You Do What You Are
“Maybe I’m in the wrong line of work. Maybe I should just take on something less challenging.”
“You do what you are Jessie.”
“Don’t you mean you are what you do?”
“No, I mean you do what you are. You’re born with a gift. You’ve got that, you get good at something along the way and what you’re good at, you don’t take for granted, you don’t betray it.”
“What if you do betray your gift?”
“Then you betray yourself.”
(Along Came A Spider, 2001)
I was watching this film the other day – it’s directed by Lee Tamahori by the way, and stars Morgan Freeman and Jay O Sanders. These words just stood out and resonated with me.
How often are we born with gifts that we ignore and why is that?
I could discuss this for hours and am happy to have any conversations with you about what this brings up. Maybe the role of societal context, the role of parental persuasion and the notion of societal responsibility to others might come up within that too.
But where do you fit within all this?
What happens when you ignore your gifts? Or you aren’t true to yourself? Does this lead to a life of happiness? Or are you happy?
Do you feel trapped by your life? Does life responsibility stop you from making certain decisions?
What happens when you do something less challenging? Are you satisfied?
Do you have feelings of I’m where I should be or do you feel, there is more to me than this?
Are you using your potential that you know and believe you have? Are you being true to yourself?
These are the sorts of questions and conversations that crop up in life coaching, in a supportive, non-judgmental and kind space, often to find your own path.
Believe me, I’ve been there too.
I see clients who are driven. They have got to where they are because they do know themselves and have vision. But sometimes the speed of things or life takes over and the clarity of vision is not there. That sense of self within what they are doing is momentarily lost.
They know that they can be more but either are overwhelmed by what is thrown in their path; life factors; or.....where not being true to themselves and their inner values has led them on a path where they can’t see where they are going in the future, or can’t feel where they are right now.
The lines of the film script bring up all sorts of themes which is why I wanted to write them down in this article, they are so powerful:
· Being in the wrong line of work. Making do. Not being challenged (enough).
· You are who you are and no matter what you do, you will always be who you are. It can’t be ignored or if it is, that is making do. And that might be enough for many people, without judgment. But the question to consider is if that is the right path for you.
· You all are gifted human beings. You all bring different strengths and insights and experiences to this world – do you want to keep ignoring that and ‘that’ll do’? Or let the world know the real you? No-one else is like you. You are truly gifted and unique.
· What happens when you’re not true to yourself?
· What happens when you ignore what you’re about?
But let's turn this around.
What could happen if you are being true to yourself, and you can see the wood for the trees?
What could happen if you were able to identify your core values and could see how that fits in the world around you?
What would happen if you increased your confidence?
What sort of life could you have then?
Some of you may already be living true to your values but some of you may not be and may be having a light bulb moment and some of you may not. It can be on-going and fluctuating.
The possibilities of your life are endless.
It takes courage and strength.
And I’m a helping hand to support you along the way.
You do what you are.
Thank you for reading,
Katherine
