On my mind today.
There’s no shortage of truisms on these topics. “If you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” “Money can’t buy back the time you spend earning it.” The Beatles famously offered conflicting statements on the topic, noting that “money can’t buy me love,” and yet, “your lovin’ don’t pay my bills.”
At present, I scrape by on a pair of jobs I absolutely love. They’re fulfilling, exciting, make excellent use of my skills and interests, and afford me lots of time to center myself and be creative. Day to day, I’m content, but anxious- living paycheck to paycheck, there isn’t enough money left over for a meaningful savings or to deal with emergencies, and worry is the constant surface noise on the album of my life.
Today I feel closer to happiness than I’ve ever been, but I don’t know if I’m really *there* yet. Meanwhile, I watch people in my life pulling in more money than I could imagine finding a use for, but they’re seldom happier than me- some make a better living on work that means nothing to them, while others sink too much time into their jobs to have a life beyond work.
Some people take the stoic path and accept that work is supposed to suck- they grin and bear it. Others flush cushy jobs down the toilet just because they aren’t engaged by them. Some people spend their youth working their way up to hold their dream job in their old age, some couldn’t stand that thought, and others still don’t have the luxury to make the choice. Some don’t care what they do, so long as they can pursue their passion. Some don’t seem to have a passion at all.
If there’s a “right” way to survive and pursue happiness at the same time, I’ve yet to find it. It seems like self-actualization is a very different journey for every person. Happiness is ever-elusive, but I suppose if it weren’t, life wouldn’t be all that engaging a pursuit to begin with.
I’m curious, though. With the average age on this forum being double my own, I imagine most of you have been answering these questions for yourself long enough to know what you’re talking about, while those closer to my own circumstance may have a perspective worth sharing as well. I invite all to participate.
So, where are you guys at in all this?
Do you feel like you have what you need? Are you working toward something better, or are you content where you are? Would you do something differently if you could?
Are you happy with your job, or in spite of it?
Are you happy at all?
--^@
There’s no shortage of truisms on these topics. “If you find a job you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” “Money can’t buy back the time you spend earning it.” The Beatles famously offered conflicting statements on the topic, noting that “money can’t buy me love,” and yet, “your lovin’ don’t pay my bills.”
At present, I scrape by on a pair of jobs I absolutely love. They’re fulfilling, exciting, make excellent use of my skills and interests, and afford me lots of time to center myself and be creative. Day to day, I’m content, but anxious- living paycheck to paycheck, there isn’t enough money left over for a meaningful savings or to deal with emergencies, and worry is the constant surface noise on the album of my life.
Today I feel closer to happiness than I’ve ever been, but I don’t know if I’m really *there* yet. Meanwhile, I watch people in my life pulling in more money than I could imagine finding a use for, but they’re seldom happier than me- some make a better living on work that means nothing to them, while others sink too much time into their jobs to have a life beyond work.
Some people take the stoic path and accept that work is supposed to suck- they grin and bear it. Others flush cushy jobs down the toilet just because they aren’t engaged by them. Some people spend their youth working their way up to hold their dream job in their old age, some couldn’t stand that thought, and others still don’t have the luxury to make the choice. Some don’t care what they do, so long as they can pursue their passion. Some don’t seem to have a passion at all.
If there’s a “right” way to survive and pursue happiness at the same time, I’ve yet to find it. It seems like self-actualization is a very different journey for every person. Happiness is ever-elusive, but I suppose if it weren’t, life wouldn’t be all that engaging a pursuit to begin with.
I’m curious, though. With the average age on this forum being double my own, I imagine most of you have been answering these questions for yourself long enough to know what you’re talking about, while those closer to my own circumstance may have a perspective worth sharing as well. I invite all to participate.
So, where are you guys at in all this?
Do you feel like you have what you need? Are you working toward something better, or are you content where you are? Would you do something differently if you could?
Are you happy with your job, or in spite of it?
Are you happy at all?
--^@
