Podcast: https://bit.ly/4lbjkHi
This week, I want to talk about labels. Specifically, the labels others put on us.
There is an old adage:
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But names shall never hurt me.
As nice as that sounds, it’s often not true. Children in particular lack the ability to not be hurt by words. When we are labelled negatively over and over, it sticks. We accept the label as truth. Or we fight it, but fear it’s correct.
Sadly, many of us are still allowing those labels to affect us years or decades later. We make life choices because of those labels. We limit ourselves because of those labels, thinking or fearing we can only fail. Words like “stupid”, ugly, weak, sissy, and so many others become chains that keep us from living the lives God called us to.
These labels can become marriage issues. But, as is often the case with wounds from our past, we may not realise the real issues. This is especially true when our spouse is being limited or triggered by a label from their childhood.
Give a thought to the labels family and other kids tried to hang on you. Did you accept those as truth? Do you still wear them to this day? Have you shared this information with your spouse?
~ This is Paul, reminding you that our past can interfere with Doing Marriage Well.
These are the berries of the mountain ash. I’ve always liked their summer colour, and talked about getting some for our property.
Some bird took care of that for us, dropping a seed at the top of the drive. We will collect berries this fall and grow more of them.
Image Credit: © Paul H Byerly created with ideogram.ai & Paul Byerly
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