The Question My 7-Year-Old Asked That Changed How I Think About Work
"Why do you do your work?"
My son Matti asked me this last week, and I gave him the usual parent answer about paying for the house and food, but …
He wasn't satisfied. “No! Why do YOU do it? Like, what makes you excited about it?"
Out of the mouths of babes, right?
Here I am, training people on mental health and wellbeing for a living, and my 7-year-old just exposed that I'd been giving the scripted answer rather than the real one.
The Meaning We're Missing
His question sent to something I read by Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist who survived Nazi concentration camps and wrote "Man's Search for Meaning."
Frankl observed something crucial: We don't actually hunger for pleasure. We hunger for meaning. And when we can't find meaning, we distract ourselves with pleasure instead.
When I look around at the Netflix-binge, social-media-scroll culture, this statement hits uncomfortably close. I do this too. But the question I want to explore is: are we genuinely enjoying these things, or filling a void where meaning should be?
Why This Matters at Work
Organisations with a strong sense of purpose show 40% lower turnover rates. When employees understand how their work contributes to others' wellbeing, they're more engaged, more resilient, and less likely to burn out.
It proves that meaning isn't about having a "purpose-driven" job title. I've met people working for inspiring causes who feel empty, and people doing "ordinary" work who are lit up with purpose.
The difference? People who genuinely thrive have found meaning at the intersection of three things:
What you're naturally good at (not what's on your CV, but what comes easy to you)
What you're passionate about (what draws your attention even off the clock)
What serves something larger than yourself (this is the crucial one)
Sometimes finding meaning doesn't require a career change. It requires a perspective change. The receptionist who realised she wasn't "just answering phones” she was the first human contact people had with the organisation, setting the tone for everything that followed.
Same job. Different understanding of why.
"So You're Like a Feelings Teacher?"
That's what Matti said when I finally gave him the real answer.
And honestly? That might be the best job description I've ever had.
Because when put that way, it reminds me why I get up in the morning. Not for the invoices or admin. For the person who, after my course, finally felt equipped to have that difficult conversation with a struggling colleague. The ripple effect of one person learning something that helps dozens of others.
That's my intersection. Where my skills, passions, and service all meet.
Your Challenge This Month
As we head toward a new year, ask yourself:
When do you lose track of time because you're so engaged?
What problems naturally draw your attention?
Where do your strengths intersect with serving others?
And here's what I'd genuinely love to know: when was the last time someone asked you not what you do, but why you do it? Did you have an answer that satisfied you?
Share in the comments. Not the professional answer. The real one.
I am Peter Larkum, an award-winning Mental Health First Aid instructor and neurodiversity specialist who has spent over 20 years transforming how organisations approach workplace mental health and inclusion. For the complete meaning framework, read the full blog post [link]
