Beyond our labels lies our full potential

Reading time: 5 minutes

We may be unaware of it, but we all have labels attached to us.

It can be labels that someone else gave to us, even from a very young age.

Maybe as a child you were not very talkative and your parents were used to tell people “oh, he’s just very shy”.

Or you were not doing great at math and your teacher was used to tell your parents “he’s more of a creative type”.

Or you were the only black child in a white classroom in a small conservative town and nobody wanted to sit next to you (labels do not need to be expressed into words).

It can also be labels that we picked ourselves.

For instance, let’s say you chose to study Biology in college. You may now feel you need to be a biology researcher or professor, and just focus on anything that is related to your studies.

Or you failed a few recipes so you are “terrible at cooking”.

But sticking to labels is so limiting!

We are multifaceted beings: we have a plethora of thoughts, passions, and emotions. Sometimes we are so complex that we can hardly understand what is going on inside us.

So why should we confine ourselves inside boxes?

Magic happens when we get rid of our labels and fixed mindset, dig into ourselves, and find our uniqueness.

And we choose to embrace it and express it to the world.

We don’t listen to the inner voice saying “you can’t do this”, “who are you to do this?”, “this is not your domain”, and we just follow what deep down we feel is right for us.

We ignore our loved ones and friends who may suggest us to stay in our comfort zone because they don’t want us to feel hurt in case of failure or disappointment.

When we ditch all the should’s, stop comparing ourselves to others, and just follow our intuition, magic happens: we achieve our full potential.

We all are born unique, but most of us die copies.

Les Brown

A few examples of people who went beyond their labels

If this still feels too abstract for you, I’ll give you a few concrete examples.

I don’t even have to put any effort in trying to search for, or remember them. No Google needed here.

Why? Because when you encounter the full expression of a soul, it will stick to your mind. You’ll instantly feel a greater energy, and a deep connection with and gratitude to the person expressing her true self.

When Science meets Art

I once stumbled upon a post on LinkedIn. It instantly attracted me: it was a beautiful art work looking as a surreal landscape at first sight, but actually representing brain cells (see it below). I read the job title of the post author “Neuroscientist. I make Science meet Design”. Wow. I instantly did some more research on her work: I was blown away.

By putting together two seemingly unrelated passions, science and art, she was and still is able to create stunning art pieces that can make Science communication so much more attractive!

When socks become social activists

Another time I was surfing online when I found myself browsing pictures of socks. I didn’t even need socks so why was I looking at them? Because that shop was offering more than just socks. I clicked on the link because it displayed a picture of an old woman wearing just underwear and socks, and radiating so much elegance and beauty in all her wrinkles. Looking at the pictures of the shop’s other products, worn by a gay couple, some kids with down syndrome and a red haired girl, I could clearly feel the message behind: dignifying people that usually do not appear on ads.

Those sellers could have stuck to just selling socks; instead they went beyond that and created a brand that can attract people like me, who were not even looking for their products.

When cleaning becomes caretaking

In the book “Shapers” by Jonas Altman, I read about the inspiring story of a hospital cleaner, who decided to go beyond her job duty of cleaning just the halls and toilets. She took on extra tasks like cleaning the ceilings so that the patients wouldn’t have to stare at cobwebs, bringing patients water when nurses weren’t around, and making coma patients’ rooms beautiful in the hope to facilitate their recovery.

This new job of caretaker she crafted for herself brought a whole new level of satisfaction and fulfillment to her, and a warmer environment to the hospital patients.

When a search engine company reinvents itself

Everybody knows Google. It’s so famous and engrained in our lives that it’s even become a verb! But do you know what are the latest projects Google, a search engine company, is working on? Building an automated car, developing a bracelet to fight cancer and connecting remote areas to Wi-Fi via stratospheric balloons. Not exactly search-related projects!

Google does not let its “title” define the trajectory of its work. It uses the incredible talents it gathered to bring innovation to various fields.

Now it’s your turn!

Do you feel you have labels that are holding you back? Are you adapting the way you express yourself in order to “fit in”?

I’ll start! I fought a lot with myself before finally creating this platform. My inner voice went like “you studied Molecular Biology, why should you write about personal development and parenting? You are not qualified! Just write something on your field of expertise, if you really want to write”.

But deep down I felt drawn to talk about these topics, truly connect with people and share positive messages.

You know what? Since I followed my intuition and started writing, I’ve never felt so fired up and fulfilled in my life! Plus, I received several messages from friends and strangers thanking me for sharing my thoughts.

So please, do not let anything stop you from showing up exactly as you are! You are unique, and the world needs you!