Amy Wrzesniewski, a researcher at Yale, studied something puzzling: why do some people love their jobs while others in the exact same role feel miserable?
So she studied janitors at a hospital.
Same job description. Same tasks. Same pay. Same working conditions.
But when she asked them to describe their work, she got completely different answers.
Some saw themselves as janitors—clean floors, empty trash, go home.
Others saw themselves as healers—"I'm keeping the hospital environment clean so patients heal faster. I'm creating peace for families in crisis."
Same work. Completely different sense of purpose.
The janitors who saw their work as part of the larger mission of healing? They stayed in their jobs longer, performed better, and went above and beyond their job descriptions more often. The work became meaningful because they connected it to something larger than themselves.
"Work is Love Made Visible"
Khalil Gibran wrote in The Prophet: "Work is love made visible."
He goes on to say, "If you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man's hunger."
I used to think work was just a necessity—something you do to make money so you can do what you really want to do later. But I've come to see it differently.
What if work could be an expression of your values? What if the daily tasks you're already doing could become ways to live out what you care most about?
This isn't about finding the "perfect job" or waiting for ideal circumstances. It's about bringing intention and meaning to whatever work you're already doing.
Finding Purpose in Hospitality
In our industry, this shift can be transformative.
You're not just checking someone in—you're the first person they see after a long journey, setting the tone for whether they feel welcomed or just processed.
You're not just serving food—you're nourishing people and creating moments of connection around a table.
You're not just cleaning rooms—you're creating a peaceful sanctuary where travelers can rest and recharge.
You're not just handling complaints—you're turning someone's worst moment into a story they'll tell about exceptional care.
Every single interaction becomes an opportunity to express something you care about: hospitality, excellence, service, human connection, making someone's day a little brighter.
The Community Aspect
What I've discovered: the work becomes even more meaningful when you're doing it alongside other people who share that sense of purpose.
When you invite others into a vision of work that matters, something beautiful happens. You're not just completing tasks—you're creating something together that's bigger than any of you could accomplish alone.
I think about our team and how different it feels when we're all aligned around the idea that we're not just managing revenue or booking rooms—we're taking care of people during some of their most important moments.
That shared sense of purpose changes how we treat each other, how we approach problems, how we show up each day.
Making It Personal
This week, I want to challenge you to look at your current work through this lens.
Pick one routine task—maybe it's answering phones, updating spreadsheets, cleaning, or handling guest requests. Ask yourself:
How does this task connect to something larger? What value am I expressing through this work? How is this making someone else's life better? What would change if I approached this with more intention?
You might be surprised by what you discover. Often, the meaning was there all along—we just weren't paying attention to it.
The Bigger Picture
We spend too much of our lives at work for it to feel meaningless. And while not every moment will feel profound, there's almost always a way to connect what you're doing to something that matters.
The hospital janitors didn't change their job description. They changed how they thought about their work. They found a way to see their daily tasks as part of a mission they could feel good about.
You can do the same thing, starting today.
Because we're all becoming better versions of ourselves through the work we do—when we choose to approach it with purpose and intention.
Your work doesn't have to be just a job. It can be love made visible.
Take care, Josh