What Am I Doing Here? Rediscovering Purpose and Joy in Your Work

“What am I doing here? What steps can I take when I feel tempted to despair about my work? How will I be able to continue to do the work I love in a culture of such fracture, polarization, and contempt that only seems to be intensifying?” 

In a recent Friday Forum, Curt Thompson, board-certified psychiatrist, author, speaker, and co-host of The Being Known Podcast, addressed the frustration and angst felt by many congressional aides on Capitol Hill. Some report burn-out, others are preparing to leave. Understanding that we’re wired for community – and how Christ uses hardship to shape us – can help develop resiliency when times get tough.

“Multiple people in the biblical narrative ask, “What am I doing?” Thompson said. “Adam in the garden, Abraham going to Canaan, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David. And then you get to Jesus. You can imagine Jesus wondering on many occasions, ‘What am I doing here?’ Not because he doesn’t have a clear sense of what his task is – his task is very clear – but because he has to deal with human beings, and every time you deal with human beings, you encounter the question: what am I doing here?”

To deal with the stress and anxiety of politics, he encouraged Hill staff to ask different questions. Asking “Who am I becoming?” and more broadly, “In what story do I believe I’m living?” can help get us through the hard days. 

According to Thompson, we are not the authors of our own stories, but are directed by the Holy Spirit in community. “The way our neurological systems are built reflects the first two chapters of [Genesis]: the sense that we were built for community, for the creation and curation of goodness and beauty in the world.”

Human anxiety has everything to do with isolation and disconnection from others. When we feel “flooded,” anxious about work, and discerning our callings, he suggests, “Seek to be deeply known by others. By becoming less alone, you become less anxious.” This is why our communal stories are important. 

Thompson closed by reminding us that joy in work is found in who you are becoming. When you pay “more attention to “who [you are] becoming, then what [you are] doing will take care of itself.”

Thank you, Curt Thompson, for reminding us that the work we do – with all its travail and frustration – is rooted in God’s story. Becoming part of a community like Faith and Law – whether by joining a reading group or mentoring a younger staffer – offers resiliency and hope.