Limiting Labels

I like order and organization. I really do to a certain point. All my baking supplies are in one cabinet, my canned food (divided by kind) in another cupboard, and at one point my closet was arranged by color. But I like what Martina Navratilova said about labels- "Labels are for filing. Labels are for clothing. Labels are not for people." Great for grocery stores and libraries- not so nice for humans.

What can be a handy tool to create organized space in a cupboard or closet has spilled out into our lives in nearly uncontrollable ways. When did it start? This obsessive categorization of possessions, places, and people that perhaps started to help us organize and differentiate, to prioritize and plan, can unfortunately start to box us in. While sometimes a label is merely an identifier that allows us to recognize and properly treat or address an issue, if we take it too far it becomes a sticky trap. We even hear it in our vernacular- instead of saying " I enjoy sports" we say " I'm a sports fanatic" or even more serious, " He has bipolar disorder." sometimes instead we say "He is bipolar", like it's all that person is and somehow represents the sum total of this individual.

Now before going further, let me clarify that some labels as they define us are good, inspiring even, because the label itself does not come with any limiting connotations or strings. (And that can also depend on the person) Those labels that inspire us to become who we want to be can be powerful motivators in our lives. For me, DISCIPLE, is the label that comes to mind for this. All that I am and all that I aspire to be points toward and leads to becoming a disciple of Jesus Christ. Any other identifier comes second to that. On the other hand, the label of "SINGLE" however true, makes me feel limited and marginalized in my experiences (though many people have the opposite association of "single" to freedom and carefree fun). While those labels mean various things to each person, the ones we hold onto and allow to define us will shape who we become.

Johnny Depp is famously quoted as saying that the only thing he has a problem with is being labeled. And Taylor Swift made her point by saying, "I leave the genre labeling to other people. I really do. If I were to think too hard about it, that would stifle you creatively. If you think too hard about who other people want you to be as an artist, it stops you from being who you want to be as an artist." On some level, I know it matters to the marketing divisions and the casting people when they look at those things. But both of these are great examples because I enjoy watching Johnny Depp in the wide range of roles from Edward Scissorhands to Captain Jack and I love T-Swift's music, both when I found it in the country section and now that it headlines over the pop music. While I can see where those labels may seemingly create limits in a professional career for the less versatile, at the end of the day those labels aren't making a statement on the character of these individuals.

It's one thing to categorize a career and I'm sure all of us have to deal with the limits or lack of limits within a chosen profession, but when we begin to define ourselves by those labels we limit our growth. Catherine Tate is a wonderfully funny and quirky British comedian and actress and I love what she added about being labeled. "I realized that if you get yourself labeled as the funny one, people don't look any further. I've used that as I've got older. It's controlling: I decide what part of my personality you're seeing. I don't want you to look at me, I really don't. I don't want you to comment on my clothes, my hair or the way I look." The sad thing is that this is happening across the board and not just with being funny. As a society we tend to pick one trait to focus on then we harp on it, make judgements based on that one little aspect or characteristic, and act as judge and jury about their entire life. Based off one thing. We dissect Natalie Portman's performance in one of her films and forget that she has a B.A. in psychology from Harvard. And lest we just lump her into a pool of Harvard grads, she's a wife and a mother and many other wonderful and great things too. Then we praise Einstein's intelligence while leaving out his reported sense of humor.

We are more than just the sum of our parts.

More than our experiences, more than a job or a career. More than interests or hobbies. And definitely more than a physical trait.

Maybe you love being tall. And being smart. Perhaps you have a health condition, a passion, or a relationship that are huge parts of your life. Our interactions and experiences with each of those parts of ourselves add to our identities, but they are not us.

Back to what I said earlier, some of these labels can be inspiring. And we have the ability to choose what to keep and what to discard. Why should society have the power to dictate who we are based on a small part? I love Max Lucado's story "You Are Special" about the little wooden people who put grey dots or gold stars on each other. You get to choose what sticks. If one label helps you identify a goal or who you want to be- keep it, stick on your forehead, make a bumper sticker if that works for you. And if another label makes you feel inferior, limited, or frustrated, take it off. Let it go. And don't allow one such label to become your lot in life, to define your potential. Most labels can change, transform into something better if we so choose.

You get to choose what sticks.