Work to Live

Nowadays many people complain about their job. They work too hard, they don't get enough positive reinforcement at work, or they get too much negative reinforcement. Most of the people work to live, not live to work. So, please don't define people by thier job! You should work for money, or work for personal reasons, but don't read too much into what your job means. Find out what is important in your life. You are not defined by your accomplishments. You are who you are. When you retire the most important question will be: Who are you when you aren't working? Having that answer ready will be the final exam.
I was amazed to find this node existed because I have said "work to live, not live to work" many times. (And we all know that if *I* have thought something, there is no way anyone else could have ever had this occur to them.) I was pleased and surprised to find someone else has also come to this realization and wish to comment on it.
Adults always ask   "So, what do you want to be when you grow up?"   swankivy: "I want to be a writer!"   and then amused laughter:: "Oh, no, no . . . I mean, what do you want to be . . . for a job!"
It's this “what do you want to be” thing that I don't like. What do you want to be when you grow up? Comfortable, happy, and preferably alive, I'd say. I don't really see why my job has to be such an important part of that . . . I know that I go to work mostly so I can get money so I can live, not because I particularly enjoy it. I don't hate my job. But if I had a choice, I would not go.
I don't understand the concept of climbing the corporate ladder. Sure, you get more money as you go up, but once you're working more than eight hours a day at something you honestly don't care that much about, when the hell do you have the time to spend it? You have the money to get that big screen TV and VCR, which you're too tired to enjoy when you get home. You have the cash to purchase that giant comfy bed, in which you spend many hours...