Poverty or Sell Out

[Scoundrel]

Is it better to do what you love, but live in poverty or, work at something you hate to pay the bills?

[boyracer]

Interesting question, and of course it will be different for every person.

For me, my job does not define who I am. It's simply a way to pay the bills and go out and have fun.

I do remember a time when I let my job consume me and define me. Everything I did revolved around it.... for YEARS!! Finally woke up one day and said WTF! Started a new career path a year ago, and am a whole different person. A much better person.

But that's me....

[Vector]

Is it better to do what you love, but live in poverty or, work at something you hate to pay the bills?

Having passion is attractive, and so is having ambition. Some passions pay, some don't. An artist who has a passion for art but is working as a waiter is something anyone can understand.

But be going somewhere. Be working toward becoming a professional musician, or artist, or whatever. Say it, and believe it. I believe you should put your life on a track like that anyway, with a goal to get paid to do what you love to do.

If you need a not-so-glamorous job to feed yourself, nobody will hold it against you. As long as you are driven, and you are going to become something, it will make for a journey a woman might want to take with you.

To answer your question, work at something you hate to pay the bills. In your spare time, work at something you love, with a goal of building it into a full-time thing. If your job which you hate doesn't permit it, get a different job you hate that does.

[DrHypno]

I have done both, work at a job that I hate and lived in poverty.

Just do what you want and then figure out a way to get others to pay you to do it.
There are plenty of women who will pay big bucks just for your company.
Personal training, yoga, some type of business or personal coaching will legitimize your flexible lifestyle.

Also, write a book. Self-publish it and take copies with you wherever you go.
Once you have a book, published you're eccentric, not unemployed.

Yes, I have two published books and I am working on my third.

DrHypno

[Neuromancer]

That's it, I'm writing a book. I'm gonna call it "What I've Learned" by Deucex. Now all I have to do is pick a font that makes the word "nothing" last for 210 pages.

[Scoundrel]

I have done both, work at a job that I hate and lived in poverty.

Just do what you want and then figure out a way to get others to pay you to do it.
There are plenty of women who will pay big bucks just for your company.
Personal training, yoga, some type of business or personal coaching will legitimize your flexible lifestyle.

Also, write a book. Self-publish it and take copies with you wherever you go.
Once you have a book, published you're eccentric, not unemployed.

Yes, I have two published books and I am working on my third.

DrHypno

I’ve started to write a book a few times. About playing Blues guitar. My trouble has always been that it feels like I’m building a ladder when I should be building a web. Does that make sense?

[Rhody]

November is national novel writing month (see http://www.nanowrimo.org/). I know it's a long ways away, but it can be a useful challenge. First of all, you can work on storytelling and writing skills. Secondly, the emotional jorney of writing a novel can be a great story in itself.

[Westfall]

Is it better to do what you love, but live in poverty or, work at something you hate to pay the bills?

I would say it is better to do what, in totality, gives you the most happiness.

Personally I have chosen to work in a place I hate (Arkansas) for a few years until I get a great deal of experince and the funds I need to become financially independent.

Then, I'll do what I truely love.


WF

[Finesse]

Ideally you should do what you love and be able to make money at it. (Rich Dad, Poor Dad) The question is how do you get people to pay you for something that you are going to do anyway.

So, if you could wash your car everyday because you love washing your car because it's so damn sexy, then a place where you can wash your car everyday would be a good place to look into.

Ultimately to make the most money and be doing something that you want to do requires your own business. Get your own business, and start markting what you do and you should succeed....... eventually.

[Scoundrel]

I had my own biz for 10 years. Now I'm out of biz.

I have a friend that does some of the most unique paintings I've ever seen. He quit his day job in the publishing industry 20 years ago to follow his dreams of becoming an artist.

Today he lives in a tiny one room apartment where he paints every day. He has hundreds of paintings he can't sell. He is toothless and buys his clothes from the good will store. He pays his bills by doing whatever odd jobs he can.

But, he loves painting. He is happy.

When I started this thread I was depressed about my current job. I hate it and I do it 14 hours a day five days a week. I have no time for anything. But, if I quit I have no money to make my car payment, the rent, insurance, food, water and on and on.

I work too many hours to transition into something else and I don't make enough to save up and live for a few years until I can get something else going. If I could, I would!