Defined by: ‘What do you DO?’

It doesn’t matter where you go or who you meet, in a group setting or individually, it seems once a person states their name in an introduction, they are then asked, “What do you do?”.

It is easy for some. They can simply state they are a: doctor, teacher, nurse, salesperson, stay-at-home-Mom, lawyer, cashier, dentist, librarian, electrician, plumber, CEO, etc. You get the idea.

The other option is: I work for/at, I work part-time/full-time, I am a student, I am retired, I am an artist, or I work out of the home.
When first meeting others, a person is defined by, ‘What do you DO?’. Seldom, unless a person is in an interview setting are they asked, “Who are you?”.

For me the ‘Do’ question makes me shudder. I ‘DO’ lots. I am not in any single career or ‘work-related space’ that defines me. I write, I sculpt (doll & teddy bears), I teach Nia Dance Movement/Fitness, I design websites, and I am a bookkeeper for our home based business, not to mention some other things I may explore as time goes on.

How can I say all that in a two or three word reply that people come to expect? Except to say basically, I am a multitask-er who loves to delve into many passions. I guess in a good way, this would open up dialogue I could expand on during a meet and greet.

Many entrepreneurs suggest that unless a person has a single passion, they can’t be successful because they end up scattered in too many directions. This is true. A person can’t divide their time equally among all interests. For me though, I don’t like to fit into a bubble defined by society. It is boring always being stuck in one frame of activity. It seems when I am doing one thing, my mind is conjuring up something else – an interest, something new to learn – something always comes along to veer me in a different direction. It always has, and I presume, always will. Unless I eventually end up finding that single thing that I’d like to “DO” that would define me in other’s eyes? Until then, I DO many things, all of which define me as the person I am today.

Unfortunately when you ask me what I ‘do’, you may have to sit down and have a cup of tea, as my answer may take a while.