Most people have pondered questions about who they are and their general purpose in life. For some this occurs during more formative years and for others it occurs later in life. Some people ongoingly ponder the question. Often this is a topic of focus within psychotherapy meetings due to its importance and the universality of the experience.
As clinicians, it is not uncommon to hear clients identify their less than desirable traits when attempting to create a psychological self-portrait. Like all human beings we are comprised of many “parts” that create the entirety of who we are as individuals. Not all these parts are positive and most certainly not all are negative.
For the sake of discussion, take a second and identify something about yourself that you feel is negative or undesirable. We will not debate whether this is a genuinely negative trait but will honoring your right to categorize it as such. Chances are you tend to give this trait more defining power than it deserves. It may have more influence on how you define your identity than it should have. Let’s face it, we are flawed and have experiences we would choose to not tell others due to fear of embarrassment, shame, or rejection. Imagine if all of us wore our mistakes and misgivings as a scarlet letter for all to see. Wow, the world would have little to no redeeming qualities if that were the case. Right now, especially, we must recognize the importance of seeing the good in ourselves and in others.
So, what is this mosaic reference about? If you envision a piece of mosaic art, it is likely you focus on what picture or image is identified as the whole piece versus the tiny pieces that comprise the whole. If made a big mistake that you regret, should it define you? I supposed we could argue that the answer lay within the gravity of the mistake, others may argue that it does not matter. For the sake of this article, let us look at that mistake as a shard of glass in the mosaic artwork. If we look at this shard of glass from an up-close view, we only see it for the individual piece that it is. However, if we take several steps back, we realize that there are numerous other shards of glass that create the entire big picture. In doing this we understand that the previously mentioned shard does not seem as powerful or solely defining of the big picture. The lasting image is the piece of artwork in its entirety.
When treating someone clinically, it is important to formulate a view of them as an individual comprised of many pieces, skills, deficiencies, or life experiences that create the entire person. Having that larger picture conceptualization of an individual(s) aids significantly in the ability to engage them, formulate an effective treatment plan and help them to better define their own self-image.
It is important for all of us to take a few steps back and realize that all people have many different pieces to their personal mosaic. Start envisioning yours today and appreciate the complexity of what makes you a unique work of art.