Stop Putting People in Boxes (Especially Yourself)
I watched a video the other day that hit me hard—it was about how we label people, and how fast we put each other into boxes. And it got me thinking.
If I tell you I’m a Republican, you put me in a box.
If I say I’m a Democrat—same thing.
If I say I’m independent, boom, box again.
I tell you I’m a drug addict, you box me.
I’ve been to rehab multiple times—box.
I say I’m a Mormon, or I go to AA meetings—boxes, again and again.
And the truth is? I hate that.
I hate when people slap a label on me and decide who I am based on that. You see I’m fit, and then you see me eat a brownie—box. You see I speak about mental health, but I still get triggered and have dark days—box.
But here’s the real kicker…
I do it to people, too.
And that contradiction—me hating being boxed in, while unconsciously doing it to others—is where I’m trying to grow.
There’s this quote from Carl Jung that says,
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
We walk around all day making snap judgments. It’s how our brains are wired—survival, pattern recognition, safety. We judge. We label. We sort. It’s automatic. But just because it’s automatic doesn’t mean we can’t challenge it.
We tend to trust people who look like us, think like us, believe like us. It feels comfortable. But growth doesn’t happen in comfort. Growth happens when you start listening to people with opposing views, with different experiences. Not to argue. Not to win. But to learn.
You can listen to learn, or you can listen to prove.
Only one of those leads to growth.
So I’m calling myself out on this—and maybe you feel it too.
And let me say this loud and clear for anyone in the fitness space:
Don’t put yourself in a box either.
Stop saying:
“I’m not a runner.”
“I’m not a gym person.”
“I’m just not disciplined.”
“I eat like crap.”
“I’m not consistent.”
That language locks you in. Your brain listens to every word you say. It doesn’t know when you're joking. It doesn’t care if it’s sarcasm. The more you say it, the more you believe it.
So speak differently. Speak powerfully.
Say:
“I’m becoming consistent.”
“I’m learning how to train.”
“I’m building discipline.”
“I’m taking care of myself.”
“I’m working toward balance.”
Confidence doesn’t come from having it all figured out. It comes from believing that you can.
So don’t label yourself. Don’t limit yourself.
You are not a box. You are a process. You are a work in progress.
Keep building.
