A few weeks ago, I went to a tulip festival—endless rows of bold red tulips dancing in the wind.

And then, in the middle of it all, I saw her.

One single white pink tulip, standing tall and proud in a sea of red.

She didn’t blend in.

She didn’t need to.

In that moment, I was reminded:

Standing out doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you.

Sometimes, it just means you’re being fully, beautifully yourself.

Growing up in Vietnam, I was always the black sheep—the little girl who questioned adults when I was supposed to stay quiet and obey.

In my culture, children weren’t encouraged to speak up... but I did.

They labeled me too much, naughty, disobedient. And that made me different.

Then, 8 years ago, I moved to Canada. And once again, I felt like an outsider.

A foreigner. An immigrant living and working in a land that wasn’t mine yet.

I was embarrassed by my accent. I tried to sound like a native speaker. I tried to blend in. But something still didn’t feel right.

With time, I realized: I don’t need to erase who I am to belong.

I began owning my voice, my accent, and my roots.

I embraced my Vietnamese identity while also opening my heart to the beauty of this country I now call home.

Canada didn’t need me to change. I just needed to be me.

And maybe that’s what belonging really is—it’s not about fitting in.

It’s about being fully, unapologetically YOU, and knowing that’s more than enough.

So this week, I hope you remember:

You don’t need to fit in.

Be weird. Be silly. Be free. Be loving. Be bold. Be YOU.

It’s okay if others don’t understand you.

Let them misunderstand you. And let you be you.

You understanding you is what truly matters.

True connection is found in honoring your authenticity, not in shrinking to meet expectations.

You Don’t Need To Fit In

It's Okay to Tell People You're Not Okay