I am beginning to wonder if I am a boring person. It’s the kind of stuff that no one will tell to your face. 

I read posts about people giving up lucrative jobs to pursue their passion. People seem to quit jobs to pursue trekking, photography, dancing, travel, yoga, and baking – the kind of stuff that I wouldn’t give up my day job for. The article I read was a little light on how these people made ends meet.

Perhaps, they were independently wealthy.

Had to be.

I do not have a “passion” to pursue like most others seem to have. I am afraid that may put me in some sort of boring, passionless minority.

I wracked my brain to come up with things that I am passionate about. I could only come up with things like hanging out with friends; listening to music; playing some tennis and squash; enjoying good food; and writing the occasional blog post.

The trouble is that I can do all that without quitting my job.

Nevertheless, that article triggered some introspection.

Was I shortchanging myself?

Sure, I like my job. But, if it weren’t for the money, would I still do it? Or, do something else?

Most of us don’t have “enough” money to chuck up and leave our jobs; so the concept of exploring satisfying alternatives that pay less, or don’t pay at all remains just that – a concept.

So, we stay.

The prospect of taking a lower-paying job in pursuit of happiness has a nice ring to it. But, in most of our cases, it is clearly not practical. Also, there is no guarantee that the grass will be greener on the other side. But, if you don’t take a chance, how will you ever know?

To some extent, you can argue that peace of mind and happiness trump money.

But, you can’t pay your bills with happiness.

 As negative as it sounds, what is likelier to happen, as we have seen time and time again, is that such breaks come unplanned through workplace shifts, corporate downsizing, or some such event.

If it were to happen to you, and you have a financial cushion, would you consider looking at exciting alternatives? Would you pursue your passion, at least to rule it out as not practical?

I realize that this is a rhetorical question, and the answer would differ based on your stage in life. But, based on what people seem to be doing, certainly, it is food for thought.

Most people I know will go right back into job-hunting mode. Perhaps that is old school and boring.

I have thought about this for a while.

At many stages in my career, I have been to the point where I wanted to throw it all up and walk away.

If it weren’t for the money, I would have.

My version of the golden handcuffs!

And yet, money has only been one of my motivators. Strangely, I have never felt the need to be super rich. On the other hand, I have always felt grateful that I was not poor. I consider myself fortunate in some ways when compared to others that I know who seem to have bigger problems than I do.

So, the status quo works for me.

But, the status quo is bad in a fast-paced business world with artificial emergencies and deadlines. It’s all about moving the corporate needle forward as the stragglers fall by the wayside.

Don’t get me wrong. I do like what I do for a living. But, every once in a while, I feel like asking,

“What’s the hurry?”

Perhaps it’s time…

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