When the Work Feels Small: A Love Note for When You’re Questioning the Point

Sometimes, I find myself floating in that foggy, existential headspace—the kind that whispers, “None of this matters.”

I catch myself going through the motions. Checking boxes. Clicking around in a haze of deadlines and deliverables. I start wondering if I’m just playing a part in some simulation I never agreed to. And then comes the familiar, flippant phrase I’ve said to myself more than once:

“It’s not like I’m saving lives. Why do I care this much?”

Maybe you’ve said it too—out loud or in your own mind.

It’s a way to deflect. To make light of burnout or disconnect. To justify the overwhelm that comes when your work feels like too much and not enough at the same time.

For me, this phrase has most often come up when I’m deep in my freelance design work—creating brands, writing content, building websites, organizing timelines, crafting strategies. None of it, by traditional standards, is “urgent.” No one is going to die if it doesn’t get done today.

But just because something isn’t life or death doesn’t mean it isn’t life-giving.

And I needed to feel that truth again.

It’s Not About the Title of the Work—It’s About the Energy Behind It

That’s what I came back to.

Sure, I’m not a heart surgeon. But my work has touched hearts.

Through the visuals I’ve built. The brands I’ve shaped. The stories I’ve helped bring to life. The sacred space I’ve held. The moments I’ve helped someone feel seen, understood, or supported.

That matters.

And yet—I’d let myself forget that.

Let myself believe that if something isn’t permanent, revolutionary, or wildly impressive, it must not count.

But the truth is: the sacredness of our work doesn’t come from its scale—it comes from our presence.

The Culture Says “Produce.” But Our Hearts Say “Be.”

We live in a world that shouts:
➤ Be productive.
➤ Be efficient.
➤ Show results.

And so when the work feels fleeting or digital or unseen, it’s easy to start believing it’s not enough. Especially when you’re someone who cares deeply. Who wants to create beauty. Who wants to be of service.

But caring deeply is not the problem.

The problem is thinking that because you care deeply about something non-urgent, it means you’re doing something wrong.

Ram Dass, one of my favorite spiritual teachers, said this:

“You can be a bank teller, a construction worker, a cleaner, or a heart surgeon—and the quality of your presence, your love, your attention—is what makes it sacred.”

It’s not about the job.
It’s about how you show up inside of it.

Presence Over Performance

Lately, I’ve felt the pull of the grind.

Deadlines stacking. Content calendars looming. Emails pinging. Clients needing.

I’ve looked at my screen and asked myself, “Is this it? Shouldn’t I be doing something more spiritual? More connected? More meaningful?”

And then, my therapist—who has truly helped me find myself over and over again—said something I’ll never forget:

“The work doesn’t become meaningful when it changes form.
It becomes meaningful when you return to it.”

Let that land.

Meaning isn’t always found in doing something different—it’s found in doing what you’re already doing differently.

What If It’s All Sacred?

What if the way you write the email matters?

What if the color palette you choose, the tone of the caption, the vibe of the space you help create—all of it—what if it’s already sacred because you bring yourself to it?

What if it’s not the external validation that makes something worthy—but your internal alignment?

That soft feeling of yes. That warm exhale of this is enough.

You Don’t Need to Change the Work—You Just Need to Reconnect to It

If you’re in a fog, feeling like your work doesn’t matter…

If you’ve been spinning in that spiral of What’s the point?

If you’ve been wondering whether you need to blow it all up to feel aligned again…

Let this be your gentle reminder:

✨ You don’t have to perform heart surgery to move someone.
✨ You don’t have to have the “most spiritual” job to be deeply connected to Spirit.
✨ You don’t have to chase a bigger title to be of profound service.

You just have to remember your why.
You just have to bring your heart back in.
You just have to let it be yours again.

Because You’re Not Just Doing the Work—You’re Becoming Through It

So no, I’m not saving lives.
But I am bringing beauty into the world.
I am creating clarity and space.
I am helping people feel something—maybe even feel themselves again.

And that? That counts.

That always counts