Are Labels Beneficial or Detrimental?
Think about it for a minute! We live in a time where we LOOK for the label, we need the label and I think we do it because we hope it brings with it an element of understanding.
Someone shares “I am home sick” – our first thought and or question is “Oh, what do you have?” We want the label.
Another person shares “I had a terrible experience.” That adjective of terrible is not enough for most of us – we want the details and more words so we can give it a ‘label’.
We see a pet has passed – our first thought may be ‘sorry’ but our next one is ‘how’?
Am I wrong?
Recently I posted to social media I was down and out with a ‘bug’ for a few days. Apart from the rallying calls for me to get well and better the next most frequented dialogue was what do I have? What are my symptoms? Did I get tested? In the big scheme of things, I do see this as my friends merely want to ‘understand’ how I was feeling, and they need it put in a format their brains can give definition too and absorb for understanding.
It made me think though …
From a business perspective here is where I think this need for labels and definitions are harmful to us. By the word harmful – I mean specifically harmful to our own brains and what we are subliminally telling ourselves. There is also the thought process of what others are hearing us say and taking our words, applying their own definition of the said label and as a result holding us to their perception of it all.
The first label I believe we need to stay away from is: “SMALL” business. Why in the world do we call ourselves “SMALL Business owners” Why do we put the word small in front of this? The subliminal message is clear, isn’t it? We are tiny, insignificant, have not made it yet. Why don’t we just stand up and say I’m a business owner? Doesn’t that feel so much more empowering?
Side Hustle is the next one on my list! Is this our way of saying I don’t give it as much attention as I should because after all it’s a side hustle? Do we label a money generating opportunity as a side hustle to let ourselves off the hook if it doesn’t generate any income? Can you not just picture it now – a shoulder shrug and someone saying – well no big deal, after all it was only a ‘side hustle’.
Then there is the use of words like struggling in front of the word entrepreneur. You’ve heard it a time or two I bet – and maybe even thought it. Why don’t we use the word learning – I’m a learning entrepreneur or the word growing – I am a growing entrepreneur. In my mind struggling and growing have the same meaning when placed before entrepreneur.
“Be careful how you are talking to yourself because you are listening.” Lisa M. Hayes
“Our words have power. They impact others, but they also impact us.” Michael Hyatt
In our world of labels and definitions – let’s be careful of what we are saying to ourselves and others. Words matter.
Written by Cheryl Clark – Clark Strategies | A Strategic Partner of Amazingly Virtual