Defining Ourselves

What do you do for a living? This is arguably the most common question among Americans. We have labels like teacher, doctor, attorney, salesperson, manager, laborer, caregiver, stay-at-home parent and many more. These are all titles we use to define what we do to fill our days. How do you feel when you tell others your occupation? When we use these descriptions of ourselves, are we looking to show our importance; if so, to whom and why?

There are some that have found their calling and truly love what they do. For them, it’s easy to rise in the morning and end the day feeling fulfilled. When speaking with this motivated bunch, they joyously share their experiences. If you know some of these people, what is it that propels them forward? What you will likely find at the heart of their incentive is a personal passion, something deeply ingrained that makes them tick.

Is this your story? What is it that fuels you? If your work doesn’t define you, how can you make what you do align with how you want to show yourself to the world? If we dig inside and identify what truly matters to us, that can be our guidepost in life’s journey. In this way, we align ourselves with our values and live more joyously.

What if we shifted our definition of what we do for a living to speaking about who we truly are and how we want to shine our light in the world? What would that feel like? In small and large ways, there will always be opportunity for us to be our greatest vision. Let’s take every day as a chance to grow in whatever we dream.

Action:
What is the story you wish to share with others when you describe who you are and how you spend your days? Often times we become so wrapped up in our daily duties that we forget what it is that deeply sustains us. First, you can spend some time writing your thoughts down as to what it is you’d like to accomplish and what small steps will steer you toward that path. As it becomes more clear, speaking about it and sharing it with others brings life into your goal. The more energy you put toward your destination and the more action you take, the closer you are to being the version of you that you envision.