Friday Forum: Joy

It cannot be overlooked that despite the difficulties of public service jobs, there is immense joy to be found working alongside others in the service to mankind.  Opposition develops character, and relationships forged facing the same opposition develop bonds that many outside of public service cannot understand.  

At the start of the Blitz during World War Two (the repeated bombing of London by the Nazis night after night), many predicted mass hysteria and mental breakdown.  Reality proved to be the opposite, however, as the collective mental health actually improved.  This was attributed to several factors, including a new found discovery of personal resilience as everyday citizens suddenly found themselves contributing in various ways to the war effort and ultimately the fight for their own survival.

It is this same satisfaction found in public service that builds very tight knit teams.  When you crawl hallways together or resuscitate patients together or rescue hostages together the net result will be a group privy to the secret reality of facing trial, relying on the team, and coming through on the other side. This is called many things: brotherhood, teamwork, etc, but underneath it all I believe is a foundation of joy.  The shared sense of missional purpose goes beyond friendship and the fun that can be had even under adverse circumstances should be treasured.  There will always be poor leaders and challenging crew members, but when it's go time, I hope you will find joy in your team, beauty in the mission, and a comradery that is unmatched. Embrace the suck, there is joy to be found… Tim Anderson (Photo: “Brace for Impact,” team birthday traditions)