Somehow over time we have been convinced that our worth lives in a job title. Not in our kindness, loyalty to loved ones, or our creativity — but in what’s listed on our resumes. That is not something that will ever fully make sense to me.

While I completely understand that we need money to survive, I do not believe your entire life should revolve around it. I watch people burn themselves out for jobs that would replace them in a day if they needed to. I’ve seen people go above and beyond hoping for a promotion, only to watch someone else — who does half the work — get moved up. I’ve heard people feel guilty for taking time off, or feel like they have to deal with work issues on their days off.

And for what? Rent that eats up half a paycheck? Grocery bills that feel like highway robbery? Somehow, being tired all the time has become normal.

People aren’t lazy — they’re exhausted. The system is built to keep us running on autopilot: wake up, go to work, come home, eat, sleep, and do it again. Not because people lack ambition, but because survival takes everything out of them. Imagine what we could do if people weren’t stretched so thin. More music, more art, more ideas, more community — but instead, we’ve turned human beings into machines.

Yes, your job is important. But it is not you. You are not your job title. You are your creativity, your compassion, your relationships, your spark. That’s what matters at the end of the day.