The power of words, thoughts, and messages can hardly be overstated. What we hear, tell ourselves, and believe has the ability to dramatically impact our lives - for better or for worse. One example of this is the things we tell ourselves about ourselves - the identities we create for ourselves and believe about ourselves.
Consider somebody who sees themselves as an author. They introduce themselves as an author and consider being an author as part of their identity. How might this be different than somebody who considers themselves to be a "writer"? The difference is subtle, yet it can be powerful. If someone believes that writing is something that is just "done on the side," or a flippant hobby, they may be inadvertently feeding into low self-confidence about what they do.
To use a more common example, consider the way we talk about people with certain illnesses. Rather than saying "a person with diabetes," we say "a diabetic." A person with schizophrenia is simply a "schizophrenic." Yet, we would never call someone with cancer "a cancer." We wouldn't call someone with Lyme disease "a Lyme disease."
What we tell ourselves we are is often a self-fulfilling prophesy. Labels are powerful. Labeling ourselves boxes us into a rigid identity. And if we want to think outside the box, we must live outside the box.