Let’s be honest, everybody uses labels. We use labels to define one another, whether it’s how big our houses are or how many countries you have visited – certain things become labels and they define us.
However, using labels for yourself can pigeonhole you, it can make you feel as though you are defined by that very label, and it can strip you of your happiness.
Everybody has things in their past that they want to put behind them. Sometimes, that isn’t always possible and our ghosts can haunt us for a long time. However, that doesn’t mean it has to define you. Use your scars as something to build a new future upon.
Allowing other people to define how intelligent you are, how much knowledge you have or how skillful you are will bring you down. You are aware of your own abilities and others cannot use this against you to define you.
Be confident in your own strengths and don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.
There are some traits that suit our personality, but that we don’t want to define us as it impacts us negatively. For example, being shy. Sure, a person may be shy and that may be a defining aspect of their personality.
However, constantly defining somebody as something that they may see as negative and something they’re trying to get away from can have a negative impact.
Whether it’s in relation to a physical illness or a mental illness – you are more than your illness. You cannot be defined by any one particular aspect, so do not allow yourself to be so.
Accept your illness as a part of you, not that you are a part of it.
Whether you’re a mother, a carer, a lawyer or a secretary. Those are all just roles and shouldn’t define who you are as a person. Don’t allow labels to bring you down or pigeonhole you in one particular role.
Being happy is about understanding who you are and using labels can take away from that confidence. Following these five ways, you shouldn’t define yourself can make you feel a lot happier.
Do you allow labels to define you? Let us know in the comments.
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This is a wonderful and timely article. I have defined myself with all of labels for a very long time. Guess what? I have totally trashed my self-esteem as a result, and am trying to figure out how to get out of the hole I'm in. Thank you for a helpful roadmap!
Perfect
under #3 Do not define yourself by negative traits -- "For example, being shy." I really do not believe that shyness is a good example of a negative trait that defines us.. but that's just me. My child is shy and has friends and is just fine. I believe that actually it is other people who are the ones that want to "define" or better yet criticize and making it a negative light to maybe bring shame or even embarrassment, that which would make a shy person feel that is a bad or negative trait. Which it is not. Trust me there are worse things that are negative traits. There is nothing negative about shyness or even introversion. But as I said that is my view, my opinion.
I had an industrial injury 5 days before the WTC disaster and between losing my income, career and over the next few months, my family, in a matter of days I lost a lot of friends. I have tried for 2 decades now to find a way to fit back into this world and as I try and explain that I still have an active working mind, my body has limitations. I read things like this, and they help. And then I am still wondering how to get those thoughts out of my head and into action. Thank you for this article.