What do you “do”?

One thing I find odd about society is how much importance we place upon our professions. You see it all the time, people form virtually instantaneous opinions about others based on their profession. Even the greeting “what do you do”, how now devolved to the point that most people simply throw out their job as the answer to the query. Although most of us spend a lot of time at our places of employment, we truly are much more than the mere tasks we perform while at work.

For example, we adopt a variety of very significant roles as sons/daughters, fathers/mothers, brothers/sisters, mentors/mentorees, and volunteers. We also engage in a variety of extracurricular activities such as playing sports, joining service clubs, reading, taking/teaching classes, travelling, writing, drawing, singing, hiking, etc. etc.

I would argue that this collection of non-work activities are every bit as important, if not more so, than our chosen career when it comes to shaping the people we become. In fact, I would propose that many people seek stability in their employment, and as such, prefer not to face adversity and/or change. As such, for a significant portion of the population, I would venture to say that work becomes routine and rote. This is great from the point of view of knowing what to expect, being consistent, and getting a paycheque, but it does very little toward challenging you and seeing what kind of growth you are capable of. This kind of challenge is often delivered to us through our non-work activities. Perhaps a family member is truly taxing us, a course opens us up to a whole new world, or you develop a skill or ability you previously did not have. It is through these growth opportunities that we redefine who we are and become better people.
So, the next time someone asks you what you do, tell them you actually do a fair bit, and then proceed to tell them just what it is that keeps you busy all the time, not just during business hours.

Those are my two cents for the day!