Hi Beebop,

Ah, to be 28 again… I imagine the things I would change and do better a second time around, but unfortunately that’s not the way it works. You’ve got a lot on your plate it would seem, but in actuality you only really have one thing to worry about. What makes you happy? What fulfills you and gives your life value?

Let’s break it down. You quit your old job for a new job. The old job paid better, but you enjoy the new job more. A new job might pay more, but it may not be as satisfying. So, ask yourself, what’s more important to you and your happiness, and that’s completely up to you. Sometimes life just isn’t fair and you don’t get to have both things you want i.e. fun job AND good pay, so it’s up to you to decide which is more important for the time being and roll with it. The main thing is that life is not static, so what ever you “settle” for right now can be absolutely okay while you continue along your path and wait for or create new opportunities for yourself.

Are money and material things really that important? Look at the society of consumers we’ve become, always spending and acquiring new stuff. Take a long hard look at all of your own stuff. How much of it do you really need? Does it make you happy? I’d say sort through your things once, really decide if these things are things you need to be happy. The stuff you need, you keep and treasure, the stuff you don’t, you sell and use the money for happiness, maybe it’ll add up to enough to get started on that baby you’re not all too sure about…

Speaking of that baby, again, will it make you happy and enrich your life, and are you and your partner prepared to meet the happiness and enrichment needs of a little one? If so, go for it, if not, pets are always a nice alternative to paying for college tuition…

Creativity? Are you an artist? I am. I paint and I write, and it’s the same for all of us. We like to call it a block or lack of inspiration, but do you know what it really is? Laziness! If you depended on your craft to feed you like you do your job, you’d be at it every day! Creativity is like a muscle, and if we neglect it, it gets weak, and it gets sore if we try to use it again. Make yourself paint or write, or whatever at least for a few minutes every day! You’ll notice it gets easier, and your art will get better, and it won’t feel nearly as tedious after awhile.

You’re not trapped, you’re just living, and sometimes it’s amazing, and sometimes it’s pure hell…

wishing you peace and health,
Ramone