“So, what do you do for a living?” It’s interesting to ask the question and then sit back and watch how people respond to it. For some, they go into great detail, want to make sure you know the scope of what they do; it really seems to define them. For others, especially those who are not currently happy with their career choice, you can figure that out quickly as well. And for others there’s an indifference, sort of like a “we all have jobs, this is mine” approach.
I recently had someone respond with, “One of my passions is…” and then listed what they currently do “for a living”. It was just one of many things they do and just happens to be the thing that makes them money. I loved the answer. It shows this person has a good perspective as to where their work fits into their life. This person has figured out the balance.
What it also implies is that we can have many things that drive our passions, and should for that matter. I’ve gone through periods of time where it seemed like the routing was wake, work, sleep, repeat. Even on weekends and holidays work was on my mind. It has taken a very deliberate effort to refocus on things that are also crucial for life: family, friends, memories, adventure, love, travel, laughter, food, music to name a few.
I don’t want to be a “here’s who I am based on what I do for a living” guy. I want to adopt this way of thinking to always remind myself that there is more to life than work and I am more than what I do for a living.
