Get Out of the Box
Whether we love our jobs or complain about them constantly (or both), work is a big
part of life for many of us. Some of us have jobs that keep us busy, fulfilled, and satis-
fied, whether we intended to end up in them or not. Some of us don’t care much for
our jobs but hold them because we need to make a living. Some of us have multiple
jobs: jobs at an office or at a home computer coupled with a job as a parent, caregiver,
volunteer, writer, artist, consultant, or any number of other duties.
Part 5 ➤ Zen in the Workplace
But no matter how much we immerse ourselves in our jobs, defining ourselves by our
jobs puts us in a box. It sets up preconceived notions about personality, values, inter-
ests, social status, financial status, and level of education. A doctor? Oh, she must be
smart. A lawyer? He must be rich! A kindergarten teacher? She probably doesn’t make
much money, but I bet she is patient. A construction worker? He must not be edu-
cated, but he is probably pretty strong.
As much as we try not to assume things about people, based on their jobs or any-
thing else, the cultural pressure to make such assumptions is compelling. One way to
foil your own tendencies to make assumptions is to recognize them. Dissect them.
To help you uncover your own tendencies to assume, try the following exercise. After
each profession, write a few lines about what you would assume about someone were
you to meet them and find out they had each of the following jobs. Be honest!