I came of age at a time when being happy in your work was not a particularly important objective for anyone. Or, at least, for very few people. ![981.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/denmarkguy/23uQnCte3Sgu6zHKDcd7n8ZfBNKwSNR5EhavDN5rRhxWeuUWVbrrnZdZpWeciHeyqgNT1.jpg) That was not to suggest that people didn't feel good about being happy at work, it was simply a statement that you didn't go to work for the purpose of finding fulfillment and happiness, you went to work to earn a paycheck so you could support your life. Happiness was an unexpected and unplanned coincidence, *if* it happened. By the time I got to university, the idea of finding *"fulfilling"* work and doing something you felt *passionate* about was starting to gain a little more traction. I still pretty much followed the old school, in the sense that I was trying to go to work at something that I could earn a living from, but in doing so I didn't feel *entirely* convinced that I was doing the right thing, anymore. I only worked in a *"conventional"* sort of career for about 5 years before I sincerely started questioning what I was doing. ![2dfc52b0-83be-47e1-a134-2ca7838c32c1-1_all_1905.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/denmarkguy/EowJ887bu8SSyEwfCcT3C6GCuwHRTvxoPVW81VZdds7o5fcdrYdtHR99YD14eRXeoiB.jpg) Sure, my life had the outward appearance of success, but if that was sincerely the case why wasn't I feeling *good* about the situation? Was I really just supposed to *"grin and bear it"* until retirement age? The dichotomy between this idea that I was *successful* and the fact that I didn't *feel good about my life* grew to such a gaping chasm that I actually ended up in therapy so as to talk myself through the issue. Even though I was quite well paid, it seemed like a meaningless exercise in doing something I didn't really believe in, all for the purpose of making some executives and a bunch of investors happy. Or, at least, help them build *their* wealth. Meanwhile, this idea that *"having all the stuff"* would somehow make my life better was quickly proving itself to be a massive falsehood. Of course, the late 1980s were a very material time, as well as the time that invented the term *"yuppie,"* which is perhaps quite similar to the term *"Finance Bro"* today. ![2104.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/denmarkguy/Ep7u85tCfy4inhKTazJDGP2fTKGxdcZwunJUf71Kk2NX3pDqsr8ht57a5RRyum2Lwce.jpg) Anyway, I came out of my first period of therapy with a better understanding of the fact that I wasn't really motivated by the same things as the majority of people. Somehow, it was more important to me to feel good about myself and about life than to have a bunch of material things to show off to the world. Don't misunderstand me, I have nothing against money. I just can't get behind the relentless pursuit of it, and I can't get behind making it the most important thing in my life. Which is my way of saying I don't much care beyond being able to afford my basic bills in life. According to my therapist, the majority of my peers — it would seem — used material wealth to differentiate themselves from others. I was more interested in having nice friends and doing things I really enjoyed. ![2654.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/denmarkguy/Ep3fDN5memmpTMVSqDxaj18xdWxQEQA6HP5XLC6WrVVKWyi8jvKUu5DL4zMcPKNrXc9.jpg) In retrospect, some of my background culture growing up in Denmark was starting to show because the very things I was deciding on as being *important* were very much what society around me had imparted when I was in grade school even if it was not the value set of my parents. Of course, this does not necessarily answer the question of whether *passion matters* at work. As most to read these pages no I am self-employed, and I am definitely doing things I really enjoy. But for much the same reason as my discovery 35 years ago that I didn't have the same value set as most people, what I really enjoy and feel passionate about isn't necessarily something that translated well as sources of income. That's a rather long-winded way of saying that I get to do what I'm passionate about, but the price of admission has been that I'm relatively *"poor."* ![2655.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/denmarkguy/EokdaNBSrG6fWRzgKMEf8vJf5fzdKxGZPGDwVnBuatPomHZeDYXKUgHtuEvVtdVpYLs.jpg) Does that actually bother me? It definitely didn't used to, but as I am aging and realized that I was never successful enough to build much of a nest egg all I can really do is be grateful for the fact that I'm doing things I'm passionate about because of most likely I will be doing them until they carry me out in the pine box! Thanks for stopping by, and have a great remainder of your week! ***Comments, feedback and other engagement is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation! 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Does "Passion" Matter in our Work?