License Plates and How We Think!

I was just traveling back from Montana last weekend and we got stuck behind a guy going nowhere fast. He turned on his signal light about 3 miles before he actually turned the vehicles off the road. Even as he turned it was a slow meander off the road like it was his biggest event of the day. Lisa and I were frustrated following him and were ready to holler when I read his license plate. LZY JIM. Lazy Jim. Well, that pretty much summed up the way he drove and the way I think he lived.

An hour after that, we got behind a car that was clearly ready to break down at every turn. It was a car where you questioned which was more dangerous – riding behind it or driving it. The condition of the car screamed STRUGGLE all the way around. As we passed, the driver looked beaten down from life … have you seen people like that? His license plate … DWNNDBT. Down in Debt.

Both of these simple license plates said a lot about their owners. It also said a lot about their mindset and definition of themselves. Take a moment and think about (or even write down) how you typically define yourself. I think too often we take some self identity that is focused on our weaknesses and then adopt it as though it really defines us.

I believe we should be defining ourselves with a little stretch for how we’d “like” to be. Then we should take that positive, enthusiastic and potential-filled description and tell everyone. Starting with ourselves. Use it as a reminder every time we get down on ourselves. Memorize it so when someone says, tell me about yourself, you can. Recite it in the car instead of focusing on traffic (yes I could take that advice as well).

Why let our weaknesses or negative focus define us. I define myself as my “ideal” self. Then I repeat it TO ME enough times, that one day, I KNOW that is really who I am. It influences me internally and sub-consciously every moment of every day – with every decision, opinion and word from my mouth. I can’t fit it all on a license plate!