On October 23rd, 2009, I found this thought provoking article posted on: The Naked Soul (Blog).
“What do you do?” This is probably the number one question that is asked as people meet each other for the first time as they attempt to spur a conversation and get to know someone. We have become a culture of people who are often judged by their job titles, what company we work for, how nice our business card looks and feels and it is in part why we tend to become defined by what we do for a living rather than who we are. In many cultures who we are is defined by what we do.
This is very much on my mind this week because of what has happened in my life for the last 7 days. The company I work for is going through a major reorganization of departments. As often happens when a company is going through a reorganization of departments jobs/responsibilities shift and inevitably some positions are eliminated. Once the reorganization was announced most people became tense as their future with the company came into question. People were concerned as to how the reorganization of departments would affect them, would they have different responsibilities, would their pay be effected or worst yet would their position be eliminated? All of these are valid concerns. Facing the prospect of not having your job is a serious matter that can have major impacts on ones lifestyle and the lifestyle of ones family.
As we hung in limbo for a few days waiting to see how we each would be impacted by the changes of the reorganization many people were experiencing a sea of emotions, mostly worry and anger. One could hear the worry and anger in people’s voices as they considered the possibilities of what was to come. On the fourth day of waiting a person whom I work with called to discuss what was happening. There was much concern in her voice about the possibilities of what was to come. This person then stopped and asked me why she didn’t hear the same level of concern in my voice. She said, “you are in the same situation are you don’t sound concerned”. I said “Yes, I am concerned, yet I am not consumed by what may happen. The reason that you don’t hear heavy concern in my voice is because I am not defined by my job. I am who I am today and I will be who I am if I don’t have this job. I am not defined by what I do or what I own. I went on to say “Believe me; my lifestyle will be significantly impacted if I lose my job. I have bills that I won’t be able to pay, I will have to change my lifestyle in significant ways however I know that I will still be intact. I will not change as a person because I have to change jobs or because I have to change my lifestyle”.
The bottom line is I am my authentic self, I am love. I am not what I do or what I own. When we are able to detach from the externals in our life, be that our job, the things we own, the money in our pocket, who we are in a relationship with or the state of our form then we are able be our authentic self at all times and know that our authentic self does not alter because of that which is external to us. Knowing and living from our authentic self frees us to know that all will be as it is supposed to be, all things happen for a reason and that every step we take leads us to the next adventure even when we cannot see beyond the immediate horizon.
I trust that the best is always yet to come and that I am here now at all times for that is the only time and place that I can ever be. It is through our consciousness that we can affect change within our life and all that happens within the universe. Live an authentic life, know that you can choose to change the world and not allow the world to change you.
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