You Are Not Your Job
Quick programming note: February favorites will come tomorrow or Saturday. I had a last minute addition that I had to get in there. On the edge of your seat now? Keep an eye on my Instagram for the reveal. Back to it...
When you have to describe yourself or meet someone, it's usually not long before the topic of work comes up. We tend to think of our jobs as part of ourselves and make assumptions about others (and judge them) based on what they do. To some extent this is justified. Certain traits go well with particular jobs, i.e. if you're a Kindergarten teacher, you like kids and have a lot of patience (and if not then consider a career change stat). Despite this, there is so much more to each of us than how we earn a living.
Work is just one piece of the puzzle.
As I settle into my new role in business development (whoomp there it is), I've found myself struggling to define myself. When I walked into my office on January 8th, I didn't suddenly get a new brain, and yet my day-to-day routine is now 100% different. When someone asks me what I do, I have a new answer, and with that comes a new (and very different) set of assumptions that will be made about me.
Adjusting to others viewing me in a new way has been trickier than I expected; to be honest I don't know that I had really thought about it. It has also made me think about how I define myself and what makes me me. By the same token, I've become acutely aware of my own thought process when finding out what someone does, and no, I'm not proud of this. Now in conversations with new people, I ask more substantial questions. I want to know what makes them really tick. I want to make work secondary, tertiary even. Today there is so much emphasis on living your passion, having a career that isn't a "job," but I still think that no matter what you do to earn money, there should be more to your life and more to who you are.
I always feel inspired and empowered, and 100% awkward, when I look at this photo.
So who have I discovered myself to be? At this point in time (because I do think that we always change and grow), I would say that I am kind-hearted, an art-lover, value happiness and my relationships with people (and my health) above all else, a child at heart, with a love of words and a desire to connect with people, spread joy, and leave the world better than I found it. Major note: This doesn't mean that I always excel at these things or don't have moments in which I am a heinous bitch, ok that might be a little strong but we all have our moments :)
Do you define yourself by your job? How do you describe yourself?