Being the “Weird One” Might Be What Saves You

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By Jenny Peterson

If you’ve ever felt like the odd one out—whether in healing, life, or motherhood—this is for you. The truth is, if you want to heal, you have to be willing to be different. And not just in what you do, but in how you think, how you respond, and what you no longer tolerate.

In this post, I’ll share:

• Why this work goes against the norm (and why that’s good).

• What it really means to say no to what’s “normal.”

• Why being different is the only real path to healing.

I’m Jenny Peterson, a former holistic practitioner turned symptom-free mind-body rebel. I help women break free from protocols and step into trust, confidence, and full-body healing. If you’re done with rules, restrictions, and outsourcing your power, you’re in the right place.

The Truth About “Normal”

Let’s call it what it is: what’s considered normal in our society is actually the fastest way to end up disconnected and sick.

Normal looks like this:

• Dismissing emotions and powering through

• Calling symptoms “random” or “genetic”

• Chasing pills, supplements, or protocols

• Drinking to relax

• Judging people who don’t follow the crowd

• Treating the body like a machine and the mind like a trash can

• Hyper-focusing on what’s wrong instead of what’s unresolved

• Micromanaging symptoms instead of understanding their message

Normal says: Take a pill. Suppress the symptom. Control your environment so your body doesn’t react. Find another practitioner and hope they figure it out.

But this work—the rebellious work—says something different: Look inward. Take ownership. Rewire your subconscious. Shift your patterns. Step into your power.

And if you’re reading this, it’s probably because that version of “normal” already failed you.

A Personal Example: Saying No at a Concert

Recently, I was at a concert with my 15-year-old son. Music, dancing, social energy—that’s my thing. But in our culture, “fun” is often synonymous with alcohol or even drugs.

While standing right next to me, a grown man offered my son a drink. My son, clearly underage, said no—quietly, with a little discomfort. The man looked at him like he was the weird one. When I stepped in and said no for him, the man turned to me and asked, “Well, what about mom?”

I said, “No, I don’t drink either.” His face? Total confusion.

That moment summed up what I teach: saying no to what’s “normal” makes people uncomfortable. Not because you’re wrong, but because you’re choosing better.

The Cost and Gift of Being Different

When you go against the norm:

• People will ask questions

• They may judge or laugh

• They might minimize your choices

• They’ll assume you think you’re “better”

But here’s the truth: most of them wish they had the strength to do what you’re doing.

Being different might cost you approval. It might cost you belonging in certain circles. But it will give you the one thing you actually want: freedom.

Freedom from symptoms. Freedom from fear of what others think. Freedom from the stories keeping you small.

Why It Feels So Hard

If being different feels hard, it’s not because you’re weak. It’s because your brain is wired for survival.

For most of human history, survival meant fitting in with the tribe. Being the odd one out didn’t just make you uncomfortable—it made you unsafe. Your subconscious still carries that wiring: rejection equals danger.

But here’s the rebellious truth: you’re not here to just survive anymore—you’re here to heal.

Healing requires repetition, choosing again and again to stand in your truth even when it feels risky. Every time you say no to something that doesn’t align, you show your subconscious that it’s safe to be different.

Healing Isn’t Instagram-Pretty

Let’s be honest: this work isn’t trendy or Instagram-ready. It’s not about green juice smiles or flashy captions.

This is the quiet, internal work of:

• Undoing subconscious patterns

• Regulating survival responses

• Teaching your body it’s safe now

Most people won’t understand this work—at least not right away. But the moment you stop needing validation from people who aren’t doing this work, your healing will accelerate.

The Rebellious Truth About Healing

Healing doesn’t happen by fitting in. Trying to heal by being “normal” is like trying to detox while still drinking poison.

• You don’t rewire your subconscious by following the crowd.

• You don’t build safety in your body by staying small.

• You don’t heal by seeking everyone’s approval.

Healing happens when you become the version of you that no longer needs permission.

Reflection Questions

Take a moment to sit with these:

1. Where in your healing journey are you still trying to be “normal”?

2. Who are you afraid of offending or losing if you fully step into your truth?

3. What would your healing look like if you didn’t need anyone to understand it but you?

These questions matter because healing doesn’t happen in a bubble—it happens in context. And if your context is rooted in fear of rejection, you’ll keep defaulting to safety instead of truth.

Final Thoughts: Lead Your Healing

If you're here to heal - really heal - you're here to lead. To challenge old systems. To rise into the version of you who can hold healing, joy, freedom, peace, and power - without apology.

That version of you? She's not afraid of being different. She thrives in it.

Three Key Takeaways

1. This work isn't normal - and that's the point. If 'normal' made you sick, you don't want to go back there.

2. Being different is uncomfortable, but necessary. Fitting in is often the very thing blocking your healing.

3. You show others what's possible. Every time you say no to 'normal', you give permission for others - including your children - to live differently too.

So yes, you might be the 'weird one'. But in truth? You're the courageous one.

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Jenny Peterson is a Chronic Illness Expert, the Founder of MBR (Mind Body Rewire), and the host of The Rebellious Healer Podcast. She helps those struggling with multiple chronic symptoms reclaim their health and freedom—without diets, detoxes, or pills.

For 10 years, Jenny worked as a holistic practitioner, relying on supplements, diet, and detox protocols to support healing. But when she faced her own chronic health struggles, those methods failed her.

When Jenny was on her healing journey, she struggled to find a protocol that provided the structure needed to rewire the subconscious. So she created her own process to heal—and that process became the foundation of the Heal & Thrive Framework, a structured, step-by-step method that helps clients identify the subconscious patterns behind their symptoms and rewire them for lasting relief.

Using this exact process, Jenny fully resolved Lyme disease, digestive issues, panic attacks, skin conditions, cystitis, and more. Her own transformation ignited a mission: to help others break free from chronic symptoms and take back control of their health.

At Mind Body Rewire, we have an unwavering belief that healing chronic health issues doesn’t have to be complicated when the focus is on the root cause: the subconscious. We believe every person is fully capable of creating the health and life they desire when they unlock the subconscious programs influencing it.

Ready to say good-bye to symptoms and hello to freedom?  START HERE