The is something that is holding EVERYONE back from leveling up in their career and life.
…and the good thing is you can flip a switch and turn it off.
Everyone has something they wish they could do, or that they want to do… but they haven’t done because it’s not them.
They want to be a YouTuber or public speaker but they can’t because they are “camera shy” or “an introvert”.
They want to be a writer but they can’t because they “aren’t a creative”.
They want to start a business but they can’t because “they are more of a builder”.
And so on.
Is that you?
If so I have a question for you that will change your life.
If you have something you want to do, and haven’t because you are or are not an X my question for you is this…
…says who?
You’re not an introvert, you have just chosen to be introverted.
It’s not that you’re not a creative, you’ve just chosen to be uncreative.
It’s literally something that either you invented for yourself, or others convinced you of and labeled you.
It should be pretty clear to you at this point that this is holding you back…
…but there is another more sinister dimension to it.
Not only are you letting it hold you back… you are also using it to behave badly and not do things you know you should do.
“I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner but I am a bad texter”
See how it removes the responsibility from you, to a trait that is beyond your control?
It is a lazy way of excusing bad behavior and not doing things you should do.
It can also be incredibly damaging to yourself if you accept some label that you identify with… and they reality makes it impossible for you to live that label.
Imagine a baseball pitcher that has wrapped their entire identity up in “I am a pitcher!”…
…then they break their arm and can never pitch again.
What are they left with?
This sort of reality shattering event can lead to TRAGIC consequences for that person, that some people can never bounce back from.
This all sounds pretty bleak right?
Here’s the good news…
…this is all optional.
These labels are made up.
They don’t exist, and you can simply choose for them to no longer be true.
You have the ability to be anything, or nothing.
All you have to do is choose to shed these labels like a snake shedding it’s skin and say “I’m not an introvert, I can record a video today and start my channel.”
You can say “I want this relationship to continue so I will text regularly… I’m not a bad texter!”
Sounds easy right?
…not so fast.
As I mentioned some people have DEEPLY absorbed these identities and labels to the point that they can’t distinguish them from themselves and they don’t know how to be anything else.
But there’s still hope.
You don’t have to change who you are, or how you label yourself overnight.
You don’t even have to do it at all.
You can instead just use the power of pretend.
You want to start a YouTube channel but you can’t because you are an introvert?
Just pretend that you’re not.
Pretend you aren’t an introvert, turn on your camera, and start talking.
It will be uncomfortable for you, but if you are pretending to be Mr. Beast or PewDiePie etc… you can temporarily “stop” being an introvert and get done what you want to get done.
The best part of this is… you won’t have to do it forever.
Think of it as dripping acid on the stone that is the label that’s holding you back.
Keep dripping acid on it long enough and it will eventually dissolve entirely.
So start today.
Identify something you want to do but haven’t.
See if you have given yourself or accepted a label from others that prevents you from doing it.
Review your behavior… are you doing something harmful to others or yourself, and pushing the responsibility off to some label?
Look at what you consider yourself to be… if you suddenly weren’t able to be that would you be able to cope?
Then start erasing these labels via the power of pretend.
Watch them gradually dissolve…
…and watch your life become more fulfilling and meaningful to yourself and everyone else.
Till tomorrow.
— Chris