How do you see yourself?

When I meet someone new I often seek to find out what they do for a living as I hope to build a conversation around understanding who they are and how they see their place in the world (even if just a little). I think I pursue this line of conversation because I have bought into the idea that what we do equivalent to full time work gives us worth and explains who we are.

But according to two independent 2006 surveys conducted both in the US and New Zealand, only 14% and 17% of adults consider that they spend most of their day working out of strengths, respectively. If you work out of your strengths, it means you operate in your zone, you play to the way you are naturally wired, love what you and do it well.

So if the vast majority of us are not:

1. doing what we love; and,
   
2. feel like we are using our strengths to full effect

I would put forward that we are not employed/ doing something that is closely aligned to who we are. It would then seem usually then that in order to understand who someone is we ask what they do for work, when more than likely, they are not doing something that are great at i.e. doing something that tells us what makes them unique and thus setting them apart from others.

If you do a do that you do think completly captures you, here is your challenge. Next time someone asks what you do, only tell them about your passions or what you dream of doing and see where the conversation takes you.