“We are nouns. We are not verbs.
I am not a thing – an actor, a writer.
I am a person who does things – I write, I act – and I never know what I'm going to do next.
I think you can be imprisoned if you think of yourself as a noun”.
This is Stephen Fry.
His words make a lot of sense.
But this isn’t
how humans tend to think.
Humans are hard-wired to categorise. To label things or put them in a box.
Including other humans.
Doing this helps to make sense of what’s around us.
But there’s a downside. Categorising also
restricts. It impedes.
Or as Stephen Fry says, it imprisons.
Labelling people or putting them in a box
limits us from seeing them beyond the box we’ve put them in.
And here’s the kicker:
How we see others is often how we see ourselves.
And if we’re putting ourselves in a box…
(just like we put other people in a box)
…we’re curtailing our growth and limiting our own potential. All through the labels we’re giving ourselves.
It’s a bit like taking a hummingbird and putting it in a cage. Or clipping it’s wings.
It’s restricting the bird. Denying it the chance to flourish outside of a set boundary.
So when people ask me what I do, I try not to put myself in a box.
I try not say I’m a coach.
I’ll be honest. I find this difficult.
It’s much easier to use a noun to describe what I do.
And giving a different answer always gets some odds looks. People probably think it’s a bit unusual.
Maybe it is.
But that’s okay.
Because the truth is…
I’m not a coach. I’m not a noun.
Of course, I do coach
people.
But coaching is just a tool I have in my toolkit.
I have other tools too. Like consulting.
Advising. Creating. Writing. Listening. Problem solving. Copywriting.
But I’m not
a copywriter, even though I do write copy.
I’m not an author, even though I’ve
written a book.
Just like I’m not a coach.
Plus my toolkit is growing. I don’t know where it
will take me next.
But I do know that the more tools I add, the more I learn…
The more I get to know myself….
And the more fun I have along the way.
And all this leads to being better equipped to help people find more fulfilment in their lives.
So it’s win-win.
This is why I try not to say I’m a
coach.
Why I try not to put myself in a box...
And why I also try to not put other people in a box.
Because I believe you can do or be whatever you set your mind to. As long as you don't limit yourself.
That’s it for today.
- Tom
p.s. Whenever you're ready, here are the ways you can connect with me