Latest / Sandra Elizabeth - The Leadership Collective / Empowered: Refuse to be put in a Box

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Empowered: Refuse to be put in a Box · Sandra Elizabeth - The Leadership Collective

• 0:17
  SPEAKER_00: One of the greatest tragedies in life is not failure, but it is spending years trying to become someone you were never created to be.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: Every day people wake up wearing invisible masks, they speak differently, they act differently depending on who is around them.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER_00: They suppress their dreams because someone once told them they were unrealistic.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: They even go to the extent of hiding their gifts because they are afraid of others.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: They change their personalities to gain acceptance, believing that fitting in is more valuable than standing out.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yet deep within them is a constant feeling that something is missing.
• 0:58
  SPEAKER_00: That missing piece is not another achievement, not another promotion, nor another relationship.
• 1:05
  SPEAKER_00: It is simply the freedom to be themselves.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: I'm Sandra Elizabeth.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: Today's podcast is entitled Refuse to Be Put in a Box.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_00: From the moment we are born, the world begins placing labels on us.
• 1:21
  SPEAKER_00: Some labels are spoken out loud whilst others are silently communicated through expectations.
• 1:28
  SPEAKER_00: A child might hear you say, You're the quiet one, while another is constantly reminded that he is the smart one.
• 1:36
  SPEAKER_00: Someone else is labeled the difficult child, the athletic child, or the responsible sibling.
• 1:44
  SPEAKER_00: At first, these words may seem harmless, but over time they become boxes that limit how people see themselves.
• 1:52
  SPEAKER_00: Eventually they begin living according to those labels instead of discovering who they truly are.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_00: People in general, or even society, is always fascinated with putting people into categories.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_00: Society likes predictable people.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: Predictable people are easier to control.
• 2:13
  SPEAKER_00: Predictable people are easier to understand.
• 2:17
  SPEAKER_00: Employers want employees to fit certain profiles.
• 2:21
  SPEAKER_00: Schools also often reward conformity more than creativity.
• 2:25
  SPEAKER_00: Families themselves unknowingly established identities for each member of the family.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_00: There is the successful sibling, the funny one, the caretaker, the rebellious one, the peacemaker.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: And so these roles are assigned, assigned to everyone.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_00: And everyone expects them to remain the same.
• 2:47
  SPEAKER_00: When someone starts changing, growing, or dreaming beyond those expectations, people often become uncomfortable.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: The problem with living inside a box is that boxes are designed to contain, to contain you, to contain your personality.
• 3:05
  SPEAKER_00: They restrict movement, they restrict growth, they define boundaries, they tell you how far you are allowed to go before someone becomes uncomfortable.
• 3:16
  SPEAKER_00: You see, God never created or designed human beings to live confined by artificial limitations.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: He created every individual with unique gifts, personalities, experiences, and purposes that cannot be duplicated by anyone else.
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: The Bible consistently teaches that God created each person intentionally, uniquely, and with a purpose.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: Our gifts, personalities, and abilities are not accidents, they are part of his desire.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_00: I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: God designed every part of you, even before you were born.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_00: Your personality, your temperament, and uniqueness were already known to him.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: Never allow others to tell you that your personality is not good enough.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_00: Never allow others to tell you that you don't know how to celebrate yourself.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: Never allow others to tell you that they have the correct personality, they have the best personality.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: I was very often told in my adulthood, I don't have the right personality.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_00: I need to have more charisma.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: But I knew that I have this quiet, unassuming personality.
• 4:40
  SPEAKER_00: So my personality became a problem for many.
• 4:44
  SPEAKER_00: Remind yourself, Jeremiah 1 5 says, Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: Before you were born, I set you apart.
• 4:53
  SPEAKER_00: You see, God set you, God set me apart to be who He wanted us to be.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: So enjoy your personality, celebrate your own personality.
• 5:05
  SPEAKER_00: God prepared meaningful work specifically for you, specifically for me.
• 5:11
  SPEAKER_00: We each were given different gifts, gifts according to the grace given to each of us.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: God will always use different personalities.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: The Bible shows that God works through many kinds of personalities.
• 5:27
  SPEAKER_00: Moses was a humble and reluctant person.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: Peter, on the other hand, was bold and impulsive.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: John was compassionate and relational.
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: Paul was intellectual and driven.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: Deborah was a wise leader.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: Esther was courageous and influential.
• 5:45
  SPEAKER_00: David was artistic, emotional, and courageous.
• 5:48
  SPEAKER_00: Nehemiah was organized and strategic.
• 5:52
  SPEAKER_00: And so each person served God faithfully without becoming someone else.
• 5:58
  SPEAKER_00: So when you find other people trying to put you inside a box, get out of that box.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: Imagine this buying an eagle and raising it amongst chickens.
• 6:11
  SPEAKER_00: Every morning the eagle watches chickens scratch the ground searching for food.
• 6:16
  SPEAKER_00: And so the eagle copies their behavior because it has never seen anything different.
• 6:21
  SPEAKER_00: And so years pass on, and one day it notices another eagle soaring effortlessly through the sky.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_00: Something awakens inside.
• 6:32
  SPEAKER_00: It senses that it belongs somewhere higher.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: The eagle was never designed to spend its life scratching in the dirt.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: It was born with the wings capable of reaching incredible heights, but its environment convinced it that the ground was all there was.
• 6:50
  SPEAKER_00: Today many people are living exactly like that eagle.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: They have accepted a smaller version of themselves simply because that is what everyone around them expected.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: Their gifts remain buried beneath the ears of criticism, their creativity is hidden behind fear, their confidence has been replaced by self-doubt, and all because they have lived according to the expectations of others rather than the calling placed upon their lives by God.
• 7:19
  SPEAKER_00: One of the greatest enemies of authenticity is the desire to be accepted.
• 7:25
  SPEAKER_00: Human beings naturally long for belonging.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: People want to be loved and appreciated and included.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_00: And there is nothing wrong with that.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: However, the danger comes when acceptance becomes more important than authenticity.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: At that point, people begin making decisions based on applause instead of conviction.
• 7:48
  SPEAKER_00: They become experts at reading the room instead of listening to their own hearts.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_00: Their lives slowly become performances rather than genuine expressions of who they are.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: Take the time, look around you, and see how many people live their lives based on performance.
• 8:07
  SPEAKER_00: They are not genuine people.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_00: Social media itself has magnified the struggle.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: Never before have people compared themselves so constantly with complete strangers.
• 8:20
  SPEAKER_00: Every time you scroll, you will find another business owner, another perfect family photograph, another luxury holiday, or another best-selling author.
• 8:31
  SPEAKER_00: And slowly your mind will begin asking dangerous questions.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: Should I be more like them?
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: Am I doing enough?
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: Why don't I look like that?
• 8:41
  SPEAKER_00: Why isn't my life moving as quickly?
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: You see, comparison quietly convinces us that our uniqueness is a weakness instead of a strength.
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_00: For a large part of my own life, I was made to feel weak.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: I was bullied.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: I was told to submit.
• 8:59
  SPEAKER_00: I was told I was nothing.
• 9:01
  SPEAKER_00: I had to fight that.
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: I had to become strong.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: I had to let people know who I was, who God created me to be.
• 9:08
  SPEAKER_00: I had to let them know what my strengths were, what my gifts were.
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: You see, the truth is that no one else can become the person God created you to be.
• 9:18
  SPEAKER_00: Someone may imitate you, may imitate your style, borrow your ideas, or even copy your methods, but they can never become you.
• 9:27
  SPEAKER_00: Secretly, they desire to be you.
• 9:30
  SPEAKER_00: You see, your experiences, your personality, your perspective, your testimony, your victories, and even your scars have shaped a voice that belongs to you alone.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_00: So when you spend your life trying to become someone else, the world loses the gift that only you can offer.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_00: History is filled with people who refuse to remain inside the box that society created for them.
• 9:55
  SPEAKER_00: They were criticized because they challenged expectations.
• 9:59
  SPEAKER_00: They were misunderstood because they refused to conform.
• 10:02
  SPEAKER_00: Yet it was precisely their uniqueness that changed the world.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_00: The Bible talks about David becoming king.
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: When Samuel visited Jesse's house to anoint Israel's next king, David was not even invited to the gathering.
• 10:19
  SPEAKER_00: His own family had already placed him inside a box.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: To them he was simply the shepherd boy.
• 10:25
  SPEAKER_00: Leadership belonged to his older brothers.
• 10:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yet God ignored the labels people had assigned.
• 10:31
  SPEAKER_00: While others judged appearance, God looked at his heart.
• 10:35
  SPEAKER_00: The very person everyone overlooked became one of the greatest kings of Israel.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: Moses, he was labeled as a murderer and a fugitive before becoming a deliverer.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_00: Gideon saw himself as weak before becoming a mighty warrior.
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_00: Rahab carried the reputation of her past before becoming part of the lineage of Jesus Christ.
• 11:00
  SPEAKER_00: Peter was known as an impulsive fisherman before becoming one of the pillars of the early church.
• 11:07
  SPEAKER_00: Their lives remind us that God's calling is always greater than society's labels.
• 11:14
  SPEAKER_00: You know, Jesus is the greatest example of all.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: People continually tried to define him.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: They called him a carpenter's son.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_00: They expected him to become a political ruler who would overthrow the Roman government.
• 11:29
  SPEAKER_00: Religious leaders wanted him to conform to their traditions.
• 11:33
  SPEAKER_00: Jesus refused every box that people attempted to place him in.
• 11:38
  SPEAKER_00: He remained completely faithful to his father's purpose, even when it attracted criticism, misunderstanding, and rejection.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: His identity was never determined by public opinion, but by his relationship with his father.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: And so today remind yourself that your identity should never be built upon titles, achievements, popularity, or even other people's opinions.
• 12:07
  SPEAKER_00: Those things change with time.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_00: Your identity must be rooted in something eternal.
• 12:13
  SPEAKER_00: When we know who we are before God, the opinions of people lose much of their power.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: Refusing to be put in a box does not mean that you are becoming rebellious, arrogant, or unwilling to learn.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: It simply means that you have the courage to grow into the person that God designed instead of shrinking into the person that others prefer.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: It means recognizing that pleasing everyone is impossible and that living authentically is far more rewarding than living as a copy of someone else.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: Every great leader eventually reaches a moment where they must decide whether they will follow the crowd or follow their calling.
• 12:57
  SPEAKER_00: You may feel trapped inside a box built by fear, people's expectations, past failures, traditions, or even your own self-doubt.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: Remember this.
• 13:08
  SPEAKER_00: The box may have shaped your past, but it does not have to determine your future.
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: Go ahead and break the labels that define you.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: You see, every person carries an invisible story.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: Long before people meet us, they have already formed opinions based on what they see.
• 13:27
  SPEAKER_00: They notice our age, our nationality, our education, our accent, our appearance, or even our occupation.
• 13:35
  SPEAKER_00: And then they begin forming assumptions.
• 13:39
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes those assumptions work in our favor, but many times they become invisible walls that prevent people from seeing who we really are.
• 13:48
  SPEAKER_00: Even more dangerous is when we begin to believe those assumptions ourselves.
• 13:53
  SPEAKER_00: Children struggle with labels.
• 13:56
  SPEAKER_00: Some children are told, you're just not academic, you're just troublesome.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_00: Those labels can become an identity.
• 14:06
  SPEAKER_00: Many adults are still fighting those battles.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: One of the greatest lies that people believe is that they must earn their identity through achievement.
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: Society applauds accomplishments, promotions, degrees, followers, awards, and financial success often become measurements of personal worth.
• 14:29
  SPEAKER_00: While these things can certainly be blessings, they were never meant to define us.
• 14:33
  SPEAKER_00: If your identity is built upon success, then failure will destroy your confidence.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: If your identity is built on applause, criticism will silence your voice.
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_00: If your identity is built upon popularity, then rejection will become unbearable.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_00: True identity must rest upon something that cannot be taken away.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_00: For those who place their faith in God, identity begins with understanding that we were created intentionally, loved completely, and called specifically.
• 15:07
  SPEAKER_00: So before you ever achieved anything, God knew you.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_00: Before any applauded your gifts, he already placed them within you.
• 15:14
  SPEAKER_00: Before people formed opinions about your future, God had already written purpose into your life.
• 15:20
  SPEAKER_00: As you continue your journey, remember that the goal is not to become famous.
• 15:25
  SPEAKER_00: The goal is not about being admired.
• 15:28
  SPEAKER_00: The goal is not about being confined in a box.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: The goal is far greater.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: And that is to become fully yourself, fully the person that God envisioned before anyone else ever had the chance to place a label upon your life.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_00: Today I remind you get out of the box.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for joining me.
• 15:50
  SPEAKER_00: It was a pleasure having you on board this podcast.
• 15:54
  SPEAKER_00: Have a blessed week ahead.