by Natascha Polomski – Food for Thought Blog
We live in a world that loves labels. Introvert. Extrovert. ADHD. Burnout. Neurodivergent. The list is endless.
Labels can help us make sense of ourselves, but they can also become cages.
The real question is not whether labels are good or bad; rather, it is whether they are effective or not. It is whether we use them as tools for understanding or excuses for staying stuck.
Why We Reach for Labels
Labels bring relief. They can explain behaviours we have struggled to understand. They give language to experiences we have had no words for.
For example, discovering you have ADHD may bring comfort. Suddenly, the scattered thoughts and difficulty focusing have context. It is not that you are lazy or broken — your brain simply works differently.
That is the helpful side of labels. They give us clarity and reduce shame.
When Labels Become Limitations
But here is the trap: when we begin to become the label.
“I cannot do this, I am ADHD.”
“I will always struggle. I am burned out.”
“That is just who I am.”
Instead of empowering us, the label shrinks us. We start living inside its walls rather than beyond its edges.
As I like to point out, you are not the sum of your symptoms.
The Difference Between Explanation and Excuse
This is where personal leadership comes in.
Explanations bring understanding. Excuses bring limitations.
An explanation: I find it harder to focus because of ADHD, so I will use tools that help me stay on track.
An excuse: I have ADHD, so I cannot ever finish things.
One creates possibility. The other closes the door.
My Relationship With Labels
I have always resisted being boxed in by labels. They may describe part of me, but they do not define me.
In my community, I have seen people cling to labels as if they are identity badges. It breaks my heart because I can see their potential beyond those words.
Yes, labels can bring compassion and understanding. However, true self-leadership means using them as a compass, not as a cage.
Three Practices to Lead Beyond Labels
Notice your language. Catch yourself when you say, “I cannot because I am…” Replace it with, “I can, if I…”
Use labels as starting points. Let them explain patterns, but do not stop there. Ask: What is possible beyond this?
Stay curious about yourself. You are constantly evolving. Labels cannot capture your growth.
The Bigger Picture
Labels can give us belonging. They can help us find community and resources. However, when we over-identify with them, they prevent us from stepping into our full potential.
Personal leadership is remembering that you are a complex, evolving human being. A label might describe one aspect of you, but it can never capture the whole.
A Final Thought
The next time you catch yourself leaning on a label, pause. Ask: Am I using this to explain myself or to excuse myself?
That pause is where freedom lives.
Because you are not your label.
You are far more!
Food for thought:
Which label in your life has felt more like a cage than a compass, and how could you step beyond it?