Discover your true essence beyond your profession with me, Michael Kane, as we explore the intimate bond between our sense of self and our careers. "I am what I do" – a notion deeply ingrained in our society, but what happens when the job ends, and the titles fall away? In this heartfelt discussion on Living, Your Success 24-7, we ponder the challenges and the evolution of identity as we transition from a career-focused life to one that might not be defined by daily work responsibilities.
Join us for a session that's more than just a conversation; it's a guidepost for those facing the daunting question of who they are without their professional labels. I share personal insights and stories, reflecting on whether Michael Kane, the motivator and writer, remains the same without the act of writing and motivating. Together, we examine the potential for growth and self-discovery that can come from this change, providing not just food for thought but a nourishing feast for the soul, as we consider the complexities of identity in and beyond our working lives.
Discover your true essence beyond your profession with me, Michael Kane, as we explore the intimate bond between our sense of self and our careers. "I am what I do" – a notion deeply ingrained in our society, but what happens when the job ends, and the titles fall away? In this heartfelt discussion on Living, Your Success 24-7, we ponder the challenges and the evolution of identity as we transition from a career-focused life to one that might not be defined by daily work responsibilities.
Join us for a session that's more than just a conversation; it's a guidepost for those facing the daunting question of who they are without their professional labels. I share personal insights and stories, reflecting on whether Michael Kane, the motivator and writer, remains the same without the act of writing and motivating. Together, we examine the potential for growth and self-discovery that can come from this change, providing not just food for thought but a nourishing feast for the soul, as we consider the complexities of identity in and beyond our working lives.
Well, hello there. This is Michael Caine, yours truly, with Living, your Success 24-7. Yes, 24-7. Another exciting, which I hope is exciting, another episode for this week. I hope you had a great day. You know we're blessed when we wake up in the morning, uh, to see the sun rise and see it set, blessed and highly favored. So to the point, today's episode is called I Am what I Do. That's right. I am what I do. Explain, explain, I will explain.
Speaker 1:
Most people identify with their job or their career, however you want to call it, their passion, whatever it is that they do to make money to survive in this world. It's inseparable Meaning. Let's be specific. Let's say you're an engineer. I'm just using engineer as an example. Always wanted to be an engineer as a kid, had the proclivity to that and they did it. Engineer on the job, five years, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years. Now it's retirement time. Let's say your job has, your company has, a mandatory retirement age where at 65 everyone has to go.
Speaker 1:
Non-negotiable Can't stay or not. It's just, or you no longer have the same level or high level of skill set that you did in your earlier years. You know we do grow old. By the way, we may not see the sharpest anymore here. The sharpest have mobility. The sharpest. No offense to anyone. No one can escape growing old, but, however, so it's your passion, it's what you do, it's how you identify yourself.
Speaker 1:
Someone says, who are you? Instead of saying oh, your name, you say what you do. Oh, I'm an engineer. Instead of your name, john Smith, so you know what you do. Oh, I'm engineer instead of your name, john smith. So you know what I mean. You can't separate the two. You're entwined and millions of people, hundreds of millions, if not billions, identify with what I'm saying, that I am what I do, what I get up in the morning and do, whatever that is. I identify with that so strongly. If you were to take that away, you would take, I would go away with it, I would disappear. I will cease to exist if I don't do what my calling and my purpose on this earth is for and what I've been doing all my life to take care of my family. Most people identify with the two not being interchangeable. Cain is a writer, a speaker, an author. I am a writer, I am a motivator. If I stop doing that question, does Michael Cain cease to exist? I am what I do. I am what I do, am what I do, I am what I do. So I stop doing what I love, stop doing what I get up in the morning to do, to lead, to motivate, to encourage. Can I still be Michael Caine if I don't do those things?
Speaker 1:
This is sort of like an apologetics not going to give you a conclusion to yes, you cease to exist. Oh, no, you don't. Because my answer is it depends. It depends what you allow, depends on each individual's state of mind and what they will actually do once the golden years hit and, let's say, you're no longer getting paid at your current place of employment to do what you do, that, what you identified yourself for all these years, decades, a lifetime, generations what I will do. I'm not going to give you the conclusion, because that's just my opinion, if it were anyway, and it just depends on you how this, what the outcome is.
Speaker 1:
I will give suggestions on how to deal with this for people that have issues, serious issues, when they feel issues, when they feel they have been who they are because they lose their jobs or retire or whatever happens that they lose who they are. To some extent, maybe that's true. Maybe that's true. It's hard to do something for 40 years, 50 years, whatever it is. We're not doing it anymore. That's traumatic. It can be Again.
Speaker 1:
Can't speak for every human being on this planet, but many people would have a problem with just stop doing what they do, assuming they love it. It's their talent, their purpose. I know we all had jobs and we may be there where we hate our jobs. It's not our calling, it's not our purpose. I understand that would be a difference. You may, when you get the opportunity, when a door opens, run out like the house is on fire or something. I get that. But what if this is something innate to you? You have the skill, the knowledge and you have the passion and the love for it. For example, my brother always wanted to be. Mostly most of his life wanted to be an attorney. He is one. So what if he stopped being attorney? Or he stopped doing or never did what he was called to do? You know what that's called. It's called unhappiness, lack of joy, probably some degree of suffering, disappointment, anger, all the above. So what I encourage is you. Let me give a response, a solution. One solution, one solution does not fit all right.
Speaker 1:
Let's say you retire being an engineer or lawyer, whatever it is, with a company and, let's say, with circumstances in your life, you had to or they forced you out because they have a mandatory retirement age. What if you don't do it for that company? Perhaps you could be freelance, independent contractor, gun for hire, so to speak. Perhaps you do it to replace your former full-time job. Perhaps you did that. Perhaps you enjoy maybe your retirement or maybe transitioning or whatever to other work. Maybe you do it on the side, maybe you do it full time or start your own business, freelance or help. Let's say you're an attorney, you help other attorneys, you're a litigator, and they don't want to go to court anymore. They hire you to represent them, representing a client. You're an engineer, perhaps you do consulting with companies or government agencies or something like that. Or if you're straight to the consumer type of skill set or occupation, perhaps you do that Independent contracting, self-employment, et cetera Once in a while.
Speaker 1:
Let's say, if you enjoy retirement but you still miss what you've done for most of your life or whatever period of time, and perhaps you do it five hours instead of the 40, 50, 60 hours you were doing it when you had your full-time job. Maybe you do it now for five hours, 10 hours, 20 hours, part-time or full-time. But on top of that, I wouldn't say that you're more than just what you do. I'm going to get my spin on it. I believe Michael Caine is more than what the things he, the cumulative things he does in the course of a day. I'm more than that. I'm more than that. So if that thing goes away, I won't fall apart and I won't be thinking, I won't be suicidal, which unfortunately pans out in some cases. You got to get yourself to a level that you're higher than the sum total of what you do easier said than done absolutely. Yourself to a level that you're higher than the sum total of what you do Easier said than done Absolutely, but it's not impossible.
Speaker 1:
What other value do you have? If you can't do ABC or XYZ, what else would you do? That's why it's good to have hobbies, serious hobbies too, would you do? That's why it's good to have hobbies um, serious hobbies, to interest, a value proposition of okay, if I can't be a golfer anymore because my back, I broke the back and I can't swing anymore or something I won't fall apart, or I, my life is in chaos. You're beyond that. You're more than that. Whether you think so or not, really think about this. Will you fall apart? If you can't do what you're doing right now? Will you be disappointed, absolutely. Look at athletes. They get injured. It's over To a certain extent. Then they have to move on. They have value other than what they were doing in that. Whatever particular sport whether it's NBA, nfl, nhl, whatever that sport was they have value and you have value too, I'm talking about.
Speaker 1:
Whatever your occupation, profession, vocation, Money making, skill set is, you're beyond what you do on a given day and day out. That's my opinion. So you need to nurture yourself and groom yourself, because this takes time and I would do it before that day comes, before the day, the judgment day, where you can't do what you do and you say, well, that'll never come. Well, you never say never, never say always. For most people, that day of reckoning comes where I just can't do it anymore. Can't do it. Would love to, would like to turn the hands of time and the time machine and go back 30 years ago and do it over again. But we don't have that luxury, do we? So question I am, are you what you do? I am, are you what you do?
Speaker 1:
I hope I can make the case where you can be that plus more, plus more you could pivot. Maybe it's not the same type of work, but maybe it's related, same industry or totally different. They'd say, well, if I can't do this and that, I will do that and this. I will do this because I enjoy these other things too. See someone with varied interests enjoy these other things too. See someone with varied interests that won't stop them. Or someone that says you know what, perhaps I can't bowl anymore for a living professional bowler or something. Maybe I can't do that, throw that ball down the lane, but I certainly can speak and help others. I can coach others or perhaps just do something totally different outside of that category. So I hope you really listen to this, because you are more than what you do and define. That's why it's good to know all your values up front, your value system and all the things you're passionate about.
Speaker 1:
And oh, if I had time, I would donate my time or start a nonprofit to help kids with literacy or help people with homelessness, to prevent that to people with uh, health issues or people that or you know this or that any other. And I'm looking at that and I? I a varied interest, you know it developed over years. Wasn't always like that, but I had varied interests in several things and that you know, for the most part are hobbies. Didn't make money out of most of them, but just love doing it. Right, just love doing it. You know, if there was a job of a professional movie watcher, I would be one. I love going to the theater, I love seeing musicals and um, that's something I love.
Speaker 1:
Traveling to other places, other states, other countries. Don't do it often, but those are things you know. You can't travel every day for the rest of your life. But varied interests where you can rotate, you can, um, you know, you know, uh, do you know plan it out, and so, um, um, just take heed of what I'm saying and and develop a regimen of uh, uh activities or uh, things you would do just because you like doing it or loving it, outside of your regular J-O-B or career. Because if you can't do that anymore, you should not fall apart, you should. Yeah, you're going to be sad, you can cry, but you say you know what my backup plan has? A backup plan because I like 10 different things and, uh, as long as I can do one or two every so often or whatever, I'm fine. And again, nothing's stopping you from doing what you did for a career on the side. You know sporadic work, possibly not necessarily 40 hours a week, so anyway you get what I do on a given day for my J-O-B.
Speaker 1:
So anyway, folks, please subscribe, if you have not, and share my podcast, living your Success 24-7, with your friends, family and other folks. Associates your connections, your links, your clubs. I'd appreciate that. And please go to uh amazoncom, my book, uh, slaying your dragons, living the life you always wanted. The paperback, the ebook is real good, good price, motivational nature, and uh, I appreciate, appreciate you giving me the time, the opportunity to listen to me now. So again, please share. I have a website, livingyoursuccesscom, or you can get me on iHeartRadio, spotify, amazon Music and Apple, the Big Apple podcast. So, thank you so much and until next time, my friends. This is Michael Caine, out for Living your Success 24-7.
