In recent months I have been considering the books/movies in the DIVERGENT series. This series has spoken curiously to something deep inside of my multi-hyphenate-life.

If you have not read the books or seen the movies, the big idea is, in the future there are five factions:

And everyone has one particular faction where they must choose to fit.
This keeps the peace.
This keeps everything in order.
This keeps society moving along smoothly.

The problem is, there are some people who don’t solely fit into one faction. They actually fit into multiple factions. They are considered to be DIVERGENT.

From the moment I saw the first movie, I related and began considering my DIVERGENT tendencies.

What about you … can you relate to any of these?

1. I am extroverted & introverted.

What I am saying is, I love being around people, and I love being alone. I crave interaction with people, but I equally often crave privacy. I am at my best with a room or stadium full of people, but I am also very content being alone in solitude at a cabin in the mountains.

2. I love & despise social media.

I enjoy being online and connecting with new people. However, the constant connection of our world has become like a petri dish for comparisons. And this is the root of my distaste with the online world.

3. I am bold & broken.

Most people see me as bold and confident, and, in many scenarios and situations, I am.  But I am equally broken. There are parts and pieces of me that I have to pick up and try to put back together every single day.

4. I am a leader who enjoys following.

Many people have asked how I like not being the senior leader in my current role. My reply, much to my surprise, is that I enjoy it. There is this natural and innate part of me that can easily step up and lead but I can also sit back and listen. And, in either scenario, I am “almost” always content. I say “almost” because I’d still rather LEAD. 🙂

5. I am confident & cautious.

I have no problem making the call, but I want much of the information first. My confidence and apparent dexterity often comes from my cautious collection of information, wisdom, guidance and advice.

6. I love to create guardrails & then color outside of them.

My desire for freedom and creativity is only matched by my desire to know my boundaries. I like knowing how far I can go without falling off a cliff.

7. I am constantly looking back & dreaming forward.

I am a nostalgic futurist. I often wonder what I was doing this time last week and what I will be doing a week from now. In fact, the real discipline for a divergent person who lives in the past and the future is the conscious decision to live in the now.

8. I am a creator & a curator.

I enjoy both creating new things and uncovering old things.

What about you?

Are you DIVERGENT?

How do you live out your multi-hyphenate-life?