Tell Me About Yourself: How to Respond Compellingly

“I find that the very things that I get criticized for, which is usually being different and just doing my own thing and just being original, is the very thing that’s making me successful.” - Shania Twain

Actually never mind, I don’t get criticized anymore. People love the unique, authentic, spontaneous, edgy, intentional, thought-provocative, impactful approach I bring to the table. And if they don’t they are not my people.

That’s an edgy statement. I know. To be compelling, you got to stand for edgy things. Normal is taken. Safe is taken. You got to be edgy moment to moment. It’s a lifestyle, not a destination.

You see I have in the past tried to be normal, every time normalcy spits me out voraciously. It’s like am a dangerous poison in the world of normal.

Like this weekend for example. I was meant to go for an out of town hike to Mt.Suswa, but since I overexerted myself the previous week, slept at 3 am on Friday morning, (US time zone things), had a 10 hour back to back the following morning, and as a result totally forgot to go shop for hiking food (and since my digestive system is a princess, showing up with the hope of sharing food like my other friend does or shopping for snacks along the way is not an option), hiking was canceled.

So it’s no surprise that I woke up with a headache from hell on Saturday morning.

Thankfully Mara Moja (a merciless caffeinated headache slayer) cured me in 30 minutes.

And voila, I was back at it again. Organizing my Books & Brain club hangout in the evening (yes I have a lot going on, it’s how I keep the noise away), finishing some work, planning for 2024, and so on.

Shortly into it, my other very sober self-care evangelist friend (we are in the same book club) reminded me, headaches are a result of overexerting ourselves, so I should take it easy. See, as soon as the headache was over I had already forgotten!

So I went to the forest.

90 minutes deep in the woods, beautiful things started popping up. Like this plant with beautifully colored fruits. I really wanted to taste them, but I knew my co-founder would not approve of me eating random fruits in the forest, without consulting. She is my other sound of reason.

Check out the photo below, surely they must be edible right?

The more I walked, the more this plant kept popping up, the more the temptation to have a bite grew.

Surely, life must have been hard for Adam and Eve.

Just like in the Bible, curiosity won. No, I am obviously not writing this from the other world. I simply took a pit stop to keenly observe this plant and its fruits and take some photos. In the middle of it, I thought, ‘Ok if I can’t eat them, I can carry some for her as a gift’’. Lol. I know. I can’t keep up with my brain either.

So I picked and wrapped some in a pocket tissue, but as soon as I was about to fully cover them up, (I was careful of the poison possibility), they split, and inside I saw what looked like slugs!

Obviously, slugs and snails disgust me. Not even the allure of Paris could convince otherwise. And to imagine holding a slug in my hand? Instant panic alert. I freaked out, screamed my heart out as the stuff fell off my hands.

When I felt a little bit safe, I suddenly found myself wondering what if this was an animal!!! You know like the way there are plant looking creatures in the sea? Something like that. ‘But this is not the sea, this is a forest Martha keep calm.’ I tried to remind myself.

Yet the possibility that these could be animals camouflaged in a plant couldn’t leave me. I am an addict to I’M possibilities, alternate realities, and sci-movies. In my world, nothing is impossible.

Coincidentally there was a young couple making their way up the hill and I was afraid that I freaked them out too. So I was quick to say, ‘Hey don’t mind me, am just here exploring nature’ Pwahaha, my inner tsunami must have been tickled.

They stopped by just to indulge in my crazy world. Before I knew it, the guy had split the rest of the fruits, turned the slug looking things upside down, and concluded they must be seeds. And then he rubbed his hands, throwing the stick away and proclaiming as he walked away ‘Oh I hope they are not poisonous’

Boys.

And we still wonder why Adam quickly fell for Eve’s sweet conviction?

Oh I also got chased by a dog, scared shitless by two monkeys (I decided to forge my own path in the forest), and was attacked by bees (My skin still hurts)

All this happened on a two-hour walk. I am sure there are people out there who just go for a walk, turn back at some point, and go back home.

That has never been me. As I said, normalcy spits me out like I am a dangerous poison.

I am a magnet for spontaneous, beautiful, crazy experiences. Every single time I leave the house something magical happens, and that’s what I write about.

As I pursue magic, magic pursues me.

These experiences bring life to my writing and keep me connected to the life that is staring right in front of me.

The Now. The only promise we have.

Designed serendipity is my way of being. Luck finds me in the most unexpected ways because I am ready and present to receive, play, and entertain it. And while doing so, create more magic!

And that’s what I live for. To be in a state of magic creation with the universe. 

What I just shared this morning, will be an elevator pitch to one of my future publishers. What did you pick up here that can inspire how you write your next elevator pitch? How you talk about yourself in your next interview? When you have to pitch your business idea? When you meet a potential employer or business partner in the bar?

PS: The below photo is a cactus plant flower? Who got stung so badly while picking and eating cactus fruits in the grandma's backyard? I did.

I hope you can embrace the beautiful human you are this week! And always!

Love & Light

Martha