Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Labeling Your Experiences


Resist the temptation to apply broad-stroke labels of "bad" or "good" to people and experiences. Our perceptions of reality are colored by our labels. Is rain good or bad? The answer to that depends on perspective. Is death good or bad? Again, that would depend on perspective. A terminally ill patient who is suffering greatly may have a different answer to that than someone who is healthy and looking forward to exciting new opportunities in life.

The labels we attach to things tend to stick even when the circumstances change. This can lead to a great deal of unnecessary emotional pain, because the words "good" and "bad" are value judgments. A person who has intrinsically made the connection that "marriage is good" may be unwilling to leave an abusive relationship. Someone who believes "pain is bad" may go to unhealthy lengths to minimize physical or emotional pain through the use of drugs or alcohol. 

Each thing you encounter in life will be largely colored by the meaning (label) that you attach to it. So - be very careful when choosing your labels. If you label something as "tragic", it will be. If you label something a "waste of time", it will be. Every minute of every day, you are creating your reality. As a matter of fact, perception IS reality for the person perceiving it. So what type of reality do you want to create for yourself? While you may have little control over events, you alone have control of the labels. 


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