I’ve been thinking a lot about my occupation lately. Over the past few years, really. How we often place our identity in the jobs we have.

Growing up, I imagined that I’d work at some incredibly purposeful non-profit, or perhaps in the journalism field at a magazine or news station. Yes these are polar opposites, but both point to my deep desire to do thoughtful, impactful work.

Reality hit after graduation when I learned that we can’t, in fact, do whatever we’d like to do when we grow up due to a terrible job market. And don’t get me wrong, I love my job and the people I work with deeply, but it’s certainly the not saving lives and in-depth journalism I had imagined.

I’ll be honest - it was really hard for me. I’d grown up with big GIRL POWER posters on my wall, the Spice Girls as my role models, and a heart full of dreams, so falling face first into reality was a shock to say the least.

But I learned something a few years ago that I carry with me and remind myself daily:

WE ARE NOT OUR OCCUPATION.

Re-read it, repeat it, memorize it.

In the DC area, this is not an easy thing to accept. Because here, it’s all about what you do, how much you make, where you live…but YOU GUYS - we are MORE THAN ALL THOSE THINGS.

We are more than the neighborhoods we live in.
We are more than our age.
We are more than our job titles.
We are more than our car’s make and model.
We are more than the labels we wear.
We are more than our financial status.

We are more than that. And we are better than that.

We are not simply one thing or another. We are many things. Many wonderful things.

I’m a blogger.
I’m a wife.
I’m a dog mom.
I’m a friend.
I’m a daughter.
I’m a sister.
I’m a marketing coordinator.
I’m a romantic.
I’m a dreamer.

We are layered, my friends. There are so many incredible facets to ourselves, and this is your reminder today to see beyond what’s on the outside, and treasure what’s on the inside.