We’re all aware that identity theft is a growing concern. In 2018, the Federal Trade Commission processed 1.4 million fraud reports totaling $1.48 billion in losses. And according to a 2019 Internet Security Threat Report by Symantec, cybercriminals are diversifying their targets and using stealthier methods to commit identity theft and fraud.
Scary, isn’t it? But perhaps a more dangerous concern is people stealing their own identity. That sounds strange, doesn’t it? It sure does. But it happens all the time. Let me explain.
At a recent speaking engagement, I asked the attendees to create a name tent and place it in front of them. I’ve learned that having a visible first name helps individuals at a table connect with each other and helps me connect with the audience members.
As I was picking up the room after the meeting, I discovered a name tent that I hadn’t seen during the program, and it was one that stopped me in my tracks. It read “NOBODY IMPORTANT”. Was it a joke? Someone just kidding around? Maybe. Or maybe not. I frequently encounter people who truly believe that they aren’t important. That they have little value or significance. That they don’t matter. That they don’t deserve to be recognized or heard. They steal their own identity, their own special gifts and attributes, by the lies they tell themselves. Just like identity thieves, they’ve duped themselves and stolen something far more valuable than financial information. They’ve stolen their self-esteem.
Perhaps it started in childhood when a parent, teacher, or coach repeatedly put them down or criticized them. Perhaps it was the result of listening to the mean remarks of their peers. Perhaps a boss dispensed negative comments. Whatever the case, these individuals believed the damaging words and have replayed them so many times that they believe those comments to be true.
For many people, the biggest obstacle to achieving the results they want is overcoming their self-doubt and recognizing and believing in their own abilities. That process of hurdling the obstacles, especially those that have been in place a long time, starts with changing thoughts. It’s about creating new thoughts and new beliefs.
My message to you today is this – you’re important. You’re important simply because you’re a human being on this earth. Value yourself. And value the uniqueness of others. They’re important, too. See them. Acknowledge them. Hear them. Everyone is SOMEBODY IMPORTANT. Put those words on your name tent and on the name tents of everyone you encounter.
The past is the past. Let it go. What matters most is not what others say or think about you. What matters is what you think of yourself. Stop discrediting your significance. Stop discounting your individuality and uniqueness. Stop stealing your one-of-a-kind identity.
©2020 Julie Alexander
