Callings: The Purpose and Passion of Work

Related to work, one’s calling is a job they would do even if they were not paid. While some work is done purely for financial benefit, a calling is work that one is passionate about, the thing one feels they are meant to do with their life. One’s work and calling can be two separate things, but this book focuses on jobs that are both.

In the context of this book, discipline refers to personal or internal discipline, i.e., the focus, self-control, and effort required to achieve a goal. In his Introduction, Isay emphasizes discipline’s role in achieving success. It can be seen in many of the book’s chapters, like in Jim Clyburn repeatedly running for office until he was elected.

In this context, a dreamer is one whose work is chosen and dictated by some internal, possibly romanticized ideal rather than purely practical reasons. In some cases, a job initially taken for practical reasons such as financial support inspires a dream that one did not realize they had.

Groundbreakers are those who change things in their industry or culture such as breaking down social, gender, ethnic, or class barriers. It also refers to those who are innovators of new ideas and technology.

In Callings, a healer is one who does healing work. In most cases, this means physical healing like medicine and nursing or running a mental health crisis hotline. However, that is not the only definition, as there are other kinds of healing such as spiritual and community healing, which are equally important.

While philosophers frequently devote their lives to thinking and theorizing about the world and society, the philosophers in Callings are largely everyday people who look for fulfillment and wisdom in their lives and work. They approach life with an almost spiritual mindset and view their work as furthering education, enlightenment, and the betterment of society in general.

This refers to a person’s ability to recover (physically, mentally, or emotionally) from an injury, setback, change, or misfortune. In most cases, Callings refers to mental and emotional resilience, such as a person’s ability to recover from a failure or emotional trauma. There are a handful of examples of physical resilience as well, such as the bricklayer Barbara’s ability to work through physical discomfort and pregnancy.

Callings does not use this term in its religious connotations of “giving something up to a deity” but rather in the sense of personal sacrifice, giving something up for someone else’s sake or in the name of a greater good. This kind of sacrifice might include giving up family time to help strangers or further one’s career. It could also mean relinquishing one’s dreams to support one’s family.