– Finding inner meaning from our jobs and our careers

I AM not a writer but I love writing; I love to write features for the newspapers; stories for children and adults; do extensive research and come up with good sound information, which may make for an interesting ‘piece’, of which I hope will change the life or outlook of some person(s). The fact is that I really love to write; it gives me satisfaction – job satisfaction! But, should I be defined as a writer?

Part of my job is to write, to research and be creative, to report the truth, to be sound, forthright, but responsible- to do the things a writer/journalist should do. Yet, if I allow myself to be defined by this love and habit of writing – being a writer, then I might be setting myself up, deceiving myself.

This is not all that I do. But I do writing as a vocation—I am a writer with every available time that I have – even when relaxing among friends and family I at least make notes on what I would write on later. Talking gives me ideas; listening gives me inspiration. When relaxing I also feel stirred to write.

Yes, I am a writer and I can be a writer from Sunday to Saturday. But how does this define me if I am doing different jobs, but still write? On the other hand, if I decide to do a different job and NOT write anymore, what would be my definition then?

MEANING –
The Concise Oxford English Dictionary offers the meanings for the word ‘define’ as “State or describe exactly nature; scope or meaning; give the meaning of (a word or phrase; make out the limit of.”

In other words, to define a person by what they do is to “State or describe exactly the nature (of the person); the “scope or meaning” of him or her. What may very well be true is what Gary Sinderbrand, CEO at Betterpath, USA said: “To the contrary, 100 percent of who I am is what defines how I approach my job. My core beliefs allow me to consider possibilities and ‘impossibilities. Like the chronic disease patients that my job serves, fixing seemingly unsolvable issues can only happen if you truly believe you can achieve your goals, even if you do not know the ‘how.’ The commitment and faith that you will find a way personifies the collective belief of my team.”

In other words, my job does not define who I am; I am defined by my approach to my job-my faith and commitment to what I do.
The fact is that your job – my job- plays a principal role in lives every day. However, while our jobs not only consume at least one-third of our day—40 hours or more of our week—and while it also almost play an exclusive role in defining who we are; it does not, except we disagree with Sinderbrand.

SUGAR WORKER OR DOCTOR
Once out of school or school age, society sometimes judges us on the work we do or not do; if we are able to pay bills or not. The type of the work others engage in is the first thing we want to know about them, and more often than not we judge them based on their job titles. In other words, society attempts to define us by the work we do and so we are respected accordingly.

However, studies have shown that while there are hundreds of thousands of jobs in the world, as well as career-paths to choose from, what is of utmost importance is the approach that people take toward their jobs that would ensure success or the lack of it; that while one could be called a doctor, writer, carpenter, engineer, or even a sugar worker, what truly defines the person is their attitude toward their job.

LIKE A FAMILY
It is always difficult to be separated from the people closest to us – our immediate family and yet through marriage or divorce, migration, or otherwise, we sometimes find ourselves having no choice than to be separated. Then inevitably, there is a plan ‘B’. The same it is with a job, for it is only one tool for a successful life. We have to be something to earn a living, but our work should never define who we are or in even that there is a lack of it, especially where there may be a permanent change, devastation can set in.

In every sphere of life change is an inevitable likelihood. Things do not always remain the same way, especially in the employment industry, where there are challenges of an increasingly global labour market, which is constantly altering the kinds of jobs that are being made available.

INTERNATIONAL MONETARY ORGANISATIONS
The fact is that in quite a lot of cases, ‘who pays the piper calls the tune’, and sometimes if decision-makers would always dance to the ‘tune’ then they would dance themselves out of office…it is no easy game.

Then there is the obviously changing face of economic-employment times, again because of a multiplicity of (global) events, which has chain reactions around the world, change is inevitable—it is a must, whether we like it or not. Therefore we all have to be prepared, more so if we are involved in the world of work. And sometimes even when we are comfortably in our homes, not being engaged in any type of work, change will still affect us.

SET CAREERS
Doctors, as well as nurses, lawyers, writers or journalists, accountants, are some of the jobs which seem to be set-careers – well-trained occupations. However, if for example, one were to ask a doctor the reason for pursuing such a career, he/she would never say, So that I may be known as a doctor, he /she may more say that it is because of the desire to help bring comfort and healing to sick people…that it is for the purpose of making a difference in the lives of others. This, therefore, talks to the attitude; the very ‘heart-warming’ approach to the job – in many cases striving to be the best in the field; wanting to be popular as a ‘good doctor’ and that may be the definition.

When all is said and done, a job is a means to an end – to generate earnings and regardless of who you are this is a necessity. Ensuring that there is a consistent source of income that pays your bills is very important and that is a motivating force to have a job…to work. Therefore, how could what you do to earn a living truly capture who you are as a person?

Yes, your desire in many cases is to be who you are as a worker – you want to be that writer; that teacher; that lawyer and so on. But do you want that (alone) to define you – your personality, what you represent from day to day? It can never be enough.
(mercilinburke2017@gmail.com)