What happens when the words we use to describe ourselves start to limit who we believe we can become?

In this Faces of Atlantic conversation, I sat down with Carla, TEDxUNB Lead Organizer and advocate for human potential, to explore how the labels we carry and the language we use can quietly shape our identity, our confidence, and the way we show up in the world.

We talked about the power of words, the danger of shrinking ourselves with phrases like “just,” and what it really takes to break out of the boxes we have been placed in or have placed ourselves in.

This is a conversation about awareness, growth, and reclaiming the fullness of who you are.

In this episode:

→ Why using the word “just” can diminish your identity and flatten your potential
→ How labels, even well-meaning ones, can quietly shape the way we see ourselves and others
→ The moment we start to question the boxes we have been placed in and what it takes to step outside of them
→ Why leadership begins with self-awareness and the language we use internally
→ How to expand your identity beyond roles, titles, and expectations
→ The ripple effect of how we describe others and the impact it has on their confidence and growth
→ What it looks like to show up fully without minimizing who you are
→ A powerful reminder that you are always more than any single label

Links and Resources:

Follow Carla: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlaaacarvajal/

Follow TEDxUNB: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tedxunb/

Follow Terri-Ann Richards: https://terriannrichards.com/

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TerriAnnRichards

Follow Faces of Atlantic on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/faces-of-atlantic

If this episode made you pause and rethink the way you describe yourself or others, share it with someone who needs the reminder that they are more than the box they have been put in.

Subscribe, leave a review, and take a moment today to notice the language you use. The words you choose shape the life you lead.

Let’s keep showing up fully, one honest conversation at a time.

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