After I first started doing psychedelics, I found myself asking myself, "Am I happy right now?" a lot. If I was, perfect. If I wasn't, I would work to change my surrounding circumstances to at least attempt to become happy.

I am also a proponent of "being here now," and even though trying to change things to become happy opposes this somewhat, I see no reason to live unhappily if I don't have to do so.

So now I am in college taking rather difficult classes, and I work a lot as well. But sometimes I feel like Peter from "Office Space" and I just want to do nothing. However, to maintain my lifestyle, I have to continue to do things that I don't really enjoy.

So how do you do it? How are you alright with doing a job you don't want to do? Or do most people here love their professions? Or if you also have classes, or maybe people you find poisonous in your life, how do you put up with all of it?

My dreams for the future and day-to-day comforts, as well as friends and loved ones, are what keep me motivated to work through this kind of stuff. And although psychedelics made me think about this rather than just blindly accept it, they too have helped me come to terms with having me do things I don't want to do so I can get money to then improve myself and the world.

It sounds like you are talking about dropping out of school?

Think long term. Having money makes life a lot easier, more comfortable, more fun, and gives the ability to give.

Finding a career job is a lot easier with a degree. I dropped out and through some major luck / love / God have been able to do well in marketing anyways. But it has still been a barrier and embarrassment. If things hadn't played out just so, I would be making a salary that requires having roommates, not going out to eat, not giving any, drinking less, less travel, stress about car payments and whatnot, so on. Not all jobs that require a degree get you past those things, but many do.

If you've got no trust fund, like many traveling hippies, you've got to work.

Or invent something. One of the two.

No I wouldn't drop out of school unless I was offered a huge salary paying job by a software company or a similar deal with an investment bank, neither of which are very likely. In my life I plan to get my current degree and pursue a Masters.

I am just wondering how others on the Nexus reconcile with the fact that we must do things we don't want to do to be happy. I once saw a little comic with Alan Watts, "If Money Was No Object." Its message was to pursue what you would in life in money were no object to you. However, this is not really realistic.

If you're interested in computer science or working in a factory, then yes it is realistic. But do people really want to do most jobs? Or do they begin to like it once they work long enough and realize there is no other option than to try to love what you do? Do you just passively accept that for mutual benefit everyone has to pitch in, labor-wise?

I would suggest not having a long term goal of doing something that will make you perpetually unhappy or is a a drag to do.

I like that idea by Alan Watts. It's like no matter what you do you usually make it to the next day so do whatever, go crazy. And if it doesn't turn out right whatever. I personally don't want to invest energy in something that makes me unhappy. Poisonous people? Ignore them or see if theres something you can do to help them.

In the end yes, sometimes we have to give energy to things we don't want to and it is necessary. But making a habit of it isn't going to feel good most likely.

It helps to enjoy your work, but all types of work have at least some things in common. If you can find it in yourself to enjoy these things, then it will make your work feel more rewarding, regardless of the path that you choose. For example, all lines of work involve competition. All lines of work offer opportunities for comradery. I think the most important commonality is that all lines of work require understanding in order to optimize your techniques and routines. Deep understanding of your daily tasks gives you unique insight into how to improve your studies as well as yourself as a whole. Especially if you are on the academic path, you should have a lust for understanding, which will give you a leg up in all walks of life. Try to be a meta-academic, whose area of research is learning itself. I know that it can seem hopeless sometimes, but I promise it gets better. Strive to push the boundaries of your intelligence and work ethic. If you hold on to the desire to better yourself, not only will you meet your goals but you will surpass them.

This is all very hard to embody. To some extent you just have to go through the motions until it sticks. Put your current sense of identity on the sidelines and try to jump into the personality that will allow you to be most productive. Go and meet people who have careers in your field of interest and ask them what you should expect and what you should do. Try to put your field at the center of your life: Find friends in the same field; read about current research in your field and participate in research if possible; Meet your professors and establish mentors; participate in departmental events;

And by all means, if you realize that you are not working in the field that interests you most, change fields.

I simply don't do things I know aren't going to help me in anyway. I've given up a lot of opportunities by following such a philosophy. But I've never become a slave to money either.

Ask yourself if the end result is actually happiness, not just convenience or comfort.

Thanks for the great advice hixidom!

I would rather not put my identity aside however, as that is a pretty substantial sacrifice in exchange for pure knowledge. I have always been a task oriented person who enjoys completing objectives and absorbing information, but sometimes it does seem quite frivolous. You are all right in focusing on what you are most interested. And Metanoia, not being a slave to money is important in being free as well.

I'm interested in what Nexians with day jobs think about this. Although my academic career is very important to my success in life, I also have a job at my family business that is extremely draining. Very monotonous and physically difficult. So my intended question was about all the workers on here; do you like your jobs? If not how do you reconcile still doing them? Is it all just for the money?

having a degree does not mean you are going to have a job you like or have an enjoyable life. That is a story often sold to people. For some they might have that, others often do not. I was speaking with someone about this over the weekend who really hated that desk job that some others would die for, and said it was depressing and unhealthy. I dunno what to tell ya, if you want to enjoy life and live it up, you will..if you don't ya wont. Money wont necessarily help you with that, although it might.

I am gardener and I don't make a whole lot of money atm, and try not to think about it too much because I have spent years torturing myself in the past with thoughts. At some point I will be making a lot more than I do now.

I think of my life's time as something valuable. Working most of my time in a job that I don't enjoy, means that basically I'm wasting my life's time. Maybe I can argue that it's the price I pay to be able to have cool weekends or vacations, but from the times that I was working like that I remember I never had any energy left on weekends and always thought vacations were too expensive. It was a huge energy drain for me and sucked the joy out of almost everything.

Of course every job will have parts of it you don't like, but that's probably not what you are talking about.

I know people with day-jobs that are very passionate about what they do. Others are "just" ok with what they do, and finally there are those that don't like it at all. If you belong to the latter category I would seriously consider changing. It's not healthy to be unhappy a large part of the day, every day. Obviously it's not always just the job, but also the job environment that can make it nice or not nice to work in a place. I worked as a kitchen help for a long time - stressful job, but I loved it, because my boss and some of the colleagues were really cool people.

If you can't find anything that really makes you passionate, at least find something you find bareable and that has a nice work-environment, gives you enough free time and is in a place you enjoy living. That's my 2¢

Thanks for the replies; they are very insightful. It should be obvious that if you're not happy in a particular job you should try to change, but for many it is difficult to take the steps to do so. Since my job is with my family I really have no choice but to work. It actually pays very well, but every bit of work I don't do is extra stress for my family members. And I don't want to put it all on them, so it's more complicated at this point than just moving on.

And for my classes I have been working so hard that I don't really know what to do once I finish with my work (besides browse the Nexus, which I'm more than fine with ). Hopefully things will come together; I think they will.



This sums up a lot of what I've been thinking perfectly. Finding your passion should be your first priority, but if that doesn't happen, then just finding something you can live well with comes next.

It just seems like in so many cases there is a trade-off between doing things you want to do and having money. But pure solutions are rare and highly sought after, so I guess finding a suitable occupation is just part of the process in modern society.

Just chant a mantra, that's what I do. And do it everyday, keep it in the back of your head. This always helped me get through stuff that I knew would benefit me in the long run. Its hard dealing with this bs culture after having these experiences. But going through stuff like school or a job can be crucial if you want to have stuff. Or you could just have nothing like me. But yeah a mantra is a magical tool for this man, trust me. Its worked wonders beyond my imagination in work situations.