Meaningful Work

I've been pondering this one lately. Meaningful work. What is meaningful work? What makes work 'meaningful'?

Making warm things to wear - meaningful.

For years and years I worked as an accountant, and for a whole bunch of reasons it wasn't something I wanted to be doing; I was always looking for a way out. But the tendency to stick with what I knew was too strong [and it paid better than other readily available options]. I rarely found my work to be meaningful. Perhaps it was the specifics of the jobs I ended up in. I would often find myself wondering, in the scheme of things, does it matter if this work gets done or not? Would anyone really miss it if it wasn't done? Would anyone even notice?

Ask me now what meaningful work looks like, and I will tell you it's making sure there are always clean, dry nappies and clothes for my baby to wear. It is keeping on top of the house work to make our living space relaxing and enjoyable. It is making food from scratch so that we eat healthfully, and reduce our use of unnecessary packaging and preservative-laden foods. It is working in the vegie garden growing our own food. It is making household items from scratch so as to avoid buying disposables that contribute to landfill.

The value ascribed to the work I find meaningful, in financial terms, is virtually nil. And yet I could be well paid to do a job that doesn't matter. At all. A job that would leave me cashed up to buy things I don't need, but that advertising tells me I will be happier if I have. And there goes the merry-go-round of economic growth. I think our world is incredibly backwards sometimes. I think we, as a society [Western society] have gone way too far down the path of economic growth, and lost sight of what is really important in life. 

I'm still also thinking about work in the future. I'm studying to become a naturopath. I think that is meaningful work, and I think I have something to offer by doing that work. I feel like it matters. Someone's life and health may be improved by that work - that is important to me. The most meaningful, valuable thing I can be doing at the moment is be available for my child and my family. I hope I can model 'meaningful work' for my child, so that he grows up understanding real value versus economic value.

Do you find your work to be meaningful? What do you do?