The Power of Purple

Ever since I was a little girl I have been taught to talk, act, and behave in what is considered "appropriate" ways. But in the past few years I've begun to question the thinking that is behind what I've been taught. I know the difference between right and wrong and strive to do what's right in everything I do. But my thoughts go deeper than right and wrong...they go to a place that questions differing opinions, cultures, religions, and everything else that makes us so diverse. Like just about everyone else on the planet, I've had more than my share of trauma and hardship over the course of my life, and those times have made me into who I am today. I've been told countless times that I'm brash, abrasive, cold, aloof, distant, manipulative, controlling, loud, and harsh. In reality, I'm the polar opposite of everyone of those assumptions, with the exception of being loud...I accept others for who they are, and always recognize others in a way that,...

Remember when you were in school and wanted to be part of the "in crowd"? Maybe you were already a member of that elite group and easily fit in. What made that group so elite? Was it the financial status of your parents, the attitudes of your friends, or was it a popularity contest and if you weren't a member you were considered an "outsider"? On the other hand, did you easily move between the "in" crowd, the "wannabe's" or the "outcasts"? Did you surround yourself with people of diverse backgrounds, cultures, and attitudes? This is what I call being an outsider...seeing who and what is out there while not conforming to social stereotypes or opinions and being yourself in all groups of people. In today's world, we're adults who still wrestle with the same types of groups, only this time it's on a different playing field. In the workplace we try to fit in by going with the flow and if we voice a differing opinion,...