You’re more

You’re more

by The Standard | September 24th, 2020 Podcast https://thestandardnewspaper.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Youre-More-Dans-Column-Sept-24th-2020.wav

Often, I’ve found, when people are first asked by someone to identify or describe who they are, they’ll usually first talk about their job. While it is great to find meaning and purpose in what you do for your career or occupation, there is one practice I recommend avoiding. Don’t tie your identity or your self worth solely to what you get paid to do. Having your life’s success solely dependent on workplace success is a slippery slope. A difficult work week, or a less productive day than you had hoped, can create greater stress for you and impact your self-esteem or self confidence, when you are off the clock, if your job sets the tone for your life. This can make it harder for you to separate your work and home lives, throwing off the necessary work-life balance. Then what happens when you eventually retire? You’ll be stuck with an existential identity crisis, scrambling to find a way to define yourself. If you focus too much on one side of your identity, regardless of what it is, you risk neglecting other parts of your life, like connections with family and friends, your overall health, or the hobbies or interests that used to act as a good stress reliever for you. Plus, your interests and personality also make up a part of you. To the people in your life, you can be and mean so many things, such as a family member, partner, friend, or mentor. Just so I’m clear, I like what I do; I enjoy working as a reporter/photographer. But the key to what I’m saying is understanding I’m also more than just that. I’m a brother, son, friend, colleague, and hockey fan; to name a number of pieces of who I am. The job you choose is a part of you, but is not the only part of who you are. You are more than your work.