finding personal fulfillment in the work we do
At his blog, Dan Pink points us to a synopsis of a Gallup Panel poll finding that “American workers most often say they like that their jobs offer them a sense of fulfillment, provide opportunities to help people, and give them autonomy in how they accomplish their tasks.” It’s notable that personal fulfillment and altruism rank at the top of the favored job attributes. I think that many of us left law school firmly believing that we would experience both as part and parcel of life in the law.
On the road this week, I’ve thought a lot about the ways fulfillment and helping others have featured in my own career and in our country’s history. Thus far, among other places, my travels have taken me to the National Constitution Center; the Supreme Court building; Arlington National Cemetery; and to the site of Flight 93’s crash on 9/11.
This last location was particularly significant for me since my good friend, Alan Beaven, was one of Flight 93’s heroic passengers. As I’ve set out on this blog’s dedication page, Alan was a very talented environmental lawyer who saw the law’s great potential as a healing profession. He inspired me to the same vision of my profession and it’s that inspiration that continually motivates me to help others and find personal fulfillment through my work.
