Everyone likes to feel appreciated, and it doesn’t take much. Nobody wants to feel like they’re silently toiling away for an unspecified goal, forever. That’s what the whole Sisyphus myth is about. Nobody wants to be the guy pushing the boulder up the hill just for it to roll back down and for him to have to start all over again. That’s most people’s idea of a bad time. 

But this is what it can feel like if you’re not appreciated, especially at work. If you put a lot of effort into something, it’s natural that you want to get something in return. Yes, you get the money. That’s crucial. But you want that money to reflect the amount of work you put in, and you also want a little bit more than that. You want to know that you’re seen. That you’re valued. That you’re not invisible.