We live in a society where we constantly feel judged and pressured to suppress all of our flaws and quirks in order to blend into the “norm.” Especially as young adults, it is extremely hard to be confident about who you are when most of the time we are not even sure who that is. A lot of the time, it is a constant struggle between deciding if you should be yourself or if you should be like everyone else. And if you do decide to be yourself, there’s the question of how much of yourself you should be.
Even though it can be difficult to figure out who you are in this world, it is extremely important to take a note from one of the most unique and inspirational figures of them all; Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer. Though he may be a fictional character that comes around each holiday season, Rudolph exhibits all of the qualities that each and every one of us need to embrace more often; being a leader, being a friend, and being himself.
Rudolph’s eventual decision to be confident in his red nose is what makes him a leader. Standing apart from the crowd, along with being happy with who you are, is a tip we can all take from the reindeer himself. Rudolph is also an amazing friend to Hermey and Yukon Cornelius. He supports them in their differences just as they support his. Rudolph also makes sure not to leave behind the misfit toys when he is at the head of Santa’s sleigh, and he makes sure to pick them up from Misfit Island and give them a chance to have homes of their own.
Through being himself, Rudolph is able to help an endless amount of people. Though at first Rudolph is ashamed of his differences, he soon learns that his differences are what save Christmas. And while it may be hard to believe sometimes, we all have our own shiny, bright, red nose to light the way on a stormy night and save the day. So while you sit back with your hot chocolate by the fire and watch your favorite Christmas movie this winter, keep in mind that we all have the ability to be our own Rudolph, and that what we think of as imperfections are actually what makes us wonderfully and beautifully unique.
