There’s a new book out about work burnout and it's high on my list of books to read, The End of Burnout: Why Work Drains Us and How to Build Better Lives by Jonathan Malesic. Last September I’d read an opinion piece Malesic had written in the New York Times and found it resonated with some of my thoughts in Finding Livelihood. Here are a couple paragraphs from Malesic’s piece:

“As it is, work sits at the heart of Americans’ vision of human flourishing. It’s much more than how we earn a living. It’s how we earn dignity: the right to count in society and enjoy its benefits. It’s how we prove our moral character. And it’s where we seek meaning and purpose, which many of us interpret in spiritual terms….
But work often doesn’t live up to these ideals. In our dissent from this vision and our creation of a better one, we ought to begin with the idea that each one of us has dignity whether we work or not. Your job, or lack of one, doesn’t define your human worth.”

Does that resonate with you in your work and life experience?

Malesic went on to write that our work should be subordinated to our life, not the other way around. He suggests we need each other for that:

"That means we need one more pillar: solidarity, a recognition that your good and mine are linked. Each of us, when we interact with people doing their jobs, has the power to make their lives miserable. If I’m overworked, I’m likely to overburden you. But the reverse is also true: Your compassion can evoke mine."

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