SWS: Finding Perspective in the Noise
How slowing down and questioning success can transform our view of the world.
Hey there,
Welcome to another edition of Social Work Survival, the free newsletter for Social Workers who want to create an alternative narrative about Social Work. Each week, I offer one reflection, one solution to a problem, and one question to help you reflect on your own career.
It’s been a while since I sat down and wrote anything in my personal time. I posted last week with a brief explanation and have since committed to writing at least once a week. I write this newsletter as a personal reflective space about social work. I don’t like how popularity is defined by algorithms influenced by immediate attention and sensationalism, with little real depth. Yet the beauty of Social Work lies in our ability to grapple with ideas, evidence, and past experience to inform current thinking. That’s not easily done in the world of social media.
So here I am again, offering one reflection, one solution to a possible problem, and one question for you to ponder over the next week.
One Reflection
What does success mean to you?
I had a conversation the other week about whether the people around me, and those close to me, would consider me as being successful. I sat there and thought about it for a few moments and accepted that by some metrics, I am successful. I have a job I love, in a career I am proud to have developed. I have two healthy daughters, no major medical issues. I earn a relatively good salary and live in a peaceful part of the world. Using standard metrics of success, I accept that I am successful.
However, I also recognise that I don’t hold those standard metrics in high regard. Yes, they are important – and if the NHS announced a 28% pay increase, I wouldn’t turn it down! But are these metrics really the most important?
What about our internal metrics of success? Some people are driven to make lots of money; for others, family is a huge part of their identity, and they choose to have children. Equally, there are people for whom having children is a metric of success, but who may not be able to have children for many reasons. This leaves those people potentially feeling as though they are not successful.
This discussion has stayed with me over the last week. It has left me asking: do we place too much value on what other people consider to be success? Are we losing sight of our personal barometer for success?
As Social Workers, we often work with vulnerable people who are on the receiving end of social policy. They often – although not exclusively – live in worlds of pain, trauma, and experience systems that don’t (or can’t) hear their voice easily. Success for the people I have worked with over the last decade looks very different to what social media and society tell us we should strive for.
I guess that’s the beauty of Social Work: we are privileged to see the different perspectives that make up the rich tapestry of society.
One Solution
So how do we maintain perspective in this crazy world?
Perspective is, in many ways, subjective. My thoughts about myself and my world are my own perspective, but if I were to write down the things I am grateful for and give that list to someone else, they might only wish for those things to be true for them. There is something magical about slowing down and taking time to understand the world from other people’s perspectives.
Me from 10 years ago would have only dreamed of being the person I am today.
I recently read a book that completely transformed my understanding of a global issue I had naïvely ignored for many years. Sitting down, slowing down, and taking the time to read about this subject has changed the way I see not only the world, but also how the world is reported.
So, my solution to maintaining perspective is to purposefully slow down and use your time and energy to be open to understanding new views of the world.
One Question
Do you need to challenge any of your own perceptions of success – and would letting go of any of those perceptions result in you being happier?
That’s all for this week. If any part of this newsletter has resonated with you, please share it with friends, colleagues, or within your own network. You can click the link below and share the newsletter link on social media.
And if you’re sat there questioning why you’re continuing in a job you hate, or wondering if there’s a way to find joy in your career, reply to this email and we can set up a free discussion to explore whether a coaching session may benefit you.
And remember: the world is a better place because you are here, doing what you do. You will never truly know how much of a difference you make to the people around you. If nobody has told you recently, you are a wonderful person and you should be proud of everything you have achieved.
Until next week,
Take care,
Anthony