recommendation
Identity

Identity Crisis: Why Defining Yourself by Your Career Is a Problem


Listen to this article
0:00 / 0:00

“The party’s going to finish,” says HBS Professor and co-author (with Oprah Winfrey) of "Build the Life You Want" Arthur C. Brooks. Here are some steps you can take to mentally and emotionally prepare for the inevitable.

Sign up for our newsletter and receive resources to help you on your journey of discovering deeper meaning, purpose and lasting joy.  

Thank you for subscribing.

Watch your inbox, we’ve got some encouragement coming your way.
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form, please refresh and try again.
Related resources
4:27
Watch
recommendation
Lean Into Imposter Syndrome, Don't Give In to It
Why do ambitious “strivers” so often feel they haven’t truly earned their success?
Read
recommendation
What Am I Searching for in Adventure?
How fun times could be a distraction from the life you are made for.
Read
recommendation
You Are Unique and Unrepeatable
A reflection on the inherent value in each of us.
Read
recommendation
Who Is Shaping the Person You’re Becoming?
You are what you love (Even if you don’t know it)
recommendation
You Can’t Outrun Yourself
What if real change begins, not with self-improvement, but with self-acceptance?
1:46
Watch
recommendation
Without The Title, Who Are You?
Our careers will always be temporary. Who are we without it?
4:19
Watch
recommendation
Responsibility is a Gift
The beauty of being human.
Watch
recommendation
Why You Feel What You Feel
6:05
Watch
recommendation
Kevin*
A story of personal transformation.
8 min
Read
recommendation
You belong—always have
An exploration of loneliness as a profound human condition that reveals our essential need for love, connection, and relationship, showing that we are inherently made for intimacy, not isolation.
7 min
Read
recommendation
TFW you want to be a better person
Wanting to grow is already a step toward change. Perfection isn’t the point — progress is. Like Franklin, we learn through practice, not performance. Whether it’s journaling, prayer, or simply starting small, self-reflection paired with grace leads to transformation. You don’t need to do it all today — just take one step forward, and keep going.
13 min
Watch
recommendation
Discovery of self-possession
Have you ever longed to feel really settled in who you are and what you have to offer? Walk through this exploration in how we come to self-possession.