no but seriously, joe’s comment 493 posts back is true. if you don’t enjoy your work at all, you won’t last long enough to fully reap the fruits of your labor. the original post seems to be targeted at the archetypical corporate drone, a stereotypical assumption that the office can’t be fun or fulfilling. and if people get value from empty materialism, let them, who are we to judge? the amount consumerism drives the economy is fascinating.

PEACE SON

While that may sound simplistic – think about it – coz its very true.

Look at some of the greatest and wealthiest people in the world. Richard Branson for example has built a billion dollar empire. The brand virgin once stamped on a business provides millions of dollars worth of customer loyalty and recognition to the company.

Look at bill gates … mircosoft … do i have to say anything more

These people are providing immense value to the world and that is why they have been able to stick around for so long.

But can i ask you this question … Do you think that they enjoy what they do? Do you think that they are on purpose and doing something they love? Well i can guarantee you that bill gates and Richard Branson love what they do

Obviously they could so call “retire” they are worth so much money.

But i really believe that life isnt about just making it to the top. Its about the journey, its about the challenge. But if you continually strive to follow your passion and continue to add value to the world, then the money will come and there will be more than you can possibly imagine.

Young Investor

http://www.investmentrealty.blogspot.com

I’m not working on a stable job yet — mostly freelance and side jobs since I’m still in college — but it’s something to think about when I do join the rest of the working world.

We recently moved out to the suburbs, which has added an extra 15 minutes to my commute. Why? We simply can’t afford to live in the city on one income. We wanted my wife to stay and home with our son and for him to have a yard to play in. Fortunately, we found a great community out in the country and we have lots of space.

It is a little extra time and money on gas, but again our priority is on a parent being home with our child.

@Joe and m – You are lucky (and courageous) to have found ways to find deep satisfaction in what you do for a living, but unfortunately I think you are in the minority. With all due respect, I think Trent’s post is aimed more at those like me than those like you–it’s a kind of wake-up call to those of us who are stagnating and might not have realized with this much clarity why we feel so stuck.

I am a fairly intelligent and introspective person who has spent a great deal of time in self-evaluation over the years, and I had already come to many of the same conclusions Trent presents here. My problem is the gap between the “knowing” and the “doing.” This is a refreshing wake-up call to start taking action in the direction of what I REALLY want out of life.

For me, the big obstacle is being an all-or-nothing type. I just keep reminding myself that baby steps do count.

Thanks, Trent, for such a great post!

It’s interesting to know that people in some countries that indeed do not have the economic and technological privileges that Westerners claim to enjoy higher levels of “happiness” or contentment with their lives than we do. Exactly how “happy” is defined remains unclear to me, but money doesn’t necessarily buy it.

And I do have to agree that if you love your job (really), then it’s not a place with bars around it. On the other hand…if you’ve grown beyond loving your job, you have the problem that you can’t get healthcare coverage without being employed. Well, you can, but to afford it you need a hefty income. To my mind, that makes employment metaphorically comparable to slavery — you work because someone (or something) makes you work, not because you want to.

If I could get decent, accessible, affordable healthcare on my own, I would quit my job today.

About the wonders of US healthcare — yes, Americans can get optional procedures with a great deal more despatch than you can in the UK or in parts of Europe. However, when you really need medical care it’s not easy to get access, even if you’re fully insured. I spent four hours sitting on a cold stone bench outside a big-city ER one night when I had acute appendicitis, and never got so much as a brief exam; neither did the young woman who sat next to me, who had been in the throes of a miscarriage for the past six hours.

I ended up having to go to a different hospital in an upscale part of the city — the EMTs would not take me there, and so I had to have a friend drive me — in order to get the emergency surgery I needed.

I’m glad I wasn’t in Italy. But for what we and our employers are paying for healthcare, you’d think the US could do a little better.

While it’s always good to move forward, it never hurts to be thankful for what we’ve got.