Why your personality isn’t fixed — and how you can change it, starting today
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We’ve been told a lie.
A sneaky, socially accepted myth:
That your personality is fixed.
That you’re “naturally” optimistic, or “born” a pessimist.
That confidence is something you’re either gifted or cursed with.
But here’s the truth:
Personality is not your permanent address. It’s just where you’ve been staying.
And you can pack up and move.
Most people confuse patterns with personality.
They say things like:
“I’ve always been this way.”
“That’s just how I am.”
“I’m not a morning person.”
“I’m not a confident speaker.”
“I’m too introverted for that.”
No.
You’ve just practiced being that way — so much, for so long, that it feels real.
But that’s not the truth. That’s just habit pretending to be identity.
Even your thoughts aren’t permanent.
There’s no such thing as an “optimistic person.”
There are just optimistic thoughts.
And those are choices.
Moment-by-moment. Breath-by-breath.
And if you can choose one different thought — just one — you’ve already changed the direction of your day.
“You are not a personality type. You are a possibility.”
Motivation Starts with a Thought… But It Doesn’t End There.
A dream is nice.
A vision board is cute.
But without movement, they’re just decoration.
Like Dr. Nathaniel Branden said:
“A goal without an action plan is a daydream.”
Shakespeare — that OG mindset coach — put it even better:
“Action is eloquence.”
Want to feel confident? Start acting like someone who is.
Want to be a better leader? Speak like one.
Want to break a pattern? Take one different step today.
Every time you act, you are casting a vote for your next version.
Your habits shape your identity far more than your intentions do.
Identity Is Fluid — Even Chaplin Proved It
Here’s one of my all-time favourite stories:
Charlie Chaplin once entered a Charlie Chaplin lookalike contest… and came third.
Now pause for a moment.
Even he couldn’t perfectly mimic himself. That’s how fluid, playful, and unpredictable identity can be.
So if someone as iconic as Chaplin could lose himself —
Why do we stay so attached to “This is who I am”?
The Real Work: Change the Thought, Shift the Energy
Over the years — as a mindset coach, trainer, and speaker — I’ve met thousands of professionals who are hungry to grow, but feel stuck in old labels.
Not because they’re lazy.
But because they’ve never been taught how to shift identity, how to rewire thoughts.
That’s why in my training sessions I give the participants the idea of small wins.
Not a dense theory book.
Just a crisp, energizing, pocket-sized thought revolution.
Thoughts that don’t preach — they nudge.
Thoughts that don’t pressure — they open doors.
One reader, Bubba Spencer, wrote:
“Not a real in-depth book with complicated theories. Mostly, just good tips to increase motivation. A ‘should-read’ if you want to improve any part of your life.”
(Thanks, Bubba. You got it.)
Creativity Is Simplicity in Action
Jazz great Charles Mingus once said:
“Making the simple complicated is commonplace.
Making the complicated simple — awesomely simple — that’s creativity.”
We don’t need more complicated solutions.
We need clarity.
We need courage.
We need one better thought… followed by one small action.
That’s it.
You Are Not Your Personality.
You are your present moment, right now.
Not confident?
Speak up today in one meeting.
Not motivated?
Move your body for 2 minutes.
Not a “leader”?
Ask someone how they’re doing — and mean it.
Each of these is a vote for your next identity.
Each one chips away at the old story… and writes a new one.