LABELS

LABELS

How I hate labels, but most people seem to love them. Whenever I attend a seminar, I'm one of those annoying people who doesn't wear the 'this is my name and this is what I do' name tag you're always given, and it really infuriates people.
" Where's your name tag" they say, as if the label is me and without it they can't talk to me. This was a conversation I had at a  seminar a few years ago:

"Where's your name tag?" For the umpteenth time by a public member of the name tag police.
"Why not just ask my name rather than where's my name tag." I replied
"But I can't tell what you do." He replied.
"Why not ask?" 
"What do you do?" He said
"I'm a person, I work at being a human being." I replied.
"No, but what do you do?"
"Computer programming." I said
"Oh, that's what you do." He said  knowingly 
"It's all I could fit on the name tag, if I had one."
"But at least I'd know your name and that you're a computer programmer without having to ask."
"I agree" I said  "but I like introductions without name tags as it's more exiting, just like a present you need to open to find what's inside, there are many types of  people called nick and lots of types of computer programers."
"Yes, but they all do a similar thing."He said.
"Not really, you only think they do, but a label would make it easy for you to pigeon hole me."
"So what kind of computers do you work with, PC programs or games maybe?"
"Brains, I program people's brains for success." I replied
"But that's not a computer programmer."
"Isn't it..... I think that's just semantics, and now because you actually didn't have a label to go on to make an assumption, we are in a conversation, as  I couldn't really put brain programmer on a label could I, everyone would avoid me."
"Actually I just remembered...I need to move my car." He said.

At seminars I do have the habit of upsetting people, but I'm afraid my obscure sense of humour is to blame, and my dislike of labels in this instance. Labels are limits to your ability to be successful, people are always looking to label you into what they perceive you are. The brain loves to group information because it makes it simpler to process. So when I say I'm a coach to you, you will have a mental picture and a feeling of what a coach is and what that means to you. It's a presumption based on a label, and if you don't like the idea of coaches, your presumption will turn you off directly. I'm not just a coach, I'm a writer, and artist, a mentor, a business person, a salesperson, or if I get a job in the local store next week, I'm still all of the above...which there is simply no space on a typical seminar label to fit. 

The truth is, I can be who I want to be when ever I want to be it, I'm not the label and the label is not me. However, in the society we live in, we pick up a label, and we go with it, sometimes for 40-50 years, but when the label is taken away.... we can loose our identity, our worth, our meaning. If you want to get the law of attraction to work you need to loose the label mentality, who you think you are and what identifies you, your box of security, because security is a double edged sword of a prison. 

 Yes, you can have a profession, but your purpose in life is not to be a lawyer, or an executive for example,  it may be the way you gain an income and that's ok, but it's not actually 'you'. If the point of existence was to be a professional in a discipline, I don't think there would be much point to existence, would there? You might love what you do, but one day you will have to face the reality that 'you', the real 'you' is not your label. 

What is your label? Think what identifies you... nurse, fireman, policeman, family man, mother, black, white, male, female, what label do you wear for others to know who you are and what you stand for. In business you will make money if your label makes you an expert in your chosen field. People will seek your council and pay you handsomely for it. Unfortunately we are not all experts and nor do many want to be. Success has many forms, but true success is getting up in the morning, taking a deep breath and feeling like you don't own the world, it's just great to be a part of it. From that moment you need to live with that thought, and don't ever compromise it, not for a sweaty trip on the tube, a job you like but your not appreciated, or the feeling life is just passing you bye. You always have a choice, however much you convince yourself you don't.

How much do you identify with that label of yours? The cloths you wear, the people you associate with, the books that you read. Do you like your label, or would you like another one. Do these things identify you with success or are they just comfortable shoes. Do you dream of a special label, like "I'm a film star"  or the "I'm lying on a beach earning 20%" freedom label.

I like the last label because it probably wouldn't fit under my name on a tag at seminars.

One of basic foundations of this project is to loose all the different labels, and accept one for all involved, the "we are all part of the human race" label, no differences just the plain old ideal that through division we are conquered, and in unity we are strong enough to achieve anything. 

One aspect, that inspired everyone who has looked at the project, is the prospect of working with and meeting like minded people. But one thing I have to  remind you is, we are all like minded when you take the labels out, we would all like success, but the only way to be truly successful is to be doing something you love with people you appreciate, and appreciate you, without them having to read your label and stick you in a hole....that's called a cemetery.


"Success was really easy for me,
 I set my hopes and aspirations way down low."