I grew up with two older sisters, which meant there were always girls around. (Yes, my poor younger brother—who only began appreciating this fact around age 14. Though let’s be honest, I think he low-key enjoyed his Ken doll and boy Cabbage Patch Kid. Probably explains why he and I can talk for hours now.) But I digress. This isn’t about my brother—it’s about girls.
Growing up with sisters and lots of girlfriends in Northern California and Florida, I kind of took it for granted that girls would just naturally like me.
That is—until I went on my first international volunteer trip and quickly found out that wasn’t always the case.
I’m pretty sure I came in too happy, too confident… just too much. And they didn’t quite know what to do with it.
Needless to say, we were all friends by the end. But now, whenever I walk into a room or a new situation where we’ll be working together, and I see that look—like they don’t quite know what to do with all of this—I just think, “Don’t worry. You’ll love me in the end.”
The reality isn’t that people dislike you—it’s that they dislike what they think they know about you.
So give it time.
Keep showing up.
They’ll come to see who you really are—and they’ll love you for it.
And as a side note: if that’s true about what they think of you, could the same be said about what you think you know about them? Investigate. Be patient. You may find, in the process, not just understanding—but a true friend.
So walk in that room, give people time, they are going to love you, just as I do.
RP
