Anxious, depressed, sad, avoidant, happy, leader, weak, rich, introvert, spiritual, ….
Do these words describe you? Have you let them describe you? Do they define you?
In a recent conversation, I got to understand something I wanted to share with you.
These words that we use to describe ourself, these labels we stick unconsciously on our personality, they are very powerful. They can be freeing but also limiting.
At first, when we get to know them, they are helpful. They serve the purpose of making an inventory of who we are at this point of time. And usually we stop on the negative traits. I have ADHD, I am a perfectionist, I don’t do this, I do that, I am this, I am not that, I have this,…
This phase is so insightful. If you can look at it with all the open-mindedness and open-heartedness that you can gather, by writing all these words that come up for you over a few minutes of sitting down and really thinking on it, or a week of noticing what comes up, even maybe a month, you will come up with a list of “Who am I?” words.
Though, I urge you Not to stop there. This step is only the revelation of what has been put on you for all these years of your Life. Some of it has been deeply ingrained and will take longer to work on, but work is possible.
You are not these Words. You have a choice. If one word does not suit you, you have the power, the right and the choice to change it. To understand what it really means to you and change your trajectory to change your word and your world. You are You, and only You can decide what words, names, labels define you.
So that’s the second step. After having come up with the inventory of who you are, the question is “Who do I want to be?”. And that’s where the work begins. Some of it may be easier than other parts.
My advice: Dear you, breathe. You are perfect as you are, even with qualities you do not want and do not like. You realizing about it is already such a huge step. Your change will be as long-lasting as the self-love that motivates it. If you do not like yourself, how can you change an “Angry” label into a “Loving” label?
The bulk of the change may happen in the next few months or years of your first discovery. But the essence of it, the essence of You will appear by practicing through the many years of your Life. With patience, respect, admiration and love for yourself.
And you want to know something else? There is a third step.
After discovering these labels, good or bad, and doing the work to shift them towards all what you want in Life, the last step is to recognize that any label, good or bad, is actually limiting. And that the most open and loving environment would be to not identify with any label in particular but feel the flow that makes you You, connected with your Life’s Purpose and your Soul. To not hide behind a concept and get to judge others because of your own filter of what that words mean. Life, Happiness, Love, these words mean different things for different people. Seeing, Understanding and Knowing that help focus on you and the nudges you receive inside of you, Guidance from Life to live your Purpose.
In this stage however, it can also be easy to lose ourself entirely once again, in the vastness of the Universe and the Unseen. So I would say that it requires a strong foundation of knowing who you are, deep roots in your reality to come back to the You you are putting out in this World. Of Service to Others, and Yourself.
So my Dear You, what are your labels? Do you need help redirecting them towards something that defines you better? Would you like to Free yourself from your invisible prison and live the Life you were born to Live?
With all my heart,
Marianne
