What's your DISC? MBTI? Hartmann Index? I don't really care to label you in the big scheme of things. Overall, in the glimpse from my window the rationale behind labeling people seems more to identify and limit them. (I know many of you may disagree here and I'm fine with that.)
As a coach, it amazes me daily, the people I often work with struggle to cast off labels and personal limitations they've carried unwittingly, a lifetime. This piece of awareness is huge in identifying what has held them back and what will set them free to self-create the change they desire and require in their lives. In my experience, these personality type "labels" learned in a one day workshop or brief online quiz have become the simple excuses people use to either under achieve or clobber others over the head with. Yet, if you take them in, as perhaps intended, as a tool in understanding a small piece of how your temperament and character show up and utilize them to blend you in to the rest of all you are they can be a meaningful tool in how you move through your life.
We all carry a bit of each of the personality types within us. Every element and aspect from the entire spectrum is available to each of us. And if you want to disagree with me about an introvert being able to become extroverted, go right ahead. I'll introduce you to several people I know who have successfully transitioned into having both elements of their personality type seen as a choice rather than having only one as an inherent component in their lifestyle.
A lot of who we are, how we think and what we become is based on a million two trillion things. Genetics, gender, racial or ethnicity, birth order, socio-economic, religion, height, weight, cars we drive, neighborhoods we live in, life experiences, abuse, alcoholism, drug addiction, reading, writing arithmetic ability, ADHD, bi-polar, depressed, anxious, intelligent, dumb, stupid or smart, dog or cat, Pepsi or Coke, tea or coffee - blah blah blah - Labels I tell ya... and most importantly WHAT and HOW we tell ourselves and support those beliefs through our unconscious or conscious action shows up as us, exactly as we are, where we are.
It is one of my strongest personal beliefs many people we all see every day as complete or whole are really "the walking wounded" and, here's the kicker, they don't even know it. Neurologists tell us we cannot feel two things at one time. While many of you again may disagree, I do believe what we feel and how we feel it, as well as for how long we choose to feel it, is entirely up to us.
Feelings tell us things - good things as well as "danger, danger Will Robinson" things... to me, they are the 'smoke detectors' of our lives. Are you listening to yours or ignoring them by constantly smacking your smoke detector off or resetting it? Where there's smoke, there's fire..... Ignore your smoke detectors/feelings and what they are telling you about you, about the situation, about what you've got yourself believing and doing and you may end up with first, second or third degree burns to deal with and STILL have to make the change to get out of the smoke filled room you may be playing in. For all you "thinking" folks out there - you too have feelings to act as a guidance system, check in with them. Denial only works for so long.
(Before we run aground on mental health issues, I need to inform you, as a coach, I'm not skilled to support your healing in a mental health crisis, so don't mistake my thoughts here. At one point or another just about every one of us has self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy despite what we are projecting to the outside world. We can get stalled or stuck by a lack of clarity, face burn out, not know how or be afraid to ask for support or what we want and a million other things along the way. )
I guess my point in all of this is to say to each of you - I believe you are what you believe you are. You get a choice, you can take a few minutes to sit down by the side of the road to figure it all out - and then you can get up and become a self-imposed victim in or a creator of your own life. You are either one or the other. Which are you right now?
My friendly advice is that each of us take some time to sit down by the side of that road of life and relax, close your eyes, or take a walk - or do anything that brings you time to ponder and get closer in touch with your inner guidance system. Taking ten minutes to envision a life of you being responsible for creating what you want more of isn't such an awful daily habit to get in to. Try giving yourself daily assignments to put some "do" into your own choice - it may just, empower you to move forward toward something you created consciously. Some of you may have to clear your lungs of the smoke, some of you may be bandaging burns, some of you may already be on this path. I'm not saying it's going to be easy - focus on what you want more of - take action every day to support yourself within that - inform and invite others to your process and vision and watch what a difference it will make.
You can be anything you want to become. You are not limited by personality types or birth order or socio-economic classes or race or gender, or any other label unless you tell yourself and believe it. What new fabulous label could you give yourself today and BELIEVE fully to set you free instead of bind you up in supporting YOU in change?
What started me off on this train of thought today was quite simple. Ruth Ann Harnisch has a wonderful blog each day and a quote from today says, "It's interesting to me how much less stressed I am over the long list of "to do's" that just showed up because I am completely conscious of being 100% responsible for the situation, that I invited it, knowing it would be short-term challenging-but-worth-it because I have a long-term purpose in mind." http://ruthannharnisch.com/the-coach/my-mom-says/
What do you have in mind? Reach for a star today and go make shit happen.
C
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment