Lately, I dread the question "What do you do?" It's often the first thing asked when meeting someone for the first time. And it's only natural to ask this question in effort to get to know someone, but it often comes with a reaction based on the answer given. I've never had hesitation of answering what my career is until now. I have always had a job and position in which I was excited to share and speak about. But now that I am not working, this question has made me almost cringe when asked. And I have yet to quite figure out how to answer this question given my current situation.

I made the sound decision to leave my corporate job. But I want people to know more about me and not just how I pay my bills. I don't want to just say, "Well, I quit my high paying job to stay home and write about my life". Doesn't sound so appealing, right? And honestly most people may not understand it. Especially new people that come into my life. I'm pretty sure my parents and friends are still trying to wrap their minds around it. I feel as if no matter how I answer the question, it sounds the same. And my career prior to now almost feels discredited because new people in my life don't know of my prior accomplishments and success.

Let's be honest, when you find out someone isn't working, usually the reaction is negative or envious. You might even make a comment like "Oh, must be nice." I'm sure I have been guilty of this myself. Regardless of the reason why, not having a defined job can have a negative connotation. Often we judge others based on what they do for a living.

Especially living in New York, career is everything. Most people move here with the sole intention of taking their career to the next level. Don't get me wrong. I have zero regrets about quitting my job. Your job should be what you do, not who you are.

My job was my life. I barely allowed for anything else to take place because I was always putting work first. And most of the time I wasn't happy.

There is more to me than what I do what for a living. I'm a creative, ambitious, loyal to a fault girl who will always want the most out of life. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared of failure but I want to know that I at least tried. And I am constantly evolving and growing into the person I want to become. Who I am today, is NOT who I was ten years ago or even 10 months ago for that matter.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you feel like your career can sometimes define who you are?