Hi all, I'm kind of new to this subreddit and I had this idea/question when I was out on a walk today. I'd love to hear people's responses to it.
On threads I've read on /r/AskReddit having to do with work/careers, there's a pretty big group of people that believe in looking at one's job not as a source of happiness, but as a means to happiness. For example, in one thread I read recently (couldn't find the link), one Redditor was talking about how they didn't really love their job, but found happiness in spending part of their salary on their hobbies. Many in the comments said they were in similar situations, and voiced their support of this lifestyle.
This philosophy doesn't really sit well with me. I think it could (and does) work for some people, but I can't see myself not being at least somewhat happy with my job. I mean, I'll be devoting a big chunk of 40 to 45 years to it; I want to enjoy it and feel like I'm accomplishing something with it. Plus, while I do have hobbies, I'm not as invested in them as I am in my studies (currently a student), and I'm happy living like this. After graduating, work will likely take the place of studying in my life, and so I'll be devoting a lot of energy to it.
However, there is a certain simple beauty to that philosophy. When you're looking for job satisfaction, you won't be happy until you've found a job that fulfills you. But doing so is much easier said than done. Not everyone can have a job they like. It's a bit like lusting after something really expensive, which goes against the principles of simple living.
I have aspirations for my career, and I'm willing to work hard to get there. But I am a fan of simple living, and I don't want this pursuit to cause me more stress than it's worth. At the moment, I'm sort of debating with myself the healthiness of my job goals, and whether or not I should settle for something more reasonable/realistic.
If anyone has any thoughts on this matter, or has personal experience with finding happiness in their job/elsewhere, I'd be happy to read them.
Submitted January 06, 2018 at 06:18PM by CopularSunfish http://ift.tt/2CCuyQI
