):
Okay, so today, to celebrate Wonderful Weirdo Day,
because weirdos unite I'm goingto challenge everyone listening
to this to get outside your box.
Do something different today.
Do something that you've alwayssecretly wanted to do.
Maybe you want to make up yourown language, or maybe you just
(16:08):
want to Just go for a walk.
Jason Shelfer (16:11):
For me it's just hiking through my own town In a
costume, in a big backpack.
Jana Shelfer (16:15):
Yeah, go for a walk in a weird costume.
Let's just celebrate beingweird.
Let's get outside the box,because I'm going to tell you
one thing there is no box.
Jason Shelfer (16:28):
So weird.
Jana Shelfer (16:28):
That's a societal construction that we have all
bought into.
Happy, wonderful Weirdo Day.
Keep Living Lucky®, you big oldweirdo.
If the idea of Living Lucky®appeals to you, visit us at www.
LivingLucky.
com.
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