Allow Me to Introduce Myself

After resigning from my 9-5 I had no choice but to create and order new business cards and regain my sense of self.

My resignation

On Tuesday July 14 I said goodbye to the corporate world. I had been working as a digital communications specialist and I was financially comfortable. I enjoyed some great visibility and an excellent network at work. However, several reasons led me to re-evaluate such comfort.

Every article we read on the topic of quitting a job asserts that this is not a decision that is taken lightly or overnight. Almost every single time the individual battles with the decision to leave the job for a prolonged amount of time. I was no exception.

After a few months of an internal struggle, I finally decided to submit my resignation letter. My resignation letter was simple, but the process that led me to it was the sum of a lot of things.

My new introduction

Just two days after my last day at work, on Thursday, July 16, I attended an event entitled “How to Write Your Book in 30 Days.” I attended for two reasons:

1. Learn strategies to write my first book; and
2. Establish new professional relationships.

I achieved both goals! But something else happened that taught me a great lesson.

First, I took a seat and started conversation with a lady with her own counseling/coaching practice. As we talked I started to share some ideas on how to manage her social media networks to grow her platform. I explained this will bring more attention to her business and to her as a writer. As it seemed a good idea, she gave me her business card so I can contact her. And at that moment I realized that I had no card to give to her!

Suddenly, it became more real than ever that I no longer had a 9-5!!

Then, just before starting the formal presentation by the guest speaker, the host asked everyone to introduce themselves. And at that moment, my head became clouded with a universe of questions on how to introduce my self in light of my recent resignation!!

Usually in a professional setting I would introduce myself by referring to my job. But now I found myself without an official title! I do not usually panic when speaking in public but that day I gave the shortest personal introduction that occurred to me. As I sat back down, I thought about how dissatisfied I was with my own introduction!!

So there I was with no business cards AND an inadequate self introduction!!

Reflection

After that event, I thought about the importance of rescuing pieces of our identity after experiencing life changes.

Almost all of us identify ourselves based on our current situation. Many of us will derive our identity from what we do. For that matter it can be difficult to define who we are in the midst of job transitions.

The reality we seem to ignore is that our jobs don’t define us!!!

I dare say leaving a job is like a break-up. It may cause us to feel lost. Yet in order to heal we must find ourselves again. Moving on requires that we stop defining ourselves based on what we used to do/be.

We should not base our identity on external situations, people or things.

All changes call us to break-up with something. However, in order to move forward in the midst of changes/transitions, it will be necessary to recover the sense of our true identity. Therein lies the secret to reach our destination.