Reconnecting With Your Core Values

I overheard a conversation recently. Three men were trading stories about the teachers who once underestimated them. One of them laughed and said, “My high school teacher told me I’d be delivering pizza all my life. I’ve long exceeded those expectations.”

It pulled me back to my own early years. I was the kid who couldn’t sit still, who drifted into daydreams, who lived in a world no one else could see. Back then, you were labeled “weird” or a “space cadet.” Today, the name for it is ADHD.

Labels shape the story people tell about you and eventually the story you start to tell yourself. Breaking free of these stories takes effort, especially when you are surrounded by the same environment that created those labels. Even so, a single moment of clarity can open a new path.

My own clarity arrived from unlikely places. I still remember the first time I saw The Matrix. I did not watch it as a sci-fi movie. I watched it as someone who felt trapped and wanted the strength to break free from the world around me. My siblings thought I was too dramatic and strange and that my main problem was I was difficult and thought I was special. They still do not understand me. They remained in the town where we grew up. I eventually left.

My ability to take risks helped me build a successful career in New York City. Recently, I made a decision that surprised even me. I left a high-paying job and returned to a municipal role near my hometown. At times it feels like a step backward. The setting is outdated, slow, and chaotic. I catch myself wondering why I chose this and whether I sabotaged my own progress.

Deep down I know the answer. I am re-calibrating.

I am no longer twenty, yet I am healthy, driven, and experienced. This is my moment to realign. I am taking the time to ask myself what I value, how I want to live, and what truly motivates me.

I have exceeded expectations before. I can do it again.

What Labels Have You Outgrown?

Life is built on choices and pivots. If you are fortunate, you also get moments of clarity that remind you of who you really are. Labels only define you when you accept them. Change often begins as an internal shift, yet it becomes real when you surround yourself with people whose values and energy match your own.

If you have ever been underestimated or told to stay small, I would love to hear your story.
What helped you move past the limits others tried to place on you?

Share your experience. Someone else may need that spark.