You would have to be living under a rock in the last couple of years to have not seen the movie “The Greatest Showman” starring Hugh Jackman.
At one stage it was played nearly every weekend in my house by my 2 girls. They absolutely loved it! They watched it over 10 times.
I won’t drop any spoilers in this blog but the movie celebrates diversity, everyone’s uniqueness and acceptance of others.
The key song of the movie is “This Is Me’ – this song won an Oscar for best original song and is a real declaration of being proud of who you are, accepting both the good and bad, owning your insecurities and boldly owning all that makes you, you.
The words of the song are:
I am not a stranger to the dark
Hide away, they say
'Cause we don't want your broken parts
I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars
Run away, they say
No one'll love you as you are
But I won't let them break me down to dust
I know that there's a place for us
For we are glorious
When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown 'em out
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I'm meant to be, this is me
Look out 'cause here I come
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum
I'm not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh
Another round of bullets hits my skin
Well, fire away 'cause today, I won't let the shame sink in
We are bursting through the barricades and
Reaching for the sun (we are warriors)
Yeah, that's what we've become (yeah, that's what we've become)
I won't let them break me down to dust
I know that there's a place for us
For we are glorious
When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown 'em out
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I'm meant to be, this is me
Look out 'cause here I come
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum
I'm not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh
This is me
And I know that I deserve your love
(Oh-oh-oh-oh) There's nothing I'm not worthy of
(Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh)
When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown 'em out
This is brave, this is bruised
This is who I'm meant to be, this is me
Look out 'cause here I come (look out 'cause here I come)
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum (marching on, marching, marching on)
I'm not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me
When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown 'em out
I'm gonna send a flood
Gonna drown 'em out
Oh
This is me
What a message. Not just to share with your children and discuss but to think about as an adult, a parent and a professional. It’s all about owning your identity and who you are.
I think too often as children and adults we are conditioned to act a certain way, be a certain way. We all wear masks or have a façade in some way, shape or form. We are taught to conform. We try and fit in with those around us – but what if there is a better way. Just owning who you are?
This movie is obviously focused at finding a balance between providing a positive message for children but also a balance that will keep adults engaged. It may be factually flawed in some regards but the depth of characters, multiple story lines and challenges they face is powerful to reflect on when you have time.
So with that in mind and the words of ‘This Is Me’ in my head……who am I?
I AM:
A husband who loves his wife. She is my rock, my world. I am blessed to have her in my life.
A father trying his best for my 2 amazing girls, to raise them the right way, to help them become good human beings and give them a great opportunity to succeed,
A son who has made many mistakes and done a lot of stupid things, but got there in the end (or getting there….)
A brother who has no doubt driven my 2 brothers crazy but will support them through thick and thin,
A good friend who would give you the shirt off my back
A man of faith who believes all things are possible through he who strengthens me,
An athlete and someone who is passionate about health, fitness and seeing myself and others transform,
A songwriter/poet who finds relaxation and peace when I have the time to write,
A person who believes in old fashioned values – loyalty, respect, integrity, opening the door for a lady,
An elite sales leader who is brought alive by bringing out the best in others and seeing them achieve at new levels. A leader who serves his team and will be alongside them in the trenches, leading the charge.
A consultant who cares more about the outcomes of our customers, (Clients/Candidates) than myself – always!
A person who believes relationships are more important than sales.
A high performer who expects to win and deliver
Trying to be a person of character,
In addition, however I AM:
Far from perfect! And say and do things that I need to apologise for…… often. I need forgiveness and grace,
Have flaws and weaknesses,
Can push too hard and expect too much of others,
Have made mistakes, (but hope I grow from them and don’t repeat them)
Need great people around me to challenge me, call me out and hold me to account,
Still learning from everyone around me. I have a constant thirst for learning and passionate about growth,
Want it all and will do my best to have it,
Don’t switch off even when I know at times I should,
Broken physically (shoulder, neck, knees, ankles) but find a way to push through,
Strong but can still be hurt,
Compassionate even if I don’t cry,
Care for others more than they probably know,
I am driven, fearless and bold but can still hold back from being vulnerable,
Resilient and have a thick skin but have areas of insecurity,
A person who has learnt over the years that even if you have lost me as a friend doesn’t mean you gained me as an enemy. I’m bigger than that. I still want to see you eat, just not at my table (thanks Tupac for that revelation!)
Love pushing the boundaries and finding a new limit (except heights, I have an irrational fear here)
Love to see the underdog win through grit and determination,
Believes in being a good human being and leaving a positive impression where possible with every encounter,
Believes that legacy is planting seeds in a garden you may never see,
Torn just writing the list above!
That little voice in the head says be vulnerable but not too vulnerable, be confident but humble, share but don’t let people too close, be flawed but not broken, don’t show weakness, how will people think if they know all these things about you. And that was just thinking about the list quickly. I think if I sat here too long I could become paralysed by that voice and probably not post this blog.
The longer I sat here writing the list, the deeper I got to reflect. Taking an inventory of where you are at is always a good thing, as is considering who you want to be as a person and what you want to be remembered for. Let this exercise drive you to the next level.
It also got me thinking about how revealing it is when you think about how that little voice in your head is shaped by your environment, your experience and upbringing. The mask behind your mask – there whether we like it or not. Perhaps it’s just me but when’s the last time you thought about who you really are and how many people really know the ‘real’ you?
Perhaps for those who know me you learnt a new thing or two from that list.
So who are you? Can I challenge you to reflect and see what that exercise brings up for you?
Would you be brave and willing to share? Comment below.
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