I find it hilarious that in the age of the wireless-internet-based-paperfree-cloud, the ancient ritual of business card swapping remains strong in most industries. It’s weird, right? And if it’s not the business card exchange, it’s that initial conversation about “what you do” or “who you work for”. It occurred to me that in the moment of information exchange, I’m not just sharing my employment or contact details, but I’m presenting my name, title, position, my influence and a chance for you to judge me based on that.

“What would the world look like if our choices made us better people, not richer or more influential?”

The past 12 months (or so) have been a journey* of learning for me. Or should I say RE-learning? Y’know those times when you think you’ve got a life-lesson down pat, but you get thrust into a position of learning once more.

In the past I’ve found myself in leadership roles that literally defined the way people saw me. When that role changed, so did many relationships, and admittedly I was left with the challenge of shaking the meaning I had placed on that identity.

I went from full-time to part-time, manager to co-ordinator, from a team of hundreds to a team of about six. Some people thought I was crazy.

Then, just when I thought that lesson was over, there it was again. My short part-time contract ended and I was faced with the potential of being ‘just a casual’ for a while. No full-time pay check, no business card, no paid leave, no influence, no team to manage, just casual shifts. Was that hard? Totally! Was it good? Actually, yes!

Did my change in job title effect a change in who I am? No. I discovered that my mini identity crisis I’d experienced earlier had equipped me to cope with the change again.

I learned that despite the (reoccurring) change in my circumstance, I was still Jessica Bigg, Darren’s wife, Lachie, Tommy & Charlotte’s awesomeAunty, Joe & Joy’s daughter, Emma & Caleb’s sister, singer, chocolate eater, and try-hard-blogger.

How my business card reads doesn’t affect the way I care about other people, how I prioritise my family or what I believe in. It doesn’t change WHO I AM.

The corporate-ladder-climbing culture needs to be addressed as we ask ourselves what matters most. At the end of the day, our jobs are temporary anyway – like so many other things we look to for self-gratification/fulfilment/definition.

I don’t believe this life is about building your status. It’s about the way you serve, love, support, and treat other people regardless of your or their job titles.

So, how do you define yourself? Is it your job title? Stamps in your passport? The car your drive? Your house/mortgage? Your wardrobe? Maybe it’s your relationship status?

I am not alive to impress you.

I am alive to be the best me I can be.

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*I’m SO over the word ‘journey’. I’m open to suggestions for a decent replacement.