Why is it that “living” means being alive, existence, livelihood — but when we put an “a” in front, “a living” suddenly becomes about making money?

The English language is interesting. I don’t know if other languages use the same kind of wording.

We breathe, eat, drink water, sleep, and move to “be alive.”
We work to “make a living.”

A friend of mine shared that when Indigenous people meet someone new, they don’t ask “What do you do for a living?” Instead, they ask about family roots. That’s what they’re curious about. But for us, one of the first questions we ask is tied to work.

Language shapes how we think. Somehow it feels like our livelihood is bound up with money-making work. Maybe that’s why losing a job, struggling financially, or thinking about retirement can feel like we can’t breathe.

How do you think this connection between “living” and “making a living” affects our well-being?