Dear beebop20:

You enjoy your job so much but you are bothered you don’t make as much money as other people, given your schooling investment and such. It makes more sense to some to work in a higher paying job they dislike than to work in a lower paying job they like. Looking only at the paycheck aspect and only at it, this does make sense. But let’s look at the bigger picture, still looking only at the monetary aspect:

a person in a distressing job, feeling trapped in it, is more likely to get sick and have accidents than a person in an enjoyable, non-distressing job. Getting sick, having accidents can be a very costly experience which will use up all that extra money made in the higher paying, distressing job. It would make monetary sense then, looking at this (very real) bigger picture, to choose the job you do have.

But then, you are distressed after all- comparing yourself to others making more money (the marketing, social convention of the importance of making more money so to spend more is a big part of this dynamic, isn’t it?)-

It doesn’t make financial sense for you to be distressed, does it?

Many people work their whole lives doing work they dislike so that one day they will retire and do what they like. Why not do what you like now? If you can cover basic expenses- why not?

As far as children: if in doubt, don’t, is my thinking.

anita