Taken from a previous post in reply to someone who was struggling with being successful while going against the grain of your parents/your steady job.

You cannot live your life being dissatisfied. So many people go through life today doing things they don't want to do; living scripts that their parents or friends have written for them. If you want to be satisfied, you must live YOUR own written script. Not only will this make you happier, but it will make you a better person.

All great men have written their own scripts and lived by them. Sure, they may have stolen from other's scripts and implemented into theirs, but the way they live their life is fully determined by themselves.

While it may not be practical to move out to Cali and leave everything behind, there are certainly ways to START writing your own script.

With the way money is today, you really do need a steady job to keep up with things, and thats OKAY. But you don't want to be working a job you dislike for the rest of your life.

Begin your own side project. Continue with your normal life, but work on something big for yourself in the future. Take a few trips out to Cali and get some things done. Come back, brainstorm and set goals for yourself. Good things do not come quickly. You must dedicate time to what you want to eventually do, and execute when your blueprint fully finished.

Begin with the end in mind. Meaning, do not wonder around aimlessly starting your own endeavor. Instead, establish how you want to end up (take your time with this and think it through) and then begin working on it.

Your parents may frown upon you leaving them. But if they are good parents, they know deep down that you still have you're whole life ahead of you. When your successful leading your own life and or endeavor, they will most likely have a change of heart.

Best of luck

This post was needed here. It is 100% right. My dad went to UC Davis and graduated near the top of his class and now he is a chemist. He put me through private school my whole life,granted I was a good student not the best. My parents both wanted me to go to college,I went for a year and decided it wasnt for me. I had a 2.0 GPA so I wasn't failing but could tell I wasnt going to keep going as my motivation for school was slipping.

I had ventured into eBay buy old/broken guitar amps to repairing and resell them. I was making anywhere from $1k-$2k a month,alot for only being 17 at the time. I LOVED IT! So I figured buying and selling and marketing may be a future for me.

That is when I turned to real estate. 10 months later after 2 exams,interviews and a few thousand in fees/bills I signed with my broker. I'm two days into my new job as a REALTOR and I love it,and all I'm doing at this point is gathering all family/friends email addresses and contact info.

Point be,do what YOU want in life. If you family loves you they will adjust and be behind you.

nice points WC2

You know, I've had some thoughts in this area lately.

I have a decent job, which I enjoy, a fair number of friends, and a fairly comfortable lifestyle. I'm just starting my Masters' Degree, but it will take a couple of years.

And yet... a customer from my store, a girl who is really cute, smart and young (24) came in and told me she was bored with our city. She was moving away to Montreal.

Something in me kind of snapped (not crazy, stab your parents snapped). I wanted to explore a new town, a new job, new friends. I was tired of walking downtown and recognizing a face every block.

That feeling has been there for maybe a week, hovering there. Thinking about it, I realized that I REALLY needed a spark in my life.

What's that spark going to be? Who knows. I like to write. I've considered making a film. I really want to play some kind of team sport. And then, there's always my deep-down but unrequited desire to play the drums...

The most interesting thing is that the last year or so, and particularly the last four or five months... have seen my success with women double. It's nowhere NEAR where I want it to be... but the curious part is that the temporary successes from meeting women aren't making me that much happier.

The happiness comes from something deeper than that. I don't know what, but I'll try and find out.