Stealing the Mic

Family myths and legends: the stories we tell and are told that shape our understanding of who we are as a family and individuals.

Most of us have these stories…tales we hear at family gatherings and in our homes, shaping our sense of who we are and our role within and outside of our family.  

In my family there are two stories that revolve around me that have been told to the point of becoming a part of our greater family mythology: the Jimmy Carter story and the Spotlight story.

Dr. J as a toddler running through her backyard in a red floral dress and bare feet.
A free spirit from the beginning.

As my parents tell it the Jimmy Carter story goes like this: When I was a toddler my first words in response to a prompt of “Who is the President of the United States?” were “Jimmy Carter” (I have timeline questions, but I’ll keep them to myself). This story is representative of my early love of showing off for adults and my parents reinforcing my belief that I was, in fact, entertaining and informed. 

The second tale requires a little context—my dad is a psychologist who has done public speaking, taught college courses, and even had a local tv show or two discussing topics related to psychology, self-esteem, and parenting. According to legend (as told by dad) at some point during his gigs I would march up on stage and demand the mic. He has never really been able to tell me what I DID when I took the mic, just that I took it. To some extent we have been fighting for that microphone both on stage and off ever since, if I’m honest!

Dr. J riding a tricyle, wearing a yellow top and brown pants.
Dr. J riding her bike through her childhood neighborhood in South Bend.

As a business psychologist I want to understand and apply how myths and legends not only shape you as individuals and family members, but how they show up in your organizations and workplaces.

What are your myths and legends? What do they say about who you were as a child and who you are today? What myths and legends are shared and re-shared in your workplace that might help drive culture for better or for worse?

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