Work as a Calling

Work generally is not something anyone wants to do. It is something that is normally done in order to earn an income to support themselves or their family and do things they want to do. To me, work is not all about money, promotions and glory but instead about enjoying what I do and knowing my work is helping others. The Dalai Lama said that a higher purpose could be found in even the most mundane tasks. Though the factory worker handling food items may recognize that the products he is producing will feed others I doubt that he would call his job a calling.

The work I have done so far I would not consider a calling for me. I worked as a retail sales associate for Circuit City Stores Inc for two years. I enjoyed the work but not because I thought I was genuinely helping others but instead I liked the pay, and my co-workers. Work that is a calling for me would be something that I enjoy doing and something that benefits others. Monetary benefits help, but if I can be doing work that makes me happy I consider that better than work that I do not like, but pays a lot.

I differentiate a career from a job. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a career as an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person’s life, usually with opportunities for progress. A career is a calling, requires a higher education and lots of time invested into it to achieve. A job is a paid position of regular employment according to OED. A job is not a calling, can be done with little education and is done for simply monetary benefits. Not to say that you can only enjoy what you do if you have a college degree I think that it helps because it allows one to choose what they want to do to make you happy.

Overall I think most people in America would call their work a job, something that they are doing to support themselves and family. Not something that they see higher purpose in and enjoy doing day in day out.