Obese, Anorexic, Depressed, ADHD, weak, strong, fast, slow, dumb, smart, funny, messy, uptight…
Those are what you call Labels. You CAN change who you are. These are descriptions of actions that have lead to a consequence. But it is reversible.
Labelling things give them power. But you can claim that power back.
This struck me when my girlfriend used to call her moments of pigging out on food “an episode of Binge Eating”. I realised how dangerous that was. She figured she had a problem, when all she was doing was trying to lose weight by eating less, and then of course her body was going to reclaim those calories somehow.
She thought she had a problem when she was just eating the calories she needed to.
Labels have made us powerless. We are confused as to what life is about. When we find out we see things differently than a “normal” person (go figure what that is), we put a word on it, shove ourselves into a corner, and stay there. Because that is how we are now Defined.
Words are tools, not weapons. Use them wisely on others. And most of all use them wisely on Yourself. The person you speak the most harshly about is you. So be kind, and don’t restrict who you were, are, and can be, by emprisoning what you are capable of.
Don’t get me wrong, words are incredible. And sometimes we need to hear them. Sometimes we ARE sick, and need to hear it. But those cases are rarer than we want to believe.
The world is complex, and people are at the peak of this complexity. Simplifying helps, but more often than not it hides the truth.
Action speaks louder than words, and if you change what you do, you will change who you are. So take that first step today, and become who you want to be. And don’t let anyone choose that for you.
Take it easy,
Morgan.