Compassion at work

So a coworker went to see the Dalai Lama speak in Madison, and recounted how an audience member asked him how to get meaning from her life when her 9-5 job is so meaningless. His answer was that no matter how you spend your time, if you are compassionate, you are making a difference.

One of my favorite columnists, Lucy Kellaway at the Financial Times, drew a similar conclusion. It turns out that what people say they value the most at work are nice coworkers. So even if you are the smallest cog in the most useless bureaucracy, as long as you're making someone's day-to-day life more pleasant, you're doing good work.

(I'd add that you ought to try to find something meaningful to do outside work, as well - but the sentiment Ms. Kellaway and His Holiness describe is a good touchstone.)