Do you still remember those really magical words from school? – Take out a pen and a piece of paper… I will ask you all, yes, all of you, to write something, maybe on your laptop or on the phone, on a notebook – wherever is at hand for you.

So… are you ready? Number 21 rows. Then write the words “Life is…” on each of the 21 lines. Are you done?

Now complete the beginning of the sentence “Life is…” in each line with the first word or the first two words that come to mind. Do this by writing 21 different sentences that say what life is.

Don’t look at what’s next in the article before you finish your list. All the fun and all the meaning come if you read only after that.

Sure, I have a list, not my list, but a combination of several answers from other people who also tested their view upon life.

So here it is:

Life is hard.
Life is a struggle.
Life is complicated.
Life is unfair.
Life means work and work again.
Life is not a game.
Life is a divine game.
Life is a gift.
Life is joy.
Life is suffering and giving up.
Life is love.
Life is a revelation.
Life is a journey.
Life is a mystery.
Life is exploration.
Life is chaos.
Life is infinite.
Life is a continuous chase.
Life is a farce.
Life is a coincidence.
Life is a miracle.
Life is a prison.
Life is freedom.
Life is creation.
Life is a ladder.
Life is a maze.
Life is beauty.

Do you recognize any of your own words? On your list, which are more numerous, the ones that see the good side or the ones that see the difficult, painful side of life?

Interestingly, each of our lists is not just an enumeration of life’s characteristics. Our lists are subjective and often what we see as definitions are actually labels.

The difference between label and definition

The definitions are, or at least strive to be objective, because they deeply research the matter they describe and intend to capture its essence. Labels only “imagine” that they are objective, they do not express the conclusions of a process of exploration and understanding, they rather express masked, subconscious, negative emotional states.

In fact, the labels we put are the lenses through which we look. They are the magnifying glass through which we select and magnify a certain part from all the aspects of life.

When we say “life is hard”, “life is a struggle”, “life is a prison” we actually feel powerless, tense, even revolted and we are not really paying attention to what life is like in its dynamism, we tend to make for ourselves a kind of self-prophecy, waiting for what is going to happen and what we are experiencing to confirm the prejudices that we have.

When we label life, we ​​reduce it to something petty, we schematize it and we also reduce our chances of shaping our own reality from the heights of the space of consciousness.

It’s like wearing blinkers (horse blinders).

It is a sign that we are afraid

Labels are a sign that we have a strong resistance to the idea of transformation. Because to transform means to give up something known, which, no matter how unsatisfactory it would be, is somewhat comfortable, precisely because it is familiar to us.

They are traps that hold us back in the past. And they block one of the most valuable spiritual attitudes on the tantric path: spontaneity.

Labels also show distrust – which is again a sign of fear. It is as if putting labels, rushing to compartmentalize everything in drawers, ignoring the complexity, the infinity of every aspect of life and the human heart, without seeing what is fascinating in all the Creation, we would make the world more coherent for ourselves.

In fact, this is the way to schematize and flatten it.

One of the great risks, when we put labels, is that they strongly affect not only us but also those to whom we apply them.

In a high school in the United States, a psychological experiment was performed related to the relationship between performance and positive or negative prejudice. The subjects were students from three classes, all three having the same level of performance.

One of the classes was induced, by the attitude of the teachers, of course, the idea that it is formidable, the other that it is terrible and finally the last that it is what it was in fact, mediocre.

In two-three months the three classes began to produce the induced results. One became really formidable, the second one had a massive drop in performance, and the third remained at the same level as before.

You’ll think maybe that this is more like a parable, well, no, it’s an experiment with measurable, genuinely scientific results. It’s more than a motivational metaphor. It is the pure truth – the way others see us – both individually and collectively – that greatly influences the way we come to perceive ourselves.

The student considered dumb will end up becoming dumb, a person of colour will have worse results in a job interview because it is supposed to, and a man with modest capacities can become exceptional when someone sees him as a very capable, already exceptional being. 

The example comes from the social field and proves how labels manage to block people’s potential. But imagine the impact that negative statements can have when it comes to the spiritual potential of our own being or those around us.

“Life is LOVE.” Definition or label?

“Life is beauty.” “Life is fascinating.” “Life is love.” “Life is freedom.” Such formulations are choices. Because objectively life has both painful aspects and splendid aspects. It is duality, here, in our earthly world. But by saying and believing that life is freedom, miracle, love, we go beyond the apparent duality.

We rise in a space of consciousness where we can see the opposites and at the same time, we can feel how these opposites fade, they no longer condition our inner state, they no longer limit us.

From this space of consciousness, we can live life appreciating its sacredness, its complexity. From this space of consciousness, we can perceive our own sacredness and complexity, we can flourish to express them concretely in the way we act, in the way we relate to others.

On the other hand, the labels we stick to ourselves create limiting beliefs, which can block us in certain situations.

They keep us away from the process of inner flourishing, from harmony, from fulfilling relationships. They keep us away from our true, divine nature because they actually deny our ability to open ourselves to infinity.

Our beliefs can limit our potential or unleash it. It is important to realize what type of beliefs exist in our case.

Labels challenge gratitude

Every person has, to some extent, limiting beliefs, which block his potential and value, but it is worth asking ourselves sincerely for how long we are willing to live with this kind of beliefs.

From the moment we answer, we can decide whether to do something or not.

What stops you from being happier? Or what stops you from having a more complete life? What stops you from discovering your divine essence and expressing it in everything you are, in everything you do, in how you live.

Everyone has their own labels in regards to their own being or about life. But whatever they are, for a lot of people they represent that type of labels that keep them from enjoying themselves, from being content with what they have, limiting the state that yogis call santosha – appreciating what already exists in your life. 

There are things we enjoy more, others less. Most of the things and events remain indifferent to us.

There are many things that make us happy. We enjoy them and we don’t care if they seem insignificant to others. A smile, a beautiful melody, or a good book can bring us joy. Each with his passions, with his little joys. However small they may seem, these enjoyments make our lives more beautiful.

There are also many things that we desire. For many of us, the things we don’t have, but want, make us unhappy. There are things that cannot be changed, but there are also many things that can be transformed. But if we put labels, we can no longer see clearly, we no longer differentiate between those on which we can act and the others.

How shall we proceed?

I suggest you look through the lens of joy at everything that happens to you. You can look at it with a little humour because it will make you even happier and you will have a positive mood. Enjoy everything that happens to you, even when it is part of your daily routine!

Rejoice when you see a child laughing or when you watch a good film. Rejoice when you drink a natural juice. A juice costs the equivalent of a dollar, and millions of people in this world have to live on less than a dollar a day. Rejoice when you hear that something good has happened to a friend.

Rejoice and tell this. Enjoy the moment when someone hugs you. Live the moment to the fullest. Enjoy the sunlight and the sunrise, enjoy the nature around you.

Admire yourself every time you do a good thing. It’s not enough to work, you need to be happy that you have the opportunity to work, there are millions of people who can’t find a job.

Rejoice in the morning because a new day awaits in which you can enjoy every moment, hundreds of people go to bed in the evening, and in the morning, they do not wake up. Rejoice that you have loving friends.

Rejoice when you see someone smiling, there is certainly a reason they are happy. Before going to bed at night, think about the things that made you happy. Enjoy the good of another and learn from him. Rejoice that you have someone to learn from.

You can still enjoy something permanent. You can be happy that you can always enjoy everything. Plus, you might not have been born. Rejoice that you exist, that you breathe, that you see and that you feel. The things that are indifferent to you are the things that can make you happy, you just need to accept that this is possible.

Use the lens of joy and smile; occasionally use the lens of humour. Amuse yourself with the fact that things are one way and not another. Sometimes it’s not good to take things too seriously. And anyway, before you take it seriously, smile! People often take themselves too seriously and become ridiculous. Enjoy your life and your work.

The good news is that you can use the lens of joy for free. What you will get is cheerfulness and a better mood. And just as a bad thing never comes alone, so no good thing ever comes alone. A joy will bring with it another joy, and a smile will bring another smile. Live the moment and enjoy!

If you do this, you will feel that even small things can be reasons for joy. Test this a few times and you will slowly get used to it. Maybe you’re wondering what’s the point?

It has a point – to be happy first with what you have and to want what you have. You may want what you don’t have, but first and foremost, enjoy what you have.