Does your job or title define you?

If you said ‘yes’; are you sure?

In business the prime question we are asked is, ‘What do you do?’ It is a way of starting a conversation, building rapport. But does your answer really tell people who you are?

Let me give you an example. I know of a person who is self-employed, married and has a child. On the outside you would think that his life is very enjoyable. But if you looked closer at his actions towards those that are not his customer’s you would see a very unhappy and rude person.

So where am I going with this? I believe that this person is unhappy for a number of reasons. Firstly, he may be doing work that is not his passion. Secondly, he may feel obligated to earn money because he wants to support his family. Thirdly, he feels pressured by the world to become better but he is afraid of change. There may be a number of other reasons for his unhappiness, but the challenge is that he is not a happy person.

Why do I tell you this? It is because we are either examples or lessons in life. We become lessons when we have a chip on our shoulder and dare people to knock it off. We become examples when no matter the circumstances in our lives we keep an even keel and move forward positively.

What can you do today that would help you become more patient with people and the situations in your life?

Can you imagine how much lower your stress level will be?