Four years ago, I wrote about Pamela Slim‘s Body of Work: Finding the Thread That Ties Your Story Together (2013), which invites us to examine — in the author’s words — “the personal legacy you leave at the end of your life, including all the tangible and intangible things you have created” (link here). She defines “body of work” this way:
Your body of work is everything you create, contribute, affect, and impact. For individuals, it is the personal legacy you leave at the end of your life, including all the tangible and intangible things you have created.
I first wrote about this concept in 2009:
Until recently, I’ve regarded the term “body of work” as being somewhat odd. It refers to an individual’s total output, or at least a substantial part of it. We often hear “body of work” invoked when assessing an individual’s creative, artistic, or athletic endeavors, as in looking at the career of a great musician, writer, or baseball player.
But I’ve come to realize that we all produce our own body of work, even if we are not famous artists or athletes. It may include work we are paid for, but it also may capture contributions as parents, friends, caregivers, volunteers, and members of the community. For some, their “day job” of showing up to work or caring for children may be complemented by starting a band, coaching a softball team, or singing in a community chorus. Taking into account all of these possibilities, our body of work represents our contributions to this world while we are a part of it.
And here’s another dimension that I’ve come to realize with much greater clarity: If one is sufficiently fortunate to be able to conceptualize their life in this manner, then one is very privileged. For countless millions around the world, it’s not about building a body of work; rather, it’s about meeting basic needs such as food, shelter, clothing, health care, and safety.
This understanding leads me to a popular maxim: To whom much is given, much is expected. The phrase actually has its roots in Scripture. Here’s one version from The Oxford Study Bible:
When one has been given much, much will be expected of him; and the more he has had entrusted to him the more will be demanded of him. (Luke 12:48)
I don’t usually go around quoting the Bible. My own religious beliefs are that of a non-denominational believer, i.e., believing in a God whose truth is to be found somewhere in the intersection of various faith traditions. I also respect those who are devout believers, agnostics, or atheists.
Nevertheless, the basic sentiment sticks with me. Those of us who are privileged, nay, blessed, to think of our lives as encompassing a body of work have a responsibility to help others and to make the world a better place. How that is done is an individual decision, hopefully rendered with gratitude, empathy, and understanding.
Minding the Workplace 
For years I have been collecting articles, books, writing academics, experts, influencers, professional nursing organizations, media, regulators., government officials, fellow nurses , bosses, Anybody that would listen. All in the name of reporting patient risk and improving nursing working conditions. Every once in a while I feel validated. Publications come to mind. In Defense of Troublemakers by Charlan Nemeth, IOM’s Keeping Patients Safe, Richard Clark’s book Warnings: Cassandra Syndrome, Muller’s Tyranny of Metrics and Armstrong Institute’s study that actually pointed a finger at management. Finally, Paradisis’ Silencing Selected Advocates and Innovators: The Lived Experiences of Unjust Dicipline Among Nurses. All of this is in my collection and is part of my effort and body of work.
When it comes to these systemic issues, I’ve come to realize that we may not get the validation we’d ideally like to have. Rather, it’s about advancing work that will remain in progress long after we’re done with this life.