Labels are convenient. They can tell us a lot of information quickly.
The problem with labels is that they lack nuance. Labels can also change depending on circumstances. They can also be wrong.
I’ve been focusing on the labels I attach to myself and the situations I am in. The labels I attach to others and situations I don’t know anything about are also getting a deeper look.
A lot of labels aren’t true anymore, or at least not totally true in all settings.
I am a hard worker and have been noticed for it at work. The problem is that it only captures part of the story. I buried myself in my work to avoid a life outside of work. I took on more responsibility to control the situation. I took on things because I was stubborn.
Some labels have followed me from my teen years. Those labels have gotten quieter as I have gained more confidence and have more experience to prove them wrong. If I am not mindful, I still hear myself tell me those labels.
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Hard worker, lazy, stubborn, helpful, stupid, smart, good, bad, well off, poor.
Some behaviors have changed for me and the labels have changed.
Past: Never getting married, not a cat person, outside of corn don’t like vegetables, only like heavy music, always at concerts and on the go.
Current: Happily married, 3 cats, has a garden and loves almost all of the vegetables in it, a proud Swiftie and love a lot of her peers, homebody.
I have gotten better at asking myself after judging myself or others if it’s really true or if I’m just lazily following the same pattern I always do. I also ask, is there something I don’t know?
Quite often, I am wrong or at least don’t know the context of the situation. There are times, when my self labels make me behave or react a certain way in certain situations. I go with the comfortable response often. I am trying to break those patterns to improve the life of others and myself.
What labels and patterns have you picked up and are they harmful or helpful? Do situations change whether they are helpful or harmful?
I’ve been at my job for 23+ years and if I thought about things I was content being there most days though I didn’t think about it. I am good at what I do and most days I enjoy what I do. The truth is though, that I am pretty stagnant and am not sure I see doing this until I retire. That has me questioning everything because for a long time my work has been my identity. If I take away the thing I think I am best at or who I always labeled myself as, WHO AM I?
