Careful What You Label Yourself: It Sticks

 

Label yourself intelligent, then guess what? That's what you are. Label yourself dumb, and again: that's what you are, at least in your own mind. Frankly, that's what matters, for the simple reason that however you label yourself will determine how you think, act, and see the world.

Self-Labeling. Let's take the label "dumb." Maybe when you were a kid, someone casually remarked that you were really dumb, or that something you did was dumb. For whatever reason, you took it to heart. From then on, you just assumed that you weren't capable of doing any better, so you didn't notice what you could learn and how you could benefit from experience. You bypassed opportunities for growth and more knowledge because the filter through which you saw your world was "I'm dumb."

Insert the word "smart" in the above example, and the opposite would be true. You're still you; nothing's changed, but since you've been told you're smart, you assume it's true, so you consistently notice all that you can learn and glean from experience. The filter through which you see your world is "I'm smart."

We identify with our self-labeling, usually without even knowing that we're doing it. Is that label helping you live the happy, successful life you want, or not?

Changing Our Labels. Labels, mercifully, are not set in stone. You can change what label you identify with, once you are aware of it. Recently, I was somewhat forcefully telling my Ballroom instructor that I wanted to be a really good Ballroom dancer. He said, nonchalantly, "You already are a good dancer.” "I am?!" The only rare compliment I occasionally received from him was "nice," so I thought I was a "nice" dancer. It never occurred to me that I might be something more. But once it did, it was like a weight lifted from me.

I could actually do this thing I love and be good at it? This new awareness spurred me into exploring new techniques, a willingness to try harder, and to accept the challenges offered to me, which in turn will support my becoming an even better dancer over time--a personal source of great joy.

How do you label yourself? Smart? Dumb? Attractive? Ugly? A non-entity? Successful? Mediocre? What you identify with matters. So keep the labels about yourself that support your chosen life, and dump the ones that don't.

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