I saw her pick up several different boxes and read the labels. We were in the grocery store. She finally placed one in her cart. “Is that a good buy?” I asked the young women. She responded, “I was checking the label for calorie count. I don’t know the cost.” Oh, thanks. The candy aisle was next, but I am guessing she will skip that one.
What is a label? A label is a small piece of printed paper or material created to provide information. But a label is much more. It can also be a designation applied to an individual or group–a phrase to include a classification, category, or sorting. It makes selection orderly. The placement of labels on products required through specific agencies is monitored. Who monitors the other labels in our society?
A near-death accident left me with lifelong injuries. As an educator, I had spent years sitting at tables talking in groups discussing the children we served. The professionals, experts, and individuals who had the children’s best interest in place still had to place labels on them to provide orderly services. Now, I was the target of labeling. My medical team diagnosed me with TBI (traumatic brain injury). They told me I was in the group of disabled. What? No one was going to place a label on me!
Fast forward to today, the label is on me, but it does not define me. Why? I decided to get a new label writer. I am now a writer helping others feel inspired, encouraged, become better leaders, enjoy what they do, and most importantly, choose their label! Eleanor Roosevelt wrote, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” Create your own identity and live it out loud with pride and inspiration.