Recognizing the impact of our work

I was watching a new legal television drama the other night. As is true for many television shows, it was a happy ending with the Judge’s ruling and inspiring words having a significant impact on the life of the accused. As the television show was coming to an end I found myself being incredibly moved by the story and thinking to myself “it must be so nice to have a job where you help people”.

It took a second or two to realize what an odd thought that was given my own career! But, for whatever the reason, in that moment the fact that I too help people in my job somehow escaped me.

I must admit this experience stayed with me over the next several days and caused me to do some self-reflection. I shared this experience with a friend and colleague, who pointed out that in our line of work the difference we make in a person’s life generally occurs gradually over time, so it isn’t always as evident. This is indeed a valid point and certainly one factor that undoubtedly played into my automatic thought. 

But it also had me wondering if, somewhere during the course of my career, something had changed for me? I remembered earlier on in my career feeling so excited about the opportunity to play a helpful role in improving the mental health of a client/patient. I must admit I felt quite saddened when I realized that somewhere during my career those thoughts and positive emotions associated with my career had somehow diminished and that I became much less mindful about the importance of what we do.

Since that happened, I’ve intentionally taken time reflecting on the hundreds of people I’ve seen over the course of my career and how their involvement in therapy or assessment has had a positive impact on their lives and also the lives of their loved ones. 

I’ve also made a conscious effort at the start of each workday to remind myself of the important work I do and to also make a point of noting the small shifts that occur in sessions, that, over time, can make a big difference.

Can you relate to this experience? What has helped you to reconnect with the positive impact your work has on others?