If you had to wear a warning label, what would yours say? Mine would say that I am an intense, strong and emotional woman. What you may not know is that I am proud of my warning label and it is true. It use to be if someone told me I was intense or strong or emotional, that I would react and feel bad about myself. I saw those three character traits as something negative, especially the intense one. For me I imagined that intense meant hard to be with, unloveable or even difficult. So I saw it as a huge insult and as something that was wrong with me.
The truth is I am intense, strong and emotional. It is what makes me who I am. If I was not intense, I could not have accomplished all that I have. If I was not a strong woman, I would have given up ages ago when things got really hard or even every time they are difficult now. Yes I am emotional. I affected by others joy, sadness, fear or other emotion. I connect with others on an emotional level. That is what makes me a great coach. Yes, those motivational videos make me cry every time and I love it because my heart is filled with joy and hope.
So is it really a warning label or an acknowledgement of those traits? I know that if you are called something and you react to it in a negative way, you might want to look and see why. Most of the time is is our shadow side. That means it is a behavior that we have that we don't want to acknowledge because we see it as negative. Once I realized that my warning label was actually what makes me successful and propels me forward, I stopped reacting to it.
My challenge to you is to discover your warning label and start to embrace those qualities that make you who you are today.
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