Embracing the Magic of Different Brains: A Lesson from My Daughter’s Mismatched Socks
Let me tell you a story about socks. Yes, socks. It might seem like an odd place to start, but bear with me—there’s a point. It was a typical morning, and my daughter, who was about four at the time, proudly marched into the room with mismatched socks. One was covered in bright polka dots, and the other was a Christmas sock with a snowman. Naturally, I told her, “Sweetie, your socks don’t match.”
With the sass only a four-year-old can muster, she put her hands on her hips, gave a little stomp, and declared, “Yes, they do! Look! Snowman… snowballs!” And with that, she spun around, head held high, and marched right out of the room—leaving me standing there, socks in hand, wondering if maybe I was the one who didn’t get it.
Spoiler alert: I never corrected her about socks again.
Years later, in high school, she solved the sock “problem” in her own creative way: she started wearing only black socks, actually she started wearing black from head-to-toe. Efficient, yes. Practical, absolutely. But that spark of her childhood creativity and individuality? It was still there, just with a sleeker finish. And honestly, that story of her mismatched socks has stuck with me ever since. Not because of the fashion faux pas, but because it taught me a big lesson: sometimes, what looks like a mismatch to one person makes perfect sense to someone else.
And isn’t that the truth for so many of us, especially those with wonderfully “different” brains?
We all have our own way of making sense of the world. For some of us, that might mean coloring outside the lines, matching socks by theme rather than color, or solving problems in ways that don’t fit the traditional mold. And you know what? That’s where the magic happens.
Creativity and innovation don’t follow neat, linear paths. They zigzag, they jump, they invent snowmen and snowballs out of thin air. And while the world may expect conformity—matching socks, matching ideas, matching solutions—it’s often the unexpected, the unconventional, that drives true change.
Think about it. How many times have you been told to “do it this way” or “think like that,” only to find that your way—your beautifully different, perhaps slightly quirky way—gets you to the finish line faster or with a more interesting result? I’ll bet it’s more often than not.
For those of us with different brains, whether we wear mismatched socks as kids or tackle business challenges as adults, we tend to see connections where others don’t. We mix snowmen and snowballs, not because we’re wrong, but because we’re seeing the world through a different, more imaginative lens.
So, the next time someone points out that your socks don’t match, whether literally or metaphorically, maybe it’s worth considering that they match perfectly—just not in the way anyone expected. Maybe, just maybe, you’re ahead of the curve. Afterall, different brains create different possibilities!
If this sounds like you, or “if the socks fit”, give me a shout out, a thumbs up, or follow me. If I can support you and your brain, message me. I would love to support you through coaching around your life, career, or biz. All brains are welcome.