“Do you remember the parable of the three bricklayers?"

Alan Carniol

Once upon a time, three men sat down at a bar, covered in dust and grime after a long day of work out in the sun. After a few minutes, they were having a conversation with the barman over a cold beer and he asked them:

"So, fellas... what are you working on?"

The first man replied, "I spent the day laying bricks."

The second responded, proudly: "I'm building a magnificent church."

But the third, said: "I'm creating a home for God."

All three men do the same physical activity. However, for each one, his work has a very different role in his life, a different meaning.

This story reminds me of a fascinating distinction that I came across many years ago when I was studying for my MBA. A distinction that is very relevant to a lot of folks right now, with a post-pandemic 2023 on the horizon.

It's the difference between a job, a career, and a calling.

(I learned this from Professor Wrzesniewski, of Yale School of Management.)

A "job" is something that pays the bills. It's pretty much the relationship that the first bricklayer had with his work. You arrive, put in an honest day of work, and then, figuratively speaking, go home and enjoy a beer.

Your life's meaning comes from something else.

Something you do outside of work.

A "career" is a job that provides meaning in your life, by giving you opportunities to advance. In a sense, it's like a ladder.

You get up in the morning, go to work, and put in your best every day. Not only to earn a living and to pay the bills. But because you want to climb the ladder. That ladder brings meaning and satisfaction to your life.

But what happens when you've climbed to the top?

Then what?

Or, what happens if someone takes the ladder away, and all you have now is the job without the opportunity for advancement? Do you still want to leap out of bed every morning and rush to work? Or, has the spark now gone?

A "calling" is, in many ways, the opposite of a job.

Although it may indeed pay the bills, and it may also offer you a ladder to climb, it's something you mainly do because the work itself is meaningful.

In fact, you may love the work so much or believe in the cause so deeply, you would happily do it for free. Even if you do earn a decent living from it.

Now, you may be expecting that I'd urge you to leave your job or quit your career, and go find a calling instead. Something you would do for free.

But here's the thing:

There's absolutely nothing wrong with a job.

And there's certainly nothing wrong with pursuing a career either. You need to figure out which of these paths is right for you — for where you are now.

Do you want a job, a career, or a calling?



When you have clarity on this one question, you can begin to see opportunities all around you for bringing it into your life and making it your new reality over about 6-18 months. And from where you are, right now.