On Labels...

There is an enormous amount of power behind words or the "labels" we give ourselves. Saying things like "I'm so stupid"; "I'm messed up"; "I'm crazy", or "I'm bad" manifests itself - and even said in jest, it becomes ones reality. It's easy to be negative because it requires no effort and society does not reward positivity the way they do self-deprecation. There's a delicate balance between positivity and negativity and the language we use to speak to ourselves can make or break us.

Instead of saying "I AM...", rather say "I FEEL..." - because "feelings" are fleeting and do not last, and they denote a temporary state that has a definite end. Saying "I FEEL sad" instead of "I AM sad" distingushes the character from the emotion - because what we feel does not define who we are. 

On the flip side, we live in a society that is flooded with false positivity or "toxic positivity" and we're subliminally taught that if we ignore our negative feelings long enough, they will cease to exist and we will radiate sunshine through our assholes. This is not only wholly untrue, but can be detrimental to mental health in the long run. Care should be taken too - because there is a fine line between harvesting confidence and exuding arrogance. 

What we need to get used to is validating our feelings with the knowledge and conviction that they're only temporary. Saying "I feel sad right now, but it's normal to be sad sometimes" not only validates the emotion but allows one to navigate its dark crevices and come out on the other side. Denial never helped anyone. We need to take care of ourselves as we would someone we love - and that includes using labels appropriately when addressing ourselves. Words are indeed very powerful.