A woman walked by the front of my office yesterday wearing a t-shirt that read, “Just plain grumpy.” I took the message to mean she was generally a very grumpy person, and people had better keep their distance lest they get a dose of her unpleasantness.

I was partially amazed that she wanted to broadcast such a negative attitude about herself to the whole world.

“Here comes Miss Grumpy. You’d better watch out!” she seemed to be saying.

Then I chuckled because I realized labels can be worn in many different ways. Some prefer to print a statement on their clothes, but others wear messages on their face, in the way they sit, how they treat others, and in the words they choose to speak.

Labels are indicators of thinking going on behind the scenes, and those activities behind the scenes do not require a t-shirt logo to be seen. They surface whether we try or not. The human body is the human thought in action governing that body.

So, what labels was I wearing? I asked.

Was I projecting a picture of pleasantness, joy, cheer, gratitude, and love?

Was I feeling these qualities within so they would appear without?

Was there any grumpiness or complaint that needed to be eliminated from thought so it didn’t appear in my word or action toward others?

There is always congruency in our lives. What we project is congruent with what we believe to be true in the moment we’re in.

Even in the times when we don’t agree with what we project, there is congruency. The outer projects the inner. If things are not right outwardly, that’s a sign that the inner needs to be corrected with spiritual truth. As the inner is reformed, the outer improves.

And the spiritual truth includes the fact that each of us has a wonderful individuality made in the likeness of Love where there is only room for joy, cheer, gratitude, compassion, love, thoughtfulness and care. These qualities, lived and expressed, label us a child of God, and that’s a “t-shirt” message any of us should be happy to put on.

What label are you wearing today?