DEFINING YOURSELF

I listen to people talk about defining yourself apart from the roles that you play in life. You are more than your job, your parenthood and any other labels that apply to the life you lead. Well, what does that leave? Someone, I think it was Deborah Norville stumping her new book, intimated that if you are solid inside then you are like kevlar on the outside, able to deflect any criticism or barbs that come your way. This indefatigable strength comes from knowing and defining yourself. Separating yourself from roles is the easy part. The hard part is determining what your beliefs are. In your head are the nasty little voices that attack at any time whether you are feeling weak or strong. They work to undermine your free will. We forget that we have free will, that we can make choices that reside outside those that the people in our lives try to dictate must be taken. Even worse, the nasty little voices who have the ability to rattle around 24/7, also try to convince us that we have limited choices. Choices that are based on self limiting beliefs like "you're not good enough, or smart enough or anything enough." Enough already with the enoughs. Maybe the first step to defining ourselves is to shut those voices up for good and cast off the shoulds that have been imposed on us by circumstances and people that no longer have any relevance to our lives.