I have joked a lot about figuring out what “What I want to be when I grow up”. I was told a very long time ago that if you didn’t figure it out by the time you turn 50 you don’t have to. Well, I turned 50 in December. I guess I don’t have to figure anything out!
But all kidding aside, one thing I DID figure out some time ago is that my job is not who I am. It’s my job. It’s how I support myself. Don’t get me wrong- I do like what I do, I like the company I work for, and I like most of the people I work with. And I do bust my ass to do my job to the best of my abilities. But it’s not my identity. It doesn’t define me as a person.
I’ve done retail, I’ve done customer service, I’ve done sales support, I’ve done tech support, and now I’m in inside sales. Yes, there is quite a bit of overlap. I like helping people and solving problems/ puzzles. But I don’t want my tombstone to say that I was a great sales rep or a great customer service rep. I don’t want to be remembered after I’m gone as someone who talked on the phone for a living. And I think if most people are honest with themselves, they don’t want to be defined by their careers either. No matter what your occupations is, it’s only one part of who you are as a human being. As a citizen of planet Earth.
What do I want to be remembered for? For being loyal. For being funny and sarcastic and sometimes a little too honest. For championing mental health awareness. For standing up for what I believe is right, even when it put me at odds with those I was closest to. For being a good friend and a good aunt and a good sister and just a good person. That’s what most important to me, not a title on a business card. And 40 or 50 or 75, that’s not going to change.