Have you ever stopped to think about the labels that have been placed on you? The labels people use to define you, or the ones that you use to describe yourself? “Hi. My name is Piya. I am the head of the chess club in my high school. I am the topper in my school.” “My son, Krish, is always the best in his school. He scores well. He plays the best cricket in his school. He is the captain of the basketball team in his school”
Labels can be both empowering and limiting. They shape our identities and influence the way we see ourselves and the world around us. Often, we let these labels get to us, and they end up limiting us from reaching our best potential.
Let me ask you all this: Have you been appreciated?
Let it be for an activity, for some achievement of yours, for doing something properly, anything. When people appreciate you, as an individual or as part of a group, they often use the phrases, “Well done! You guys are the best at this!” or “I knew you could do it! You are the topper after all” or “You got promoted! That’s amazing. You deserved it” Now, we are not saying that it is wrong to get appreciation. If doing something amazing, everyone deserves appreciation. But you need to make sure that this very appreciation doesn’t get to you.
Sometimes, we tend to stay with the appreciation and bathe in it. Eventually, we forget what needs to be done next. We forget the next right thing, the next baby step, by dissolving ourselves in appreciation. How about, you accept the appreciation? How about you say, “Hmm. Yes, I got appreciated. I am extremely happy I got appreciated. But I need not forget what got me this appreciation. I worked hard. I gave my 100%. I focused on my work, I was determined, persistent and I was resilient. That is what got me this appreciation.” Focus on what got you here, than what you just received. Life is a process. Your progress should never get halted because you were too busy bathing in the appreciation people gave you.
Promotions, job titles, posts, both of them come with labels, that can become a double-edged sword. On one hand, they may provide a sense of accomplishment and recognition for our skills and efforts. However, they may also end up creating expectations, limitations, and pressures, resulting in us losing sight of who we truly are.
Labels put us in a box, restricting us to the set of responsibilities we are ordered to do. This limits our exploration of varied areas of interest or potential growth aspects. The labels soon become how we identify ourselves, defining ourselves based on our job, rather than our qualities, skills, and talents. Because of labels, we tend to forget our true worth, and what we are capable of achieving.
We, at Masterful, truly believe that mindfulness is the best tool to help you in your journey to reach your best potential. At Masterful, we encourage mindfulness. Mindfulness is a tool to help you stay in the present and to bring you to a peaceful state of mind. When you practice mindfulness, your mind gains clarity, and you can, then, take the right step towards your best self.
For a quick concluding activity,
Take your time to self-reflect. Introspect, because it helps. There is no need to tell anyone. Just think and recognize what is holding you back and what is helping you reach your goals.