Comments on: Do You Love What You Do?

By: Ms. t

Ms. t — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:23:55 +0000

I so agree! I worked hard did everything I was told and it tanked with everyone else’s last year! So things don’t work out like they should. Start over! BTW, I live in Indiana too! Very rural but commuted 25 years to the fast paced city. After a Master’s degree and counseling the homeless population for seven years (burn out is three years!)which only grew in numbers and issues, I quit. I work for myself now. Really doing what I love and doing it for those I love. It’s a life, not a job!

By: Rae

Rae — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:30:26 +0000

I see there are a lot of pessimists that read this article…

Well, I took it to heart.

Doing what you love doesn’t always have to mean giving up all money. And, by the way, spending a lot of money on housing and cars is a choice. You are not a slave to your a salary, unless you live up to that last dollar.

By: Yana

Yana — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:13:26 +0000

I don’t like compromise when it comes to how we live our daily lives, and some has been necessary. I’d say we’re at 50% level of loving what we do. We were at 70% before my husband’s work schedule was changed. That difference has lowered the quality of our lives significantly, and gives me a helpless feeling that I don’t like. Things were very organized and efficient, but the scheduling change has made me far less efficient and it is costing us money. I’m in the process of finding a way to make the new ways work.

By: tom

tom — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 01:37:24 +0000

Let’s face it, death, taxes and bills is one thing you will never avoid. Stop dreaming, please.

The only way out is to beat the system, which only a few do. Hence the 90/10 rule.

By: saladdin

saladdin — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 04:29:42 +0000

Hell no.

By: Tom

Tom — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 00:42:47 +0000

Great story.
I can safely say, I don’t love what I do.
For now, I have bills to pay, but when they’re paid off … look out!

By: bryan

bryan — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 18:16:20 +0000

isn’t a profession/job just a means to an end? you generate money to pay for life’s necessities. any excess is applied to things that are important to you…

your options are to work a job in a field that is near and dear to your heart (that typically pays little) or working in a lucrative field that pays well and allows you to do more of what you want.

take your pick.

i feel like who you are outside of work is more important than the actual job you perform…

i am several years away to not having to work at all. my approach has been to work the highest paying jobs i could find and invest the rest into my own businesses/income real estate so that I could be financially free and do the activities that truly define me: music, travel, etc.

By: Steve Shapiro

Steve Shapiro — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:04:01 +0000

What a BEAUTIFUL STORY I happened to stumble on it looking for other info…Your story is EXACTLY where Im at….55 years old, kids grown and out, my wife and I trying to fulfill our dreams forward.
I actually found my dream: I discovered Mexico. Quite by accident, we visited and ended up connecting with orphanages, schools, helping needy children. We are both teachers, love kids…I do clowning and magic for them, would really love to teach there and do more. Even just finished building a little house there so we have a place when we go there.
But alas…I still need to earn at least a partial living here in the US…but its hard…my heart is THERE! AND….would I want to be in Mexico full time anyway?? I agonize, but at least have a taste of my dream now. Thanks

By: Patrick

Patrick — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 14:07:23 +0000

You are so correct tom. People work way too much and for what, to get a nice new car or house that is too big for them? That is the biggest problem with America. Europe for example live in much more modest homes even if they have enough money. They also take much more time off and enjoy life, unlike us.

By: nishant

nishant — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 12:55:58 +0000

Your story touched my heart, I am not going change my job or my field. But, may be, from now, I am not going to run after money. I will concentrate more on knowledge. I will try to search for peace within, that you got by doing what you really wanted to. And I am going to send this story to all of my friends.

By: thomas

thomas — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 21:10:04 +0000

No.

By: tom

tom — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:43:43 +0000

That is a great quote but sadly most people are not even aware of that. They are too busy working their jobs so they can pay bills for the stuff they bought, which they cannot afford.

In the end,they are slaves to their cars and houses for years to come.

By: MoneyGrubbingLawyer

MoneyGrubbingLawyer — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:06:54 +0000

At the risk of being accused of hyperbole, this could very well be one of the single best personal finance posts I have ever read. Jim, my hat goes off to you.

By: Hazzard

Hazzard — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:37:30 +0000

Great story. I couldn’t get one sentence towards the end out of my mind. Jim said: “Funny, isn’t it? In life or in retirement…….” I know it probably wasn’t his intention but that sentence implies that there is “life” and then there is “retirement”. I know a lot of people that find their time during retirement defines who they are because they focus on what is important to them, rather than the daily work grind in their earlier years. I’ve often sat and thought about what I would truly like to do in life. I haven’t discovered it yet, so I continue to do the daily grind in a job I’m not all that excited about. At this point, I think I’m just grateful to have a job.

By: DDFD at DivorcedDadFrugalDad

DDFD at DivorcedDadFrugalDad — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:22:11 +0000

Great Post!

I recently heard some say, “If you love what you do, you will never work another day in your life . . . ”

I think that pretty much sums it up.