How do you identify yourself?
How does your perceived identity affect the way you live your life?
What is a badge of honor?
Definition: a medal or token signifying an awarded honor or distinction; also in figurative use.
What would be an example?
The mixed martial arts fighter felt that his cauliflower ear was a badge of honor.
We all have them, some of them serve us and some of them hold us back. Being a large part of our identities, our badges show the world and ourselves just who we perceive ourselves to be.
Have you ever felt stuck?
Not able to get out of the situation because you felt somehow that situation identifies part of who you are?
I have felt that myself, continuing to stay in a bad situation because I felt that it identified who I was at the time. This may mean that there’s a lesson to be learned still or it just may mean that I was stubborn. There is no reason to take this hard, this is just part of the human experience. The first step is to acknowledge that badge, then understand the origin; with this, when it is time and if it is meant to be that badge can fade.
On the other hand if that badge serves; we can honor it and embrace it. For instance the badge of artist comes with many positive elements but also a few challenging elements as well. On the plus side an artist is allowed to explore their creativity in ways not many other lifestyles allow or encourage. The challenges can be more than one would want to face, putting your soul on display for others to examine and be critical of.
In recent weeks many friends and clients have talked about connections to past relationships that are draining their energy. In many of these situations we have discovered that there is a part of how their perceived identity that is in part keeping them stuck in this energy draining behavior. This is a place that the badges of honor that we are aware of is not serving us in the long run. I can tell you this first hand.
Do you have a badge of honor that you would like to unpin from your chest?
Here are some categories that we may find this badges in..
- Childhood experiences
- Adolescent experiences
- Relationship patterns
- Health challenges and beliefs
- Spiritual beliefs
- Vocational patterns
- Community influences
And there are many more indeed.
Are you ready to take a look at your badges?
Feel free to contact me if you would like to go further into this powerful subject.
~Dana