In my line of work as a Software Engineer, I model the real world all the time. Computers must be instructed to behave in a certain way. What features a piece of software has and how flexible the system is can be attributed to how the designers have modelled reality. For example - How shall we represent a Person on the system? What attributes exist on an Order? Should the postal address be recorded against the Person or the Order? Can a Person have multiple emails?

Everytime we model an object, we define its purpose, characteristics and behaviour. In doing so, we also implicitly define what it isn’t. The thing is, this holds true for all our preconceptions too - including who we are and what we’re capable of.

And more importantly, who we’re not and what we’re not capable of.

If I asked you to visualise the following, what do you see? Sky diver. Lawyer. Swedish girl. Now ask yourself why you visualised them that way. Is that Swedish girl blonde? Does the Lawyer have to be in a suit? Can the Sky diver also be that Swedish lawyer?

We see what we see because of what we have experienced in the past and what society has conditioned us to see. We all have our labels. Husband. Son. Friend. Each label comes with a certain visual image and a set of preconceptions. However, we are not defined by our labels. Do not let your labels draw boundaries around who you are, what you can do and how you behave.

Most of the limitations we have are self imposed based on how we choose to see ourselves or how others see us. Just for a second, imagine yourself without these labels and limitations. What would you be doing? Now, ask yourself what’s really stopping you. I can’t say for sure but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how amazing you are if you give yourself a chance.

Maybe you’ve always wanted to learn how to play the guitar, learn how to draw, be a better cook or Bungi jump. Whatever it is, barring any physical disability, the limitation you think you have is most likely self imposed. They only exist in your head.

As for me, just because I am a Software Engineer does not preclude me from being a good writer who is also passionate about personal development and chooses to write about it. Not being able to write was a limitation I had imposed on myself, partly because of what my English teacher had said. This is no longer a limitation I choose to acknowledge. So even though this post has taken me 2 hours to compose, I know I can only get better and improve with time.