I keep seeing in the news about employees leaving their jobs in droves this year, and people are wondering why.  Could it be the pandemic has changed the way Americans view work?  Are employees over their careers requiring long hours, hard work, and not enough pay for living?  Or are people just not happy with the work they are doing?  Maybe it is a combination of factors but let’s face it, the pandemic showed everyone that life is short, and if you are spending your precious moments of life in professions that do not fill your spirit or your bank account, this last year truly made you question yourself as to why?

Unless you come from wealth, everyone must work; we all need to earn a living.  I do think it is unfortunate that a lot of people confuse their jobs with who they are.  Some are fortunate enough to find their life’s purpose and live their dream while making a living, but in search of stability, one must remember that your work does not always necessarily define you.  Whether you are a ditch digger or a CEO of a Fortune 500, your job is what you do, not who you are.  I believe that everyone should work for a sense of pride in earning their way in the world, but there is a fine line in most people when it comes to separating oneself from their occupation. 

So much of your identity gets wrapped up in what you do daily that it is hard to separate from it.  Many successful people find this especially hard to do.  The stories of loss and failure are devastating to those who once had great success but when it is lost, so is the person’s whole identity.  There are many stories of identity crisis when someone retires and is no longer in their position, which they held for years.  You are a human being first and foremost regardless of what you do for a living.  If I decide to quit my job tomorrow, it will not deter from my loving spirit and patient heart; it will only deter from my income.  Life would probably be a little clearer if people could learn to separate themselves from their work, maybe they would value their personal growth and contentment, and the job would just be an addition to that life, not life itself.

It is positive to see employees take control of their careers and refuse to accept mediocre wages in exchange for a hard day’s work.  No one should stay at a job that does not value their humanness and overwork and underpay them.  Nor should one simply work for money and not fulfillment; the goal is to obtain a rewarding career that adds value to your life and the lives of others.  A grand world of possibilities exists beyond any expectations of what a job can be, but for too long, the status quo has been the same in low-wage industries; change is long overdue.  Remember to work the job without becoming the job, and to the great American Resignation, it’s about time.