“And I am, whatever you say I am
If I wasn’t, then why would I say I am?”
—“The Way I Am” by Eminem
Who and what dictates who you are? Is it your actions, what you say, your appearance or what others say about you? More than likely, it is a combination of all four. Just because you may believe you are a nice person, does that make it so? What have you done or said to demonstrate how nice of a person you are? If others who know you well were asked to describe you, would they say that you are a nice person?
Released over a decade ago, Eminem’s song, “The Way I Am” is quite inflammatory as it addresses the issues that he has with the media’s perspective of him as a rapper and person. Eminem might have controversial lyrics; however, those very same lyrics are usually quite profound. In this instance, the actual chorus can be applied to anyone’s life.
Most people would like others to have kind and positive words to say about who they are. Nevertheless, is it necessary to care about how other people may perceive us to the point where we live our lives for them? Do we sometimes allow the perceptions that people have about us to dictate our future behaviors: better known as the self-fulfilling prophecy. For instance, are those mothers who tell their sons, “You ain’t nothin’ and ain’t never gonna be nothin’ just like your dead beat father” setting them up to actually be nothing because they believe they are what their mom’s say they are?
You are who you say you are, but be mindful of your actions, appearance and how you say what you say because it does play a significant role in how others will perceive you. Also, do not allow the negative perceptions that people may have of you to dictate your journey in the future.
Please feel free to share your thoughts.
~Anonomz aka Tanya H. Franklin
Journey of Anonomz 