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After reading about the opinions of Dalai Lama and Bell Hooks and happiness at work, an individual can make their work more rewarding by following their calling and teaching others to do the same. It should not be about the money, but the joy in the work being done. Now, it is easy to distinguish between a way to make money and a calling in my own life.

The Dalai Lama discusses the differences between a job, a career, and a calling when it comes to work. While a calling can have many reasons related to the view of the work being done. In my life, I have had a job and a calling. My job was working at a pizza place when I was a teenager. The only reason I had this job was to make money that I could spend else where. I did not enjoy my job when I was there, and often complained when i was leaving. I felt no happiness from this job nor desire to return after i quit. In contrast, a calling I have experienced was when I was a Student Orientation Leader over the summer for UC. Not only was I impacting 30 new students on a daily basis, I was working for the sole purpose of taking pride in what I was doing. I was extremely happy going to work and enjoyed even overtime hours (yes crazy). Though it is not a permanent job, it helped me realize my calling was to educate others which lead me to changing my major to secondary education. Even the Dalai Lama comments that teaching high school is one of the careers that is easier to call a calling than others.

Bell Hooks talks about education and "right livelihood" where a enjoyment in work is from a calling. To achieve this, one must follow their career dreams. I have found work that "makes your life sweet" as Bell would say. Though I am still pursuing it, as I said before, education and teaching others is my passion. It makes my life more enjoyable, and with that I think Hooks and the Dalai Lama would be proud.