Identity

Listening to the awesome Craig Harper podcast "The you project" on the way home today and flicked back to episode one where he had a chat with former St Kilda footy club champion, Nathan Burke.

Nathan spoke about former champion San Francisco 49's quarterback, Steve Young who had a saying, "Football is what I do, it's what I am".

Instantly a massive grin spread across my face, why? Because as a first responder, I have seen it everywhere and it happened to me but I am working on shedding it. "It" is our identity.

You see for not just us first responders, but military members, sportswomen and sportsmen and so many other people working in a range of occupations, our work becomes our identity and when you leave that job, your have a massive loss of identity issue to deal with and if not done correctly, can be catastrophic.

What you do for your occupation is not you - it is what you do during the day/afternoon/evening/night. The other times of the day is who you are, a father, a mother, a brother, a sister, a niece, a nephew, a cricket coach, a tennis coach, a netball coach, a runner, a swimmer, anything but what your occupation is.

As tough as this is, once you leave your workplace, you are replaced. Sometimes this is in real brutal fashion, but it happens.

By all means work hard, dedicate yourself to your work, be a great team player at work but please do not let your identity become your work.

We work to live, not live to work.

Thanks to Craig and Nathan for the awesome chat and thanks to Steve Young for showing that someone earning millions, at the top of his game and a Superbowl winner for showing that football is what he does, not who he is.