My oldest is in that "he's a 9-year-old boy" stage. You know, the one where he knows everything and he's totally amazed by snakes, lizards, little boy noises, video games and mean little girls. He also tends to tell crazy stories, which led to me saying to him on several occasions, "You're goofy." Well, I didn't realize that I should have just gotten out the Sharpie and written it on his forehead. He took that label and ran with it. He became "goofy" and on several occasions his response to, "Why would you do that?" was "Because I'm goofy."
Now "goofy" isn't the worst label you can have, but we tend to run with the label whatever they are (kids and adults alike). We use labels like:
- "He's a nerd."
- "I have a bad temper."
- "I'm not creative."
- "She's not a morning person."
- "He's so stupid."
These labels range anywhere from funny to life-limiting to scarring. I simply challenge you to do two things:
- Stop labeling people (including yourself) unless you really mean it. We all hang on to those labels more than we realize.
- Figure out what labels you've already given to yourself and tear them off. Start fresh and decide what you really are. Stop letting your labels hold you back.