Finding Meaning in the Everyday

It’s easy for some of us—especially those of us who are unemployed—to lose sight of our contributions to society. We naturally think of the items we’re no longer producing, the people we’re no longer teaching or managing, the ideas we’re no longer sharing. We feel sidelined and useless.

However, we make other contributions that are no less deserving of recognition: chatting with an elderly neighbor, helping a child who’s fallen from a bike, bringing a smile to someone’s face. Yes, these are fleeting moments with no tangible results. But they’re meaningful nonetheless and should not be discounted.

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for any one else.”
—From Our Mutual Friend, by Charles Dickens

Remind yourself to take stock of the myriad subtle ways in which you make a difference for others. View yourself through their eyes and you’ll see that you’re doing more than you think.

[Art by Mary Cassatt.]