Does my job define me?

For the longest time, I have tied my identity (who I am) to what title I have, (what I do professionally). ‘My job is my life’ would have aptly described what I subconsciously and consciously believed.

It’s interesting that when someone is asked ‘Who are you?’ the answer most of the time is..I’m an engineer, I’m a nurse.

I tied so much of who I am to whether I became a doctor. I didn’t become one. Felt a lot of shame because I did not go to medical school and my self-worth was tied in so much to it that I have suffered from such low self-esteem with that. My work identity was the same as my self-identity and the two should not be the same. Its two different things.

I find that my peers and I, STILL, look at ourselves and everyone else a certain way if they have a fancy title or thy don’t.

Who are you? Who am I? How do I answer that question?

How do YOU answer that question?

I am a lot of things.

Now my self-esteem is no longer tied to my credentials, how much money I have, who my friends are and what face wash I use (don’t act like you don’t know the face wash mob!)

I’m now free of the shackles of shame, free of the shackles of expectations, free to be me.

(The me that still wishes on a shooting star, reads magazines back to front and eats my cornflakes with warm milk, and I frequently ingest large amounts of peanut butter.)

Your profession will not guarantee your happiness, it will make you happier to fulfil your dreams and purpose, but do not be yoked to what you think it will make you. For you already are.

YOU are here, what you do for a living changes many times over. Being fundamentally you is all that matters. When your work is tied up with your identity, what happens when you lose said job? You are not your job or your title.

Its time to find out who you are without it.

Take the shackles off and walk with your head held high. No more excuses.