Yes, Your Work Matters. Yes, Even Yours

A young man recently contacted me via social media with a profound question. He stumbled upon a video clip from our Meaning Over Money podcast where I talked about how all work matters because it adds value to others. When he heard this, he started to question his own career choices. It's not because he hates his job.... it's the opposite, actually. And it's not because he doesn't make a decent living.... it's the opposite, actually. His pondering came from a place where he needed to know if his work actually adds value to others.

He's a video game streamer. Yes, he plays video games for a living. He plays while people watch him on the internet. He livestreams his play on Twitch and TikTok, and publishes the full videos on YouTube after the fact. He's 22 and made "around $200,000 last year."

What do you think? Does his work matter? Does it actually add value to people's lives? Do you believe what he does is silly and a waste of time? Do you feel like he's wasting his life away? Do you think it's ridiculous someone like him can generate nearly a quarter million dollars per year? If I were to survey each of you, I suspect there would be a wide array of answers. Answers ranging from "he's a loser" to "he's my new hero."

Here's what I told him. Of course his work is adding value to others. Otherwise, thousands of people wouldn't pay him to be a member of his community, and people wouldn't spend tens of thousands of hours watching his videos. At the heart of it, he's an entertainer. He's funny, engaging, and shockingly enjoyable to watch. He provides people with laughs and light-hearted content when they come home from a tough day. But it goes deeper than that. He's creating genuine community. Not just for himself, but for thousands of people who follow him. When you spend even a few minutes watching his channel, it's clear there's a core group of people who know and care about each other. He created that. He took an interest (video games), and widely available tools (his computer and a few social media platforms), and combined it with his gifts (humor, engagement, and empathy), to create something that matters. Something that adds value to our culture. Something that gives people a place to belong.

Yeah, his work matters. It sure does matter. It matters a ton to a lot of people. It doesn't matter what you or I think of his work. To the people he serves, he's adding a ton of value. His work matters. That's why it's his work, and not yours/mine. It's the beauty of work that matters. We each have the opportunity to carve our own path. This young man did it in his own unique way, and we each get to do the same.

"It Feels Like I'm Living My Dream"

Yesterday was the official launch of our new canned cold brew partnership with The We Will Collective, Iowa State University's NIL collective organization. We started by offering cans in our brick-and-mortar shop, followed by retail availability early next week and direct-to-consumer online sales a few weeks later. As I watched TJ pass out cans to eager Cyclone fans at our soft launch event yesterday morning, I couldn't help but smile. It felt like something big was happening, though none of us could adequately define what that truly means.

Several hours later, I received several missed calls from TJ. I was in a meeting and couldn't answer, but I started getting concerned. I texted him and asked if everything was ok, and if he needed me right away. Turns out, he was just really excited to talk about everything.

A few hours later, I finally had a chance to connect with him. In the first few minutes of the conversation, TJ said something I suspected earlier in the day. "I feel like I'm living my dream." I know this is true. I've felt that way for a while now, but yesterday seemed to cap off a wild 9-month run since opening our doors.

TJ's recipe is simple. Know your calling, grind, fail, learn, grind, fail, learn, continue following the call, grind, fail, learn, and suddenly, you're an overnight success. It's been a 4.5-year journey for him. Nothing about it has been easy. Lesser people (myself included) probably would have given up by now. But not him. His mission was so clear, his why so big, and his patience so great, that nothing was going to defeat his spirit or crush his dream.

Living our dream has a price. We all have different dreams, and the prices to achieve them vary, but there's no free pass. The cost is steep, but the rewards are grand. I suspect TJ already knew this, but having a front-row seat to watch it play out in real-time is special.

Here's my parting thought. I don't think TJ is special. He's just a regular guy, but a regular guy living his dream. If he can do it, so can you, and so can I. If that's true, what's stopping you from going for it?

"Do I Have to Like My Job?"

I receive this question often, but it felt particularly loaded when I recently received it from a man in Germany. He reached out via a DM on Instagram. There was a bit more context involved, but in short, he wanted to know the following: "Do I Have to Like My Job?"

I regularly reference a staggering statistic on this blog and the podcast. 70% of Americans dislike or hate their jobs. I hoped these last few years would help shift these numbers, but new data indicates it's more of the same. According to Gallup's latest numbers, 69% of Americans dislike or hate their jobs. In Europe, where this man resides, it's much, much worse. According to Gallup's recent study, 87% of Europeans dislike or hate their jobs. That's nearly 9 out of 10 adults across the entire continent. Holy crap!!! That's a staggeringly sad statistic.

My message to this man is two-fold. First, you're not alone. Most people in my country and his country don't like their jobs. What he's experiencing is quite normal, unfortunately. It doesn't make him evil, or stupid, or a failure. For as much as I can tell, he's quite successful and has a good life.

No, we don't have to like our jobs. We can live a quality life without liking our jobs. Tens of millions of Americans and Germans alike do it every day. It's indeed possible to dislike or hate our job but still have a meaningful life. Our jobs don't define us, and there's more to life than work.

However, and this is a big however. You deserve better than a job you dislike or hate. I think you deserve better than to wake up in the morning and dread what you're about to do. If you spend more than half your waking hours doing something you tolerate or hate, I'm sorry. If you can't wait until Fridays, then get depressed about Mondays, I'm so sorry! If you spend decades racing as fast as you can to reach the finish line and retire so you can "finally enjoy life," I'm sorry.

No, we don't have to like our jobs. Hundreds of millions of people don't like their jobs. It's the normal way to live life. There's nothing inherently wrong with it. On the other hand, I think this man deserves better, I think you deserve better, and I think I deserve better. We have but one life to live. As such, I think we deserve to wake up each day knowing we're about to do something that matters. If we're going to spend half our waking hours away from our family, we deserve to do something that fills our bucket and matters to us.

This is my wish for this man, and it's my wish for you. Whatever you're doing today, I hope it matters to you. You deserve that.

"What In the World Am I Doing?"

"What in the world am I doing?" These were the words spoken by a close friend who was feeling extraordinarily stressed by his work. It was a redundant question, but these words hit home for me. I, too, have these exact same moments. What in the world am I doing!?!?

He knows what he's doing, of course. He knows exactly what he's doing, and it's awesome. He's making a massive impact on this world, and his work provides him a ton of meaning along the way. This is the thing about work that matters. It's not necessarily fun. It can be, but only some of the time. Other parts of the work can be tremendously challenging. It can occasionally wreak havoc on us mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Not because the work is bad or unhealthy, but because work that matters is rarely easy. It forces us to push ourselves, take the road less traveled, and go against the grain. Living in discomfort, aggressively pursuing something we are called to do, and fighting through the many challenges just comes with the territory. It's hard, but so, so beautiful.

My friend went on to say that though he wishes he didn't feel this way, it's a sign that he's exactly where he needs to be. There is an alternate reality where he lives an easier, less stressful, more comfortable life. I know this, and he knows this. But never in a million years would he trade this for that alternate life. His "why" is too big, the stakes too high, and the impact potential too grand. Thus, he will persevere and the adventure will continue.

Perhaps I'm not making the best case for pursuing work that matters. It's far from perfect and often quite uncomfortable. On the flip side, I don't want to paint an unrealistically rosy picture of a fun-filled, easy-going, stress-free life. Context matters and candor is key.

But here's the promise I can make you: it's worth it. Work that matters is always worth it. If you've found it in your life, congratulations on being in rarified air. Don't ever take it for granted or let it go. If you haven't found it.....yet......the search is not over!

"Daddy is Helping People"

I didn't become a parent until I was 35 years old. One of the benefits of not becoming a parent until later in life is it allowed me to watch everyone around me parent. As I watched, I noticed one trend that disturbed me. Kids would freak out when their parents went to work. To an extent, I understood this. Kids want to be with their parents.....period. However, I noticed something else. Whenever the topic came up, it was communicated in some variation of the following: "I have to go to work." 

Two things stand out about this phrase. First, "have to" designates it's not a choice. The parent must do it, even if they don't want to. Work = bad. Second, the word "work" doesn't have much context. Small children may not fully understand this word, and later it will be merely understood by the child as a "job," or something you do for money. 

I decided to change the narrative when I became a father. From the time Finn and Pax were babies, we never used the phrase "go to work." Instead, it was always "go help people." When the kids eventually began to verbally converse, Sarah didn't say, "Daddy has to go work." It was, "Daddy is helping people." It may sound like I'm splitting hairs, but the difference is staggering.....especially for kids. 

My kids don't always like when I leave to "go help people," but they understand it at a deeper level. They know I do it because a) I want to help people, b) helping people is a good thing, and c) helping people results in money that we can use to pay the bills, give, and do fun things. Work = good.

It all came full circle yesterday. The Northern Vessel farmer's market crew was down a man, so TJ asked if I'd be willing to be the third man (who makes sure the ice, cups, lids, and all other supplies are constantly stocked so the other two can serve people with hospitality and efficiency). I told him I would, but I needed to have the kids with me since Sarah was traveling. What an excellent opportunity to put the kids to the test! I was a bit nervous going in, but they absolutely blew me away! They worked hard, stayed focused, accomplished the mission, and had fun doing it. They worked their little butts off.....and it was a lot! At some point in the morning, Finn looked over to me and said, "Daddy, I love helping people. I'm having so much fun. I wish we could do it longer." 

So many good things have come out of this mission to redefine "work" with our kids:

• A desire to serve people

• An appreciation and respect for the importance of work

• A desire to take on challenging work

• The enjoyment of work

It was a wonderful day, and I’m so glad I was able to experience that with them.

Sunday at 4PM

We got home last night from a 5-day camping trip in the Black Hills. It was a great trip, filled with new experiences, shared memories, and tasty food. It was a long drive home, but it went as smoothly as an 11-hour journey with two six-year-old boys can go. I spent much of the drive home thinking about my week ahead. No, not dreading it. Instead, I couldn't have been more excited. We have some huge things in store at Northern Vessel this week, I have lots of awesome coaching sessions on the books, I'm meeting with some interesting people, and I have a bunch of meaningful content to produce. It's a wild feeling when you're on the way home from vacation, excited about what's waiting for you when you return.

As I'm typing this, I recognize this isn't the case for most people. And by most, I mean most. Statistically, 4:00 PM on Sunday afternoon is the most depressing hour of the week. The weekend has largely passed, and we shift our attention to what's waiting for us on Monday morning. Have you ever felt the Monday dread creep in on Sunday afternoon/evening? I've had lots of those days! It's the worst feeling! So when I rave about how excited I am about Mondays, it doesn't come from a place of naivety or lack of perspective. I know all too well what people are feeling on Sundays......and it sucks! I think people deserve better than to fall into the statistic of the most depressing hour of the week.

So as you're reading this, ask yourself how you felt last Sunday afternoon/evening. Did you look forward to what was coming in the week ahead? Or did you feel some level of dread? The answer to that question may be telling. I'm not telling you what to do, but I want you to know what's possible. There IS a reality where Mondays are amazing. There IS a reality where you're just as excited to get back from vacation as you were to leave for it. There IS a reality where not only is Sunday at 4:00 PM not the most depressing hour of your week, but one of the best hours of your week.

That reality lives on the other side of some tough decisions.

Say "Yes", Then Enjoy the Ride

I've spent all week amidst the oilfields of West Texas. 105 degrees, sunny, strong winds, and a culture far removed from my normal day-to-day life. I've been on-site with a client, working on some fun but intense projects. It's been a series of 12-hour work days capped off by a delightful meal before returning to the hotel. It's been a challenging week, but it's been a rewarding week. I never anticipated this is where I'd spend a week of my life in June 2023, but life is funny like that. There were a million reasons it wouldn't happen, but one thing led me to this place: "Yes." In December, I had a coffee with a man who runs an up-and-coming company. This is where he asked me to do some work for them. I didn't really know what to say, as the work was a lot different than most of my other client and content creation work. However, it sounded fascinating, it was an opportunity to exercise some of the skills I put on a shelf after leaving my last career, and I knew it would be immensely challenging. I was correct on all accounts.

I'm not advocating we say "yes" to every single opportunity that comes our way. I know first-hand how poorly that can go for us. However, I suggest that maybe we need to be more willing to say "yes." Sometimes we need to say "yes" enough times before we truly understand where we need to say "no." Some of the best parts of my life are things I likely would have said "no" to.

If you're anxious about saying "yes" to something, ask yourself one crucial question: "I am stuck if I do this?" In most cases, there's no real risk to saying "yes." I could have done one project for this company, realized it wasn't for me, then quickly got out. No harm, no foul. That option was on the table. Instead, I'm in Texas meeting new people, learning new things, and adding value to others in a different way. It's wonderful, and I'm grateful for the opportunity!

I'm excited to see my family later tonight, but I'll also be excited for my next trip to one of this company's various locations. Life is a fun journey full of twists, turns, and uncertainties. I heard we'll never get out alive. If that's true, let's say "yes" more often and enjoy the ride.

Work That Matters Matters

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of spending the morning with our Northern Vessel Coffee team at the Des Moines Farmer’s Market. This market is one of the top markets in the country and welcomes more than 20,000 visitors every Saturday morning. Being invited to participate in the market this year was a huge win and honor for the business, and an opportunity we don’t take lightly.

When the idea rose to the surface, two of our full-time guys immediately stepped up and said they wanted to take ownership of it. This is a tremendous amount of work! The brewing, the prep, the transportation, the setup, the actual market, the teardown, and the part where they do it again next week (for 25 more weeks). The operation is primarily run through those two guys, but a third person (my job this week) is needed to help keep the train on the tracks by making sure they have ice, cups, lids, kegs, and everything else constantly stocked. After all, the market is pure madness and they can easily go two hours without even a 10-second break. They ended up killing 14 kegs of our signature oat milk cold brew lattes.

One thing is clear. Those two guys were ground to a pulp by the time it was over and we had finally loaded all our gear back into the truck. Here’s the thing, though. They were living their best life. The entire time, they served people well and did it with a passion you could read on their faces. Their work matters to them. It matters deeply. I see it in the shop, and I see it at the market. The entire team, and these two guys in this particular scenario, are driven to excellence and believe in the mission. They aren’t serving coffee…..they are adding value to people’s lives. They are injecting joy, hospitality, community, and yes, some tasty coffee, into people’s day.

This is the beautiful part about work. All work matters, but not all work matters to you or to me. We are each called to identify, pursue, and embrace work that matters to each of us. Not fun work. Not easy work. Not simple work. Not status-driven work. Not lucrative work. Not glamorous work. Work that matters. Work that moves the needle in our lives. Work that we’re excited to do when we wake up in the morning and feel fulfilled in when we’re going to bed later that night.

My favorite moment was towards the end of the day. The market had closed and we were nearly done packing up the Truck with all our gear to take back to the shop. The two guys, beat red from a combination of the sun and five hours of straight grind, looked at each other and smiled. They had just done something special, together, had the time of their lives doing it, and felt a sense of fulfillment for what just happened. Work that matters, man! Work that matters.

What is a "Real Job"?

My latest article for the Greater Des Moines Partnership was published yesterday. In it, I explore the rise of the 1099 economy. If you haven’t heard the term “1099 economy”, I’ll give a quick summary. It’s a reference to people who do work without being official employees of a company. They don’t get an official paycheck and their engagement is typically shorter in nature. This is an ever-increasing trend in the business world, but it’s still largely misunderstood and demeaned by our culture.

I introduce the article with the story of a young friend who is a 1099 contractor. He has a beautiful career. Work that matters, clients he enjoys working with, and a pretty good income. However, this person is surrounded by loved ones who simply don’t get it. “When are you going to get a real job?” Ouch! Nothing will give you self-doubt like having a trusted family member insinuate you don’t have a real career.

What is a “real job?” To be honest, I don’t have a good definition. I spent 15 years with the same company, as an employee, climbing up the ladder, which was undoubtedly THE definition of a “real job.” My career today? I suspect a fair number of people don’t consider my current career a real job. I coach families and businesses, do professional public speaking, write, podcast, sit on a handful of boards, do contract work for a start-up industrial company, co-own/operate a coffee company, and probably a few other things I’m blanking on.

Is that a “real job?” By the definition of our culture, probably not. But I don’t think it matters. What matters is I’m living out my unique calling, using my gifts/passions, serving others, waking up every day excited for what I’m about to do, and financially providing for my family. Aside from that, the definition is irrelevant. It reminds me of a conversation I had with my friend, Gary Hoag, in the weeks leading up to my transition from a very traditional career to a very non-traditional, unproven career path.

Me: “I’m nervous because what I’m about to do is weird and hasn’t yet been legitimized.”

Gary: “Only God gets to decide what’s legitimate.”

Fair point, Gary, fair point. I had countless people in my life tell me to stay put, take the safe path, and focus on comfort and security. I’m grateful for Gary and a few others who were on the other side, pushing me toward meaning. For that reason, I take every opportunity I get to tell people in my life, like the young man mentioned above, to simply pursue meaning (whether it’s a “real job” or not).

Whatever you do when you get out of bed in the morning, whether it’s a “real job” or not, I hope you find it to be fulfilling and meaningful. That’s what really matters!

Even Work We Love is Still Work

Can I tell you a secret? Please don’t tell anyone I told you this. I detest giving kids allowances. It’s the quickest way to teach entitlement, laziness, and create a disconnect between money and work. At the same time, I think it’s important that we don’t create a culture where every bit of work is done with an expectation of financial compensation. In our house, this looks like our twin 6-year-old boys having a number of ongoing chores on their plate, each done with nothing in return. They perform these tasks because we all have roles to play in our family. At their current stage in life, it looks like cleaning the table after dinner, placing their clothes in the hamper, making sure their shoes live by the door, emptying the trash cans, and putting their clean clothes in their drawers. On top of that, however, they also have opportunities to earn money through the completion of extra work. These are optional projects that are above and beyond their normal chores. Whenever they complete a task, they usually make $2 ($1 for spending and $1 for giving). We offer them these opportunities, but they are also able to request them if they’d like.

Yesterday, the kids helped me mow the yard. We had a blast doing it together and they were on cloud nine. After we got done, all dirty and sweaty, I handed them each $2. Finn immediately piped up, “Daddy, you don’t need to pay us. We love mowing.” I expressed my excitement that they enjoyed mowing with me, but then added, “Even work we love is still work.”

This, right here, is one of the primary contributing factors to why people have such a toxic relationship with work. We are taught from an early age that work sucks. It’s not fun, we don’t want to do it, and it’s a necessary evil……which is why we get paid to do it. I couldn’t disagree more with this notion. Work is work. All work matters. All work is deserving of fair compensation……even work we love. (To clarify, I’m not referring to serving and volunteering. There’s a time and place for those things, as they are tremendously valuable and important.)

I hear this same notion from adults. Someone tells me they are going to retire soon, and I know they are beyond excited to leave their current career. When I ask what they are going to do next if they aren’t working anymore, they respond, “Well I’m still going to do something, but it will be something I love. I don’t consider that work.” This is an innocent enough comment on the surface, but do you see what’s really going on behind the curtain? Here’s my translation (which is obviously an over generalization being used for dramatic effect): “I’ve been getting paid for decades to do something I don’t really love. I’m looking forward to being able to ‘retire’ so I can finally do something I enjoy. I’m probably not going to charge what I’m worth for it because I actually like it and I don’t consider it work (even though I probably could have made a respectable living and enjoyable career doing this for the last few decades and not felt the need to ‘retire’ as quickly as possible).”

Let me be clear. I’m not demeaning or criticizing this person. We’ve been conditioned to think and feel this way about work and money from the time we were kids. What I’m suggesting is this person could have had a richer life and career if they had believed even good work is still work. When we can connect something we love with respectable compensation, we enter an entirely new existence. Good news: it’s never too late!!

“Daddy, we love mowing…..and we get paid for it!” If I can get my kids to internalize this perspective, work will forever change for them. It’s the entry point to work that matters…..and they have 80 years of work in front of them! If this happens, it will be one of my greatest parenting wins of all time.

First Things First

Whenever I post a video clip on social media (like this one) about the importance of pursuing meaning, I know I will get at least one reply of the following (paraphrased): “That’s a privileged thing to say. Some people are just trying to make ends meet.” I have three thoughts about this:

1) Yes, I couldn’t agree more. LOTS of people are struggling. First things first, we need to support our family. Life is about seasons, and some seasons are about simply getting by. It’s not fun, and the work may not provide a ton of meaning, but taking care of our family is critically important. I applaud everyone who is doing this. It’s difficult, noble work.

2) Embedded in these comments is a common belief that we have to choose between meaning and money. I’m not suggesting that at all. For many - dare I say most - you can have more meaning AND as much money. I’m not suggesting we choose less money. Rather, I’m suggesting we simply choose meaning.

3) Most people who are absorbing my content are doing okay to good when it comes to their finances. By taking these sorts of positions, they get to excuse themselves from having to make this decision. In other words, if you can’t make this decision, there’s not really a decision to make.

I recently spoke with a man who reads this blog. I’ve never met him in real life, but he reached out about his story. He said his family decided to pursue meaning in late 2022 when an interesting job opened up. He reluctantly took a 25% pay cut because he truly believed in the work. He said adjusting financially was challenging, but life was so much more fulfilling due to this switch. Fast forward several months and he gets unexpectedly promoted to a new position that pays more than the job he left. Wow!

I’m not suggesting everyone will experience the same thing this man did, but I thought the story was worth sharing. First things first, we need to care for our family. But once we do, meaning. Always meaning.

Knowing When to Walk Away

As you probably know, I love Mondays. Mondays are my favorite day of the week. I’m coming off a fun weekend where I played with the kids, probably watched some sports, stayed up too late, and made some fun memories. And my reward? I get to wake up at the start of a new week, with endless possibilities in front of me, knowing I have five days to do good work and make a difference in this world. Sincerely, Monday mornings are the best!

Last night, I was chatting with Sarah on the couch. We talked about summer plans, current events, and happenings at church and work. As that conversation came to an end, I asked her for a blog idea for today’s post. She referred to my love of Mondays, then said I should do a post about “knowing when to walk away” when it comes to work. I asked her to elaborate, so she listed off a few thoughts:

• Being present with family

• Setting healthy boundaries with work hours

• Taking time to enjoy relaxing things

• Not bringing work home

Can we just pretend Sarah was referring to people in general and not specifically to me? Yeah, I didn’t think so. She’s right. She knows she’s right and I know she’s right. I struggle with this a lot. In my prior career, I brought home a lot of stress and carried it with me. In my current career, I carry with me an ever-present desire to do more good work. I absolutely love what I do……and sometimes, without proper boundaries, that can be a problem.

Sometimes I get this right, but often I don’t. I never realized there was a shadow side to loving your work. It shouldn’t be something to be scared of, though. Rather, it’s something to harness, be aware of, and approach with intentionality. We aren’t magically going to get it 100% right, but we can get 1% better each day. Day by day, situation by situation.

Sarah likely wouldn’t have suggested this topic if she thought I was doing a wonderful job, so I still have my work cut out for me. On the bright side, I’d rather have this problem than carry stress, dread, and misery with me every day. What say you?

It's a Tell

Today is my first day back at work in 11 days. I really enjoyed our trip to SE Asia and the Middle East, but I couldn’t be more excited to get back to work. For me, this strong feeling of excitement is just normal…..I always feel it. But at the same time, I recognize this is an abnormal feeling for most. Statistics show that 70% of Americans dislike or hate their job. With this information in tow, vacations act as an escape from the realities of life. We travel, in part, so we can leave. We get to step away from our responsibilities, work, boss, coworkers, deadlines, and routine. For a short period of time, we get to rewrite our journey. There’s only one problem: the trip will eventually end and we must return home to our life.

There comes a moment on our vacation when we realize it’s coming to an and we start thinking about everything on our plate when we go back home. For many, this often comes on the second-to-last day of a trip. You know the moment! How we feel in this moment is a tell, as I like to say. For some, it provides a feeling of dread. We’re disgusted by the mere idea of going back and doing the things we know we have to do. For others, it feels like a weight added to our shoulders. For countless people, there’s a feeling of numbness, a deadened feeling after so many years of frustration and disappointment. Then for a small group, there’s an overwhelming feeling of excitement. There’s pent-up energy, new ideas, and a sense of possibility of what could come in the days/weeks ahead.

I, and many others, live in the last camp. As I sit here with a fresh work week in front of me, I can’t help but smile about all the potential just waiting to be seized. The trip was amazing, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world, but I’m ready and excited to get back to work. That’s a tell. It’s a clear sign I’m exactly where I need to be. I haven’t always had this feeling, but I do today. One of my missions is to always be living a life I’m excited to return to after an amazing vacation. That’s the tell.

What does your tell say about you and the life you’ve created for yourself? Whatever the answer is, I have good news. You’re just a few decisions away, good or bad, from significantly altering how you feel about this question. Have an awesome week!

Does Your Work Matter?

Does your work matter? I’m not going to define what that means for you, but I can tell you it does NOT mean simply getting paid. Getting paid doesn’t mean your work doesn’t matter. I know people who make little who’s work doesn’t matter to them and I know people who make a lot who’s work matters very much to them….and vice versa. It’s not really about the money. With that, I’ll ask again: Does your work matter?

Over the last few days, I’ve met with countless people in Thailand who are aggressively pursuing work that matters. It’s often not fun work, and rarely is it easy work. But wow, their work matters! They feel a unique and powerful call for their current and/or upcoming work. This work can be counter-cultural, volatile, and anything but secure. They share stories of pain, suffering, and exhaustion. But when you ask them how they feel about it, their eyes light up. There’s a passion behind those eyes that’s difficult to put into words.

It’s humbling, honestly. When I hear about their work, it can quickly make me feel less than about my own work. They are heroes to me, while I’m just some dude over here in America talking about money. However, I also realize I’m doing the exact work I’m called to do……and it’s not my job to compare myself to them. We each have our own skills, passions, relationships, and influence. It’s our job to put them to the best use. If they do their work that matters, I do my work that matters, and you do your work that matters, together we will make this world a better place. Have an awesome day!