The Roles We Play

In life we play many roles—within our families, our friendships, our communities. We juggle them well but sometimes we have more than we can handle. We must ask ourselves, did I intentionally audition for this, or did someone cast me in it? Examining the origin of these roles is crucial to judging if we still want to "play" them. Asking yourself if these roles feel authentic, or bring us joy, is crucial to our everyday peace.

We interview for “a role” and if we get the job, we “act” the role. We embody the traits that the role demands. Sometimes we are cast in them from an early age and we are still acting them out, unconsciously. Those roles from a long time ago don't often keep pace with our evolution, and we must take periodic audits and ask, does this work for me?

When we take stock, we can intentionally give the roles we do like new life; likewise, we can drop the roles we don't like.

Start by making a list of all the roles you play and then ask yourself: how do I feel about each one? Be inquisitive, honest, mull it over for a while....

Soul-Prompt: What roles feel authentic to me right now? What roles have I outgrown and want to drop?