The way people perceive and define us is based on the way we
present ourselves. When we meet someone new, we instinctively tell him or her
about the various experiences of our lives. We tend to verbalize the ones that
have the most impact on us, whether they be good or bad events. There is your
first trap of being the “fill in the blank” girl or boy.
Don’t get me wrong; some people enjoy the label they have
been given. Whether they are known as the football guy, the picture girl or the
quiet kid, they accept the title they are given. In some indirect way, they
seek to be noticed in some simple and narrowed way. While this label may be
convenient in times of distinguishing one person from another, it never
fulfills and gratifies a person long-term. The label becomes inadequate,
oversimplified and in some way, steals from the individuals true uniqueness as
a human being.
I know we always have the ability to control the way people
perceive you and I believe that it is our duties as unique and distinctive
individuals to seek a perception beyond labels. While it is important to let
the experiences we have had in the past shape the person we are in the present,
I firmly believe that we must pull the qualities and lessons from those
experiences such as courage, determination, inspiration, passion, honesty or
even loyalty, shine when you speak of yourself. There is nothing more beautiful
and true than a person who speaks of the people, places and experiences they
have had as catalyst of the person they have become.
There is a sense of inevitability when it comes to
perceptions and labels. There will always be someone who will attempt to fit
you in one mold in order to simplify your existence. Whether they are doing it
consciously or unconsciously, seek to break that barrier of oversimplification.
Expect more from yourself, and others will follow. This contagious phenomenon
has a ripple effect.
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