The closing segment of the Never Done Before (NDB) 2021 workshop, facilitated by Mary Alice Arthur, captures participants reflecting on the past 90 minutes and sharing personal takeaways about "weirdness." Speakers A‑D discuss how recognizing and embracing their own quirks can be viewed as a gift that enriches both themselves and others. Themes include reclaiming suppressed aspects of their past selves, navigating the spectrum between chaos and control, and celebrating collective authenticity. Mary Alice reinforces the idea that accepting one’s unique traits empowers individuals to stand up for them and encourages a shared culture of mutual weirdness. The dialogue concludes with gratitude and a sense of communal celebration.
Chapters
And we always close a workshop with a separate recording where we share our gifts to those who have missed the workshop. So what is the thing that you're taking away from the last 90 minutes Never Done Before workshop with Mary Alice Arthur?
If I may start, as I'm taking away about what is the weirdness, and everyone has some weirdness to bring to the world, and it should be seen as a gift and some positive things and to bring richness to, to the others. So thank you for this reflection also about myself.
I would like to add to that because I feel similar in that this has been a nice reflection, and I haven't really thought about my weird and where I have been weird in the past, and it was sort of stifled. And so this was a nice sort of—
To recall.
Like, how can I bring more of some of the parts that were special about me in earlier years forward? So thank you for that, um, sort of dip back into the past.
I've learned that connecting and thinking and talking about weirdness Uh, teaches you something about you and about others. And that's, uh, that's a great story. And, uh, I have to, to think about. And, um, yeah, very nice. And yeah, great, great connections and, and great, great insights. Thank you, Mary Alice.
I really enjoyed the conversations about chaos and control as well. So there is good at every end of the spectrum, and to be more aware of where we are at and, you know, the tendency that we're trying to do in that particular situation. So yeah.
Yeah, I just thought that your weirdness is really something, yeah, you should maybe make your USP of.
Plus one. I think it was, um, the session felt like a gift to explore something in us that might be labeled as weird, but is actually very special and makes us unique and strong. And this diagram you showed with being weird, yes, it might feel uncomfortable, it's more difficult, but But it also makes us happier. And I think it's very encouraging to just embrace this weirdness and to share the weirdness and celebrate it. So thank you for this moment of celebration. And for you, Mary Alice.
And I want to say thank you to all of you for, for being here and embracing your weird. And Myriam and I were having just a little side conversation that it's interesting to notice when in your life you grow into Being able to accept your own weird and say, no, I'm going to stand up for this. And it could be something that is unique and interesting and valuable for the rest of the world. And I think the other thing that's important is the more we embrace our own weirdness, the more we can embrace other people's weirdness. And we could all be weird together. That could be fun.
