Really? Have you never not known if you could make rent? Have you ever been broke with no prospects? I've worked in factories doing repetitive work for little pay. Still... I know I was making 10 times more than most people in the world. I look back on those days with mixed feelings. On the one hand I hated going to work. I hurt my body doing some of the work. But with all that I learned how to do stuff I didn't want to do because I loved my wife and son. It gave me drive to figure out something better to do that would actually pay more money. Even more importantly it motivated me to challenge myself more. I was being lazy in a way. Sure I was sweating and burning calories but mentally I was not challenged.

It took me to long to get into the head space that I need to get off my butt. Develop myself. And make myself indispensable as a person. I read a book a few years later titled Linchpin. There were many good take aways from this book but the big one that is relevant here is to care about the work you do. Even if you are bussing tables at a coffee shop. I worked hard at that and do to this day. When I find myself unmotivated and down it is because I'm not investing my emotion into my work. Being helpful to my co-workers. This is a skill that is best learned when you are NOT working in things you want to do. As I worked through college courses I thought were dumb, worked side projects at night to learn web dev, and getting up to go to work in the morning it was the drive to survive and thrive that pushed me forward.

Honest opinion. These days most people in wealthy nations are spoiled brats. I include myself in that. At least I try not to be. We have the privilege of free time to think about how hard our lives are. We aren't completely obsessed with not starving to death. We know even if we lose our jobs. Even if we live on the street, our lives are better than most of the world.

I think we have a gratitude problem. We feel sorry for ourselves. Life is amazing. We have the Internet. The main obstacle isn't the government, capitalism, or socialism. Its us. We are the enemy to slay. The state is evil. Most corporations are faceless monsters. Sure... but we haven't even slayed the enemy within.

I don't love what I do every day. But I GET to do so many things because of what I do. If I focus on finding the perfect most fulfilling career instead of finding joy in each day... I will be cursed to sorrow no matter what I do or where I am.