NORMAL

We often treat “normal” as a gold standard. It is the invisible rulebook that defines how people should talk, behave, and look. However, I believe that the idea of normal is a myth born from societal statistical averages and conformity rather than from truth.

Unfortunately, the term “normal,” when applied to our lives, becomes a tool for exclusion and labelling those who are unlike us. We refer to those individuals as abnormal, bizarre, or worse; deviant. This act alone instantly marginalizes people with disabilities and anyone whose identity does not fit our approved communal template.

From my perspective, variation in people is not a flaw. It is simply who we have been and who we are becoming. It is our differences that fuel creativity, empathy, progress, and compassion. Instead of chasing variance, it might be beneficial to embrace the spectrum of experiences that we see and honor all of them. That alone requires change. Additionally, it would foster the shifting of language, definitions, and an utterly new demonstration of shared kindness. When we stop asking people to be “normal” and start seeing them as who they are, something magical happens. We instantly create a safe space for everyone to grow.

Here is an example of what I am talking about. I have been associated with the field of Behavior Health for the duration of my professional career and have come to this conclusion. Mental health is not a measure of how well we fit into a broken system. It reflects how bravely we navigate it. If reframed into “Hopeful Healing,” it would mean addressing the full continuum of human emotions, embracing all variance without shame, and building space where struggle is met with compassion, not correction. In a world obsessed with “normal,” hopeful healing is the radical act of self-trust.

In the end, for what it is worth, the only thing truly “deviant” in today’s world is pretending that one version of who we are is enough.