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Is Your Glass Half Full Or Half Empty?

15/12/2025

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Maybe it's just the wrong size glass.

We’ve all heard the classic question: “Is the glass half full or half empty?” It's usually used to measure optimism or pessimism - a quick gauge of how we see the world.

But what if we’re asking the wrong question?
What if the issue isn’t whether the glass is half full or half empty… but whether the glass fits us at all?

Sometimes in life, we’re holding a glass that’s simply too big. Expectations - our own or others’ - stretch us. We measure ourselves against standards or ideals that don’t match who we are or what we need. And then we feel lacking. Inadequate. Not enough.

But maybe we are enough. Maybe our glass is overflowing - we're just pouring it into the wrong vessel.

In therapy, I often meet people who feel they’re “failing” in some way. Failing to cope. Failing to be happy. Failing to keep up. But when we explore more deeply, it becomes clear that they’re not failing - they’re exhausted from trying to fit into a shape that isn’t theirs.

Healing often starts not with changing ourselves, but with questioning the size and shape of the metaphorical glass we’ve been handed.

What if we chose a smaller glass? A different design? Something hand-blown and imperfect, but uniquely ours?

In that smaller glass, our resources might feel more abundant. Our capacity, more visible. Our strengths, easier to recognise.

Maybe it’s not about being more. Maybe it’s about redefining what enough looks like.
So the next time you find yourself wondering whether your glass is half full or half empty - pause. Look at the glass itself.

Ask yourself: Is this even the right size for me?

If you’re feeling drained or stretched thin, therapy can be a space to explore what truly fits you - without judgement. You don’t have to keep pouring yourself into something that was never meant for you.

Reach out if you’re curious to begin that conversation.

#RedefiningEnough #HealingJourney #TherapyReflections #SelfCompassion #PersonalGrowth #MentalHealthAwareness #CounsellingSupport #EmotionalWellbeing #InnerStrength #MindfulLiving #YouAreEnough #ResilienceBuilding #TherapyJourney #Listening2U #LifeLessons #PerspectiveShift #GrowthMindset

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Who Are You Without the Roles You Play?

1/12/2025

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We all wear roles like second skin. Parent. Partner. Professional. Friend. Caregiver. The list is endless. These roles can be meaningful, fulfilling, and deeply important but they can also become so consuming that we forget who we are beneath them.
 

Have you ever paused to ask yourself: Who am I without the roles I play?
 
The Weight of Roles
Roles often come with expectations. Some are spoken, many are silent. We’re praised for being reliable, for always showing up, for putting others first. Over time, it can start to feel like our worth is tied only to how well we perform in those roles.
 
But what happens when a role changes or disappears? When the children grow up, when the career shifts, when relationships end? Many people describe feeling lost in these moments, unsure of who they are without the labels and responsibilities that once defined them.
 
The Person Beneath
Beneath every role is a person a self that existed before the roles and will remain after. That self might be quieter, less obvious, but it holds your core values, your longings, and your unique way of experiencing the world.
In therapy, I often see clients rediscover this part of themselves. They come in saying, “I don’t know who I am anymore.” But as we explore, pieces emerge: creativity, humour, curiosity, gentleness, resilience. Qualities that belong not to a role, but to them.
 
Reconnecting With Yourself
You don’t have to abandon your roles to reconnect with yourself. Instead, it’s about loosening the grip they have on your identity. Here are some gentle invitations to try:
 
  • Notice your language: Do you describe yourself only in terms of your roles? (“I’m a mum,” “I’m a teacher.”) What happens if you also name qualities (“I’m thoughtful,” “I’m imaginative”)?
  • Create space that’s just yours: Even small rituals such as journaling, walking, reading, can remind you that you exist beyond what you do for others.
  • Explore what lights you up: When you’re not performing a role, what brings you joy or peace? Follow that spark.
  • Allow yourself to change: You are more than a fixed identity. It’s okay to grow, shift, and rediscover parts of yourself over time.
 
A Gentle Reminder
Your roles matter, but they don’t define your worth. Beneath every responsibility, every expectation, is you. Whole, human, and enough.
So the question isn’t just Who are you without the roles you play? It’s also: How can you let that self breathe a little more today?

#TrueSelf #IdentityBeyondRoles #HealingJourney #TherapyReflections #SelfDiscovery #CounsellingSupport #EmotionalWellbeing #MindfulLiving #YouAreEnough #LifeBalance #InnerStrength #PersonalGrowth #MentalHealthAwareness #GentleHealing #Listening2U #SelfCompassion #RediscoverYourself #TherapyJourney #Wellbeing #Listening2U
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    Categories
    From My Side Of The Chair
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    From My Side of the Chair - Counselling Reflections by
    ​Listening 2 U
    Welcome to From My Side of the Chair, a counselling and therapy blog written from the perspective of a counsellor and supervisor. I work integratively, with a strong foundation in the person-centred approach, and this space is where I share honest reflections on therapy, healing, and human connection.

    Through these posts, I explore what I notice in the counselling room, what moves me, what challenges me, and what I continue to learn from the people I sit alongside. Each reflection offers insight into the therapeutic journey, seen through compassion, curiosity, and presence.

    Whether you’re considering counselling, supporting someone who is, or simply seeking a moment of reflection, I hope these writings offer something that resonates. This is a space where being heard, seen, and understood matters because every ripple of healing begins with listening.

    Thank you for visiting and for reading, from My Side Of The Chair.

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