A Letter to the Social Worker Within

Rediscovering Your Why

From the social work training days - full of hope, promise, and purpose

"What made you say yes to social work?"

For me, it was the belief that I could be a safe space for someone – a steady presence in the chaos, a gentle voice when silence hurt the most. It wasn’t just a career decision; it was a calling rooted in empathy, justice, and humanity.

But let’s be honest.

Between the back-to-back meetings, court deadlines, endless paperwork, safeguarding alerts, performance monitoring and the emotional toll of walking with others through trauma, that original spark… it can fade.

You start off with fire. And little by little, without even realising it, burnout begins to dim the flame.

Today, I want to invite you back to the beginning – not to idealise the past, but to remember the power of the decision you once made.

Write a Letter to Your Younger Self

Get your journal, find a quiet moment, and write a letter to the version of you who first chose social work.

Not a formal letter. A real one – be honest, kind, and full of truth.

Ask yourself these questions when reflecting:

🤔Where was I when I made the decision?

🤔What values mattered most to me then?

🤔What did I believe about people, healing, and change?

🤔What did I hope to bring to the world?

🤔What fears did I face – and still say yes anyway?

As you write, notice what rises in your body. You may smile. You may cry. That’s okay. That’s connection.

Why does it Matter?

That younger version of you?

They were onto something.

They saw something in the world worth healing.

They saw something in you worth offering.

Even if the system has made you feel sceptical, exhausted, or invisible; they still do.

🔊Rediscovering your “WHY” doesn’t mean pretending everything is perfect. It means focusing to the purpose that led you here; so you can move forward with integrity, clarity, and strength.

What Happens Next?

After writing your letter, try this:

Focus 3 values or hopes from that letter that still resonate with you today.

❓Ask yourself: How can I honour these in my current work, even in small ways?✅

🌟Share your reflection with a trusted colleague, supervisor, coach or mentor. Let it be a conversation, not just a private thought.

Finally

You are not the same person you were when you started this journey; you have grown, changed, and evolved. That’s powerful.

But that inner “WHY” still belongs to you.

You haven’t lost it.

It's just been buried under the weight of the work.

Today, we are gently digging it up again; not to go backward, but to move forward with purpose.

Remember that the world still needs Social Workers who are focused on their WHY.

And more importantly, you still deserve to feel connected to it.

📣 Want to go deeper?

👉 Click this LINK to download and complete a worksheet: “Rediscovering Your Why.”

Let’s return to purpose — together.

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