The Problem With Labels

We live in a society that loves to label everything. Whether it’s an illness, an addiction, or a life circumstance, society loves to label it and then compartmentalize it until it becomes a statistic. But here’s the thing, if we are ever to truly overcome our afflictions we will first need to separate those afflictions from our actual identity.

Sure, it can be very helpful to know what’s “wrong” with us so that we can figure out how we became vulnerable to manifesting those circumstances in the first place. But beyond that, the labels we give ourselves become counter-productive as they turn into self-limiting beliefs that cause our chronic circumstances to never really change.

We often say that we want to change, but sometimes it can be way too scary. That’s because in our mind our circumstances become so intertwined with our identity that we fear losing ourselves if we do end up letting go. Who will we be if not the person who is broke or the person who is unwell? Who will we be if we're not the failure or the chronic complainer? Our identity becomes so interwoven with our circumstances that sometimes we forget that they are actually two separate things.

You are not your title. You are not your income. You are not your illness or condition. You are not your weight. You are not your upbringing. You are not your social status. Furthermore, you are not your finances and you are not your circumstances. In fact, you are much much more than that, so give yourself some credit. The truth is, in order for any of us to start manifesting the solution to any of our problems, we will need to realize who we are at our core versus the labels we use to define us or excuse us from moving forward.

You see, we often get so used to our habits (even if they are not good for us) that we decide it is who we actually are. So when we go to change our habits we suddenly feel like we are losing a part of ourselves in the process. As such, no matter how much we might want to change, we end up holding ourselves back, even if subconsciously. Who will you be if not a victim? Who will you be if not a martyr? We get so used to excusing our behavior and circumstances by the labels we have adopted that we forget that we are not those circumstance alone.

Furthermore, sometimes we say that we want one thing when, in reality, we actually fear getting it. As such, we might start to manifest more setbacks as we embark on our path to change and, because of this, we end up getting even more discouraged. But the setbacks we receive in life are not necessarily a sign of defeat but, rather, a sign that we are indeed changing; we are simply being shown our blocks so that we can clear our path to get to where we want to be.

Want more money? Okay, but first you might get an unexpected bill. Want to be loved? Okay, but first your relationship might come to a head. This is just showing you where you need to release the labels and negative beliefs so that what you desire can actually manifest. This is simply an opportunity to change the way you see the world and adopt new beliefs that are more in line with what you want to receive.

Sometimes we manifest circumstances that we end up using as excuses too, even if we say we want something else. Like, for instance, wanting to be in a loving relationship but settling for a dysfunctional one for fear of being alone. Or, manifesting an illness or a certain condition without realizing that it is actually delaying or avoiding something you fear doing or becoming. In those instances we need to ask ourselves, "What are we afraid of?" "Are we actually allowing our fears to stop us from moving forward?" "What is the benefit we are receiving from the labels we have taken upon ourselves?" And "Who will we be without them?"

When we understand that everything we see and experience in our reality first starts on the energetic, emotional, mental, and metaphysical level, we will begin to connect the dots between what we believe/feel/think and what we manifest into our lives as our outer experiences. When we keep beating the same drum over and over again without understanding why, eventually it will become a struggle, affliction, or condition that we end up labeling as who we are. But if we ask ourselves the right types of questions, we will then be able to get to the root of what ails us and transform it into something we actually desire, love, and enjoy.