Is your work a job? --- something that is a way to earn a living? "When work is perceived as a job, people look forward to breaks, quitting time, the week end, holidays, and vacation. Outside of working hours, little or no thought, time, or energy is devoted to the work."
or a career? -- an occupational path? "a progression of continuous improvement through pay raises, promotions, better opportunities, and experiences viewed necessary for ongoing advancement. People who view their work as a career invest a large part of themselves in their work. They apply themselves to work well beyond the normal workday, during evenings, weekends, and vacations."
or a calling? -- work that you feel called to do, that completes your spirit? "A calling is work that a person feels called to do. Work that is a calling feels like it aligns with an individual's purpose in life."

There are no right or wrong answers...
I was simply inspired by something I read in "Simple Abundance" by Saran Ban Breathnach


The definitions in quotes are from here.

I think my job is a calling. I always wanted to be a teacher. It pretty much defines who I am.

Sadly, my work is a job. Nothing more. It simply pays for my life, but the job deserves respect for that alone.

Mine is a job too. As much as I would wish it was a calling. I work with specail needs adults and children in their homes. Help them with everyday things. I love doing it. But I don't want to do this forever.

When I first got into this business I thought it would be a career, I was wrong...It is nothing more than a job

Charlene, God bless you. I know that must be a stressful job. Even if you love doing it, working with special needs folks can be wearing longterm.

My job is just a job. I do get a chance to help people every day, and that pleases me, but mostly it's just too much work and not enough time all day long. I would love to do something that I felt was a calling. I'm working on getting qualified to teach at the local technical college. I've done a lot of teaching and training of adults in the past 10 years, and I've found I very much enjoy helping people expand their knowledge and abilities. Very satisfying to help someone succeed.

My job is definitely a calling. I'm another one of the teachers in this bunch and there is nothing else I would want to do. I would love to make more money, but even money is not as rewarding as seeing the light come on in the eyes of a child when they get excited about learning.

I'm a writer. Everything else I do is just stuff to get money to pay bills so I can sit in front of a keyboard and write.

My crappy job is definetly a JOB. I wish it was so much more than that but its definetly not.

My is a Job. It is a goverment job with career type possibilities, but only if you play the butt kissing game, I don't.

its a job. there all jobs. thought i had a career for 15 years. worked my way through the ranks. made it all the way to second in command as materials and inventory control manager. then it moved to mexico and now im back to just a job. oh well. lifes a beach and then you get sand between your toes.......

My job is a stepping stone to something better. It's something I enjoy, but am preparing myself for bigger and better things to come.

Just cuz

When I was a kid, I went to a fair with my sister and we went to see the guess your weight/age/occupation psychic ladies to see if we could win these twisty coke bottles filled with green water (why, I have no idea). I was working some BS job at the time so I figured there was no way she would guess. The woman took my hand, looked into my eyes and declared with certainty that I was a nurse. I was like "wrong!!" and took my coke bottle and ran.

My plan since I was a child was to cure cancer among other things. When I finished up my degree in biology and was working in a lab with one of my professors , I decided that I absolutely hated being in a lab. I have no idea what prompted me to go into nursing but I remember the day we were doing clinicals and we walked onto a locked psychiatric unit. Many of my classmates were apprehensive about being there, they looked at the chaos in the patient's lives but I saw the possibility of restoring stability, safety and sanity. I felt as though I had truly found my calling... my niche... my good fit.

my job is a calling, I love what I do, every day is super fun, although I hate when my students wear their teeny tiny tennis clothes hehe

Mine is just a job. I mean, I love the kids and all, and would like to post out into another position within the school district, but I'm just not sure what it is I'm meant to do.

I am retired, however I concidered my job a career. My job was covered by a Union contract that would not allow for self motivated overtime. The last 7 years were in a management position and I did do what the career definition states.

Johnny

I've had plenty of jobs over the years, and have wonderful memories of my time working with children. But being a nurse is my calling. I love it... and it's definitely what I was meant to do! Sometimes I wish life had been different, and I became one sooner, but (ode to another thread) my momma always said "nothing worthwhile in life comes easy".

If it weren't for the fact I have bills to pay, I'd do my job for free.

Probably a career and calling. I've got 401k and while the job market is shaky mine seems somewhat secure as I work in the mental health field. A career calling because I want to help people help themselves and it helps me realize my potential too and how I can choose to make my life better..

I am an elementary teacher and have always felt that teaching is a calling. It almost becomes a way of life too. My friends that aren't teachers say they can spot a teacher a mile away so I guess we must look alike in some way too! LOL

The other question that comes with teaching: is it an art or a science? but I guess that's a whole other topic