Bankruptcy of pocket vs. Bankruptcy of soul

I was watching a documentary series about professional adventurers and extreme athletes. One episode followed a professional kayaker on a trip to the Zambezi River in Africa to run some of the most massive and powerful rapids in the world.

He said that his philosophy of life came down to the title of this post: Bankruptcy of pocket, or bankruptcy of soul. He became good at something he loved at an early age, and soon discovered it wasn't that difficult to make a modest living at it. The guy's abilities and balls are unbelievable and he talked a lot about soul-draining modern life and the life he lives. At the end of the show he's enjoying a beer and has a "moment of silence" for all of us still sitting in traffic.


I do not like what I do. There are moments of satisfaction, but around 80% of the time I cannot stand it. I work to live, and my job has afforded me a pretty good lifestyle. However, true to the classic working man's conundrum, I work too much to REALLY dig in to the things I enjoy. And beyond the constraints on free time, I hate the fact I work for someone else and have to put on a happy face to keep my job.

On one hand I feel very fortunate. I work in a highly employable field (medicine), make a better than average living (~$100k/yr), and have a professional title with decent social respect. I am very grateful for this and for the choices I made to get here.

On the other, medicine is not all it's cracked up to be. Most of our day is spent dealing with ungrateful, ignorant, uneducated people with abysmal health literacy who want everything to be done for them. Not many people want to do the footwork they need to get better. They want everything handed to them, in pill form, ala drive-thru medicine. It is for the most part extremely unsatisfying and very much production-based. More patients, more billing, and less freedom of care.

Basically I think I may have picked the wrong profession for my personality, and I've accepted I really don't like the 9-5 working life altogether. I am fairly solitary, work best alone, do not like people in general or customer service. I know, horrible thing to say for my profession, lol. In no way do I think my situation is special or unique; I know there are millions and millions of people who hate their jobs more than I do.

My life outside of work is awesome, and I'm fortunate to make enough money to save up for a big break. I'm just not sure what to do. I'm in a position where I have to make $80K+ to live a decent lifestyle (due the amount of student debt I have), so my options are limited. The way I see it now I have a few choices:

-Stay in medicine and look for a more tolerable fit within the profession
-Start a new career entirely and likely be crushed by debt
-Do something drastic like leave the country and forego all of my education and debt for a clean slate

Anyone else been here and successfully made it OUT of working purgatory? I should add that I think postponing happiness until retirement is a flawed philosophy. Thanks for any stories and input.

Keep F/T employment until you transition into an equally or better paying venture--or until you pay off your debt and accumulate a 12-month emergency fund.

You work 9-5; plenty of time for an ancillary business. Where is your passion? What area motivates you the most?

Try checking this out:

https://www.neilstrauss.com/neil/the-two-trains-theory

It's easy to sign up and it's also worth it.

But if you want a quick fix:

Neil Strauss on his official website said:

If that is you, read on and let me tell you about…the Two Trains Theory.

(And, don’t worry, there’s no math involved.)

People often wrestle with leaving their current job to pursue something more meaningful to them. Maybe they’re not happy with their current job. Maybe they don’t want to work for a boss anymore and want to be self-employed. Maybe they just want to do something true to their passion and themselves.

So think of your current job as one train.

Think of what you really want to do—or what you want to do next—as another train.

Right now, you’re standing on a moving train—your current job.

And what most people do is they get off their current train, exit onto the station platform, and wait for the next train.

But usually what happens is they get stuck there, and eventually start running out of time (and money) as the trains on the platforms around them just whiz right past.

To return to non-metaphorical reality, they’ve underestimated the incredible amount of work required to get themselves to a level of success, satisfaction, and financial stability in the new job. And soon most of them find themselves very unhappy, returning to their old jobs (or doing something they like even less) for money, and having little to no free time to pursue their new direction.

Instead, if you want to follow the Two Trains Theory, stay on the train you’re currently on. Then, in whatever spare time you have, work to get the other train started. Start pursuing your new passion or new direction or passive income stream on the weekends, in the evenings, early in the morning, whenever you can.

Get that train moving faster and faster, and find out if you even like being on it. If you do, you’ll find that your energy will automatically redirect to fueling the engine of that other train. Pretty soon, it will be rolling and picking up speed. And one day, you will realize it is going almost as fast as your current train, if not faster. And that’s when you just take the simple step from your current train to your new train—with no waiting at the platform, no fear of having to go backward. You may have to straddle the two trains, with one leg on each for a little, but that’s a quality problem, to be so in demand.

And that brings me to my final point about this: It’s not just a metaphor. It’s always easy to get a new job when you already have one. You have much more value to those in your new career if you have to be stolen or poached from another job, rather than being plucked out of the unemployment line. Just like in The Game (or any reality show), when women are competing for you, you are less needy, have higher perceived value, act more confident, and are more likely to succeed.

Simple, right?

I’ve seen it happen time and time again. In most cases (unless you’re working a 20-hour job right now in the mines of a remote island), if you do this, not only will your life be easier, but so will your chances of success.

Hope this is helpful and catching some of you at the right time.

See you on the express train…

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Your situation sounds similar to mine - same dislikes about the workplace, though I work with a bunch of socially retarded technical people. I'm pretty convinced the 9-5 job is not for me, and am working on making that a reality.

Heh, "purgatory" is a great description



My take on your situation:

1. Stay in medicine - you need that income for lifestyle expenses, paying off debt, savings/investments, and to launch other financial prospects. If you got a degree in art history or something instead, and had massive student debt, perhaps going back to school to learn an in-demand profession would be the way to go.

2. Depending on the interest rate of your student debt, pay those suckers down (unless they're ridiculously low and you get a much better return owning blue chip stocks in household consumables or something. In that case, use the stock dividends to help pay off loans).

3. Take some time to inventory your skills and abilities, what do you bring to the table that other people would be willing to pay for? How can you provide value? Right now it's your medical knowledge.

4. Think of where you want to be - in great detail, try to picture it and make it as realistic as possible. Now you have a goal to work towards. What specific steps do you need to do to get there? Mentally work backwards to get a better idea.

5. Budget your time wisely if you aren't. Most people come home after work, turn on the TV, have a beer, and waste the rest of the day. Or have other vaporous habits that consume their free time.



Some additional thoughts that ended up kind of disjointed:

This topic is one of the prime underlying themes many personal finance blogs and gurus attempt to address. Usually they focus on trying to change the beliefs people have about money, as your average person picks up dysfunction financial habits from an early age by well-meaning but mostly ineffective advisers. When it comes to the nuts and bolts of "financial freedom" a lot of them lack the details, or their approach won't necessarily work for everyone as how you make a living depends on your personality and skill set.

I strongly dislike my job, 8 years ago started out naive and wanting to climb the corporate ladder so to speak, but became a lot more realistic over time. I work a small potatoes position at a Fortune 500 company where the CEO makes $20+ million (nothing fundamentally wrong with that), and two levels below him about $2 million, which could be reasonably attainable with a stellar career. I came to a realization: why bust ass trying to get to that level over a 25+ year period? When it's definitely not guaranteed and is highly dependent on knowing the right people, saying the right things, and being in the right spot at the right time.

There are too many variables not under my control in a corporate environment. In an industry with about 20% woman employees, nearly 50% of the upper management positions are filled by women - obviously I'm at a disadvantage for that variable. Might as well run my own business on my own terms - sounds like a less risky and faster way to reach my financial goals.

My dad used to work at a VP level for a medium sized company. One day he mentioned that a lot of his colleagues fear it being discovered that what they do isn't particularly unique, and that they're fairly replaceable. Sure there are competent ones in those positions, but many got there based on the above.
http://businessjournal.gallup.com/content/167975/why-great-managers-rare.aspx

The 9-5 job serves two purposes for the vast majority of people: trade their time/effort for money to pay current lifestyle costs, and to slowly accumulate enough money to retire.

Why wait until 55 - 65+ to retire if that's the ultimate goal anyways?
I'd retire tomorrow if I could, there's a ton of things I'd rather be doing than working a job.

Working a normal job while growing a side business with the intent of eventually doing that full-time is a tried and true method. But the key is your side business needs to be something you are truly passionate about - that passion means it won't feel like work, and it'll give you a competitive edge. Otherwise, it's just another 9-5 job, and you might as well go work for a company that probably has better benefits.

For me, I have an artistic side and work best on smallish projects by myself. I don't want to run a company and deal with employees, payroll, etc. So one of the things I'm looking at is creating intellectual property in certain niches that people are willing to pay for. The internet is a marketplace of about 2 billion people, I figure I can leverage that.

Nothing worth it is going to be easy at first, but you might as well get started overcoming the hurdles in your way.

Colossus said:

Anyone else been here and successfully made it OUT of working purgatory? I should add that I think postponing happiness until retirement is a flawed philosophy. Thanks for any stories and input.

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Yes. But...

Mine's not a popular lifestyle. So, unless you care to make a lifestyle change and sacrifices to do it, typing out the mechanics and logic of my ("fluke") situation might be masturbatory.

I will say, however, that it starts with "what do I like"? "What pleases me to do?" is enough to get you to a point where you can put an X on your map. From there, you can set waypoints back to where you are now, consider obstacles, and make contingency plans.

Could you, or would you, be happy living in a lean-to in the woods? How fast would your student debts disappear if you changed your lifestyle to make paying them off the priority? Once you understand that anchor is keeping you in purgatory, that your leg is held in a trap so to speak, well...

I said "ƒuck this" and slept in my car for 5 years: with two extra part-time jobs beyond my bread-and-butter day job. What lifestyle sacrifices are you willing to make to "pull the slingshot back"? I got my "train" up to speed quicker by making short-term sacrifices.

With food costs only, you could have your student loan debt paid in a year. THAT's the reality. Consider how important your present is in regards to your future. You might find yourself open to bigger sacrifices and "out of the box" realities.

"Drastic change" often yields "drastic gains".
Spilling blood on your garden makes the vegetables grow bigger.

I've done a some "blood-letting", and, I was shocked by how big the melons are now!

Don't get caught in "paralysis by analysis" daydream meanderings. Put the tools you have in your hands RIGHT NOW to work. There is no need for "new tools" if you aren't effectively using the ones you already have.

Thanks for the input guys.

Moonlounger, I especially resonated with your take. I think a big roadblock for me right now is that I'm not entirely sure how I can turn my interests into income---or if that is even possible. I'm inclined to agree with you that leaving medicine without jumping onto another "moving train" would be a mistake. My schedule isnt truly "9-5", more like 7-6, but there is enough time I can plant seeds. For the time being I'm going to need to find something more tolerable while I build a vocation I actually enjoy. This may take years.

My interests are diverse, but my strongest and longest-lasting passions are wilderness travel (hiking, backpacking, trekking), physical fitness, philosophy, and writing. Not exactly the easiest areas to glean an appreciable living from.

Vulpine, I would LOVE to hear more about your situation and journey in detail. To answer your question---yes, I could live a spartan lifestyle for a period of time....my chief hobby is walking and sleeping in the woods. However, easier said than done when you have an apartment lease.

Colossus said:

...but my strongest and longest-lasting passions are wilderness travel (hiking, backpacking, trekking), physical fitness, philosophy, and writing...

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Camp counsellor, guide (hiking, fishing, hunting) via a lodge or resort even, park ranger, DNR warden, fire watch (Kerouac had a stint as one), trail maintenance...

Colossus said:

However, easier said than done when you have an apartment lease.

Click to expand...

Ok, so, you're probably about where I was at with regards to beginning a new chapter in personal evolution.

Save me some typing. Go read: The Map and Compass to get a little specific insight as to "what came before".

As it worked out, I had a breakup with a BPD that killed my cat, my plants died, and my lease was a month or two from being done. I decided that I was going to hit the "fast forward button" on my goals. I was going to make sacrifices for my future: MY future. As I've said before: friends, family, lovers, money... it all comes and goes. The only constant in your future is YOU. I had no strings or anchors: I was completely free to make my move/escape.

So, I put my things in storage aside from a thick down sleeping bag, my shave kit, and a few changes of clothes. I could stop by "base camp" (storage) if I needed to cycle-out clothes or whatever else. I had a full-time day job and picked up a part-time evening job. Eventually, I picked up a third part-time job. Conveniently, the first part-time job had a shower, but I considered a gym membership for fulfilling the same need for hygiene. I came across the third part-time job through a chick I was banging; so I had a part-time bed for a couple nights a week... if I wanted it.

Now, my goal started with "how to incorporate more of the outdoors" in my life. It made me happy to be "out in it", so I was making moves to be happier. This was about '06-'07, and the signs were on the wall in terms of the "crash" to come. Property values were sinking, and I recognized my opportunity.

Timing was critical, and I remember thinking "now is the time" and "monked-up". Sure enough, I found an area I wanted to be, it was just a matter of stacking a huge down-payment to bypass that B.S. "private mortgage insurance" hustle/scheme. That, and once I determined a realistic target price range for what I wanted, I was able to start actively investigating properties while still working on stacking up the chips necessary.

The first year was tough... It got COLD that winter: -40ºF. The women thing? Psshf... I had so much disappointment from sifting through the trash that I wrote it off. I resigned myself to affect nobody but myself with the sacrifices and negativity I was enduring. I still messed around, though. In fact, after the Map and Compass, I found this site. Part of making myself better was doing something for myself. I had lost time to make up for! I had a couple FB's, a plate or two here and there, but it was mainly for d¡ck-wetting, nothing more. Women were certainly no priorty. Besides, getting women back to "my place" was a funny joke.

There were certainly dark times, and second-guessing myself happened more than I care to admit. But, I took the plunge, and I was going to see it through come he|| or high water. Did I take some flak? You bet. I was CONSTANTLY trying to justify myself to friends, family, women... until I realized that I couldn't, and shouldn't anyway. "This is for me, not you: you don't have to like it." <--- that kept me motivated through the bleak times. Just knowing that, if nothing else, I would find "like-minded" people where I was going, was sometimes comforting enough. I sure did buy into feeling crazy sometimes, though. I mean, to the world, "there must be something wrong with this guy if he's homeless" was a mind-job supreme. There was no convincing people otherwise, so I just stopped bothering to try using logic with dolts.

I reduced my bills from around $1500 a month to roughly $200 a month. Of course, with all the surplus cash in my pocket, I did tend to treat myself to plenty of baller nights on the town. I deserved it! The two part-time jobs afforded me free food as part of the deal, and "safe" places to park if I needed them.

At one point, while visiting the area I eventually wound up living, my car got wrecked: rear-ended by a blonde high school chick texting. No sh¡t. I'll never forget the lesson in karma I got that day. I got out of my car in shock + hostile mode, fist balled up ready to make whoever was driving that ƒucking car choke on their teeth. I mean, not only was it my pride and joy, it was my HOME! How am I getting back to work? Where am I going to sleep? I needed to DESTROY!!!!

Lo and behold, I stomp up to the car...

Hand over her mouth... blood running through her fingers... She had her teeth punched in by the steering wheel... phone on the passenger floor - still lit up from activity.

Instant karma repayment! I didn't even have to ding-up my knuckles. I went back to the car and got a towel.

The things I took from the experience... I swear... book quality. Hell, after that, standing at the BMW dealer eyeing super-sexy leather seats to sleep in? Not getting a chance to test drive it? I could have bought the car I was looking at outright - cash on the table. Wasn't even allowed a test drive. Fascinating social insights all along the way.

Anyway, I'm rambling, but there is an example of unforeseen obstacles that got in my way. I did get another ride, with nice cushy leather seats... so it was back at it again for me.

Then 'o8 went down, I had reached my target financially to get over 20% for down payment, so I let the third job slide and treated myself to some rest and extra downtime. Close to two years in, sleeping in my car full time, August of '09 actually, I closed on my rural property.

That's the end, right? Well, the next step was to watch for a new job to complete the process and finalize the relocation. Remember post '08? No jobs! ESPECIALLY in the rural areas. I was "stuck". Here I had my place, but I was tortured with having a place, having made my bed, but I couldn't sleep in it: work was 2 1/2 hours away! My bread-and-butter day job was getting stupid, and I was going to leave anyway at some point, so I made some demands for them to make it a job worth having. When they thought I was bluffing, I let them know what they lost by letting them experience my leaving. Turns out they hired two people to replace me. Ha HAAAA! You ƒuckers thought I was bluffing? Suck-a-dis!

So, without the day job, I re-arranged my schedule to work 3-4 days straight at my only job, the part-time second shift one. I maintained a "holding pattern" of sorts: commuting the 2 1/2 hours, sleeping there in the car for the few days, then commuting home and enjoying 3-4 days of working around the new place, hunting, fishing, and... sleeping in my own bed! This persisted for another year-and-a-half or so, unfortunately.

It was about this time that I met a gal that, well, for the sake of brevity, let's just say "jumped on my team". She had similar goals, and, was at a place of "evolution" in her life. I snatched her up and threw her in my bed: 2 1/2 hours away from where I met her. Timing? Boy, her situation was freaky perfect for us.

It was a mixed blessing, sleeping away for half the week, knowing that this chick was in my bed. A new brand of torture that, after much harping (encouragement, really), prompted me to trade in a very bad situation for a less bad situation: I got a full-time day job 1 1/2 hours away.

So, I was driving 3 hours a day, but I got to sleep in my own bed every night... Finally. I can't say it was better than the previous situation, actually, but it was closer, and it was in my chosen field. China, technology, corporate greed... that job got to be not worth having, too. And, once I did the math of the car expenses (gas, tires, oil, maintenance, registration), the time (11 hour day, not just 8), and the stress of the exposure (all the local, county, and state highwaymen itching to make a buck off you) it became mathematically obvious that I would be better off slingin' burgers.

So I walked away from it. My career has been slowly strangled by many factors to such an extent that, well, no wonder people are dropping out of the workforce: it becomes more harm than good to persist.

Here I am, "boot-strapping a business" again, planting and hunting, fishing, and foraging to negate expenses until my operation starts bearing fruits. In a nutshell, my job is "homesteader". It's my new career.

Did I do it backwards? Find a place, get the house, then the job? Should I have got a job in the place, then the house? Sure, there are all sorts of ways I coulda-woulda-shoulda. But, I was making forward progress using the tools I had. Forward progress towards the "X" on my map. I would've been stuck for who knows how long... I still don't have a "formal" job how many years later? I'm tap-dancing on my "X"; I may have never seen it if I was stuck on coulda-woulda-shoulda. I started the progression, and left my options open-ended. I could've bailed and did something else at any point along the way, but I was doing something. I HAD to get out of renter's prison, so I broke out. Once out... well, a job could've presented itself sooner and saved me some anguish. *shrug* I guess all I have to say now is: "That sh¡t happened!" ...and laugh at how crazy of a ride it was!

Sure, I skipped lots of book material, so ask me whatever.
It's raining today, so I have the day off.

Alright, thanks for taking the time to post that reply, even though it was somewhat indirect and convoluted, backbreaker style

From what I gather we want similar things, but have different skill sets.

Like you, the woods has been a HUGE influential factor in getting me to realize I am off course. I spend every reasonable free day I have either day hiking, backpacking, or planning a big trip. Hiking, while it sounds like rather mundane yuppie activity you do on a Sunday afternoon, has a certain solace to it. You are constantly moving forward. The scenery, while at times breathtaking and at times lackluster, is always new. There is physical work, and with that comes a deep satisfaction. There is also some hardship, if you hike long and far enough, and from those hardships you learn immutable lessons.

I am planning a section hike of the Long Train in Vermont this fall (but my job will likely negate that), and a complete thru hike of the Appalachian Trail next spring. I am basically trying to make the woods more and more a part of my life, even it costs ME money.

As much as I'd like to drop out of the rat race and be a hiker/writer/philosopher/botanist (lol), that's a vague and impractical destination so I need to keep working for now. Additionally, I have a girlfriend who I plan to make my wife, and I am not willing to leave her. I'm not going to waste time trying to explain; most guys wont believe me and I don't really give a sh!t if they do anyway, so I'll just say she is the best....for me and my life is decidedly better with her in it. She will follow my lead, but I also need to take her happiness into account.

Paying off my student loans, without getting into too much financial detail, is not feasible in a year or even 3 years if I lived under a tarp. Yes, they are that huge. I see 3 options there:

-Pay the bare minimum until the balance is discharged in 23 years
-Pay as much off as humanly possible until they are gone, foregoing any substantial savings plan
-Get a job for the Gov't or a nonprofit and take advantage or Obama's 10 year discharge plan for public service.....as long as that actually lasts. And once again, be a 9-5 working man.

Anyways, dont have too much a point to make here but I like hearing stories about "getting out". Thanks for all your input.

From age 11 onward, my parents pushed for me to be in a specific career. They believed pushing me in this direction would set me up for success in the future, and I seemed to have a knack for it. They got me the tools I needed, helped me get some customers, and helped me source out where to get materials to do the jobs I needed to do. It was actually how I made a lot of my spending money in my teen years.

They helped me get into a vocational school that catered to this specific career field. After high school, I got myself into a temp agency, and eventually into a job unrelated to my field. 8 months later, I got offered a job in the field I had been training for all those years. The pay was decent, and I was on my way.

7 years into that job, I hated it. I was sitting alone, behind a fvcking bench 8 hours a day, doing what I did well. Not only did I do my job well, the field was drying up due to changing technology and lower costs of materials. My boss started finding other work for me to do, such as painting over graffiti on the building and picking up used condoms around the yard.

Around this time, gas prices were going up. I decided that it was time for a change due to the fact that I was no longer making good money, I had terrible co-workers to deal with, my job field was disappearing, and my cost of living was going up. I had bought a house, and my wife had just had a baby. I couldn't afford to live.

I searched for a job where I could drive around all day, doing somewhat related work to my old field, interact with people, get my gas to and from work paid, and make more money. I ended up in the medical field with a work vehicle, a free phone, a larger paycheck, and less hours to work.

I'm still at this job. Although I really do like my work, my job has taught me that the ultimate goal in life is to have the most "me" time that I can get out of it. Some days I work 4 hours but get paid for 8. Not only do I save money with my job, but I've found some other ways to make a bit of extra money with it.

I'm not a rich man by any means, but I'm able to pay for all my 5hit and I've got a bit of extra spending money as well - especially after I kicked out my ex-wife. I have a somewhat strange, but simple lifestyle that allows me to keep nicely afloat. I don't need a lot of 5hit. I don't have cable TV, I don't play video games, I don't need a nice car because I drive my work vehicle most of the time.

My next ultimate goal is to pay off my house, and then hire someone to do all my house chores. Less chores = more "me" time.

Colossus said:

even though it was somewhat indirect and convoluted, backbreaker style ...and a complete thru hike of the Appalachian Trail next spring...

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Hey, it's tough to relive all that and cut it down to "postable". The insightful conversations, crazy situations... I was working at a bar and sleeping in my car FFS. You know some wild sh¡t went down.

Man! I have always wanted to hike the AT. How cool would a meet-up in Georgia be?

Desdinova said:

I have a somewhat strange, but simple lifestyle that allows me to keep nicely afloat. I don't need a lot of 5hit. I don't have cable TV, I don't play video games, I don't need a nice car because I drive my work vehicle most of the time.

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Nice. :yes: Doin' it for YOU.
I used to love (elements of) pizza driving. Every door I knocked on was a new address and a new opportunity for adventure. Just like Colossus' reasons for enjoying hiking, there was always new scenery on the way around.

I actually got into hooking up cars and started my own shop as a result. And, as with hiking, I loved to tour and go on roadtrips. New soundtracks, new forward progress... but gas prices and harassment by the highwaymen/pirates eventually soured my taste for it.

Colossus... are you bringing a gal with you next spring, or is it a personal "doing it alone" thing. Maybe it's too soon to ask, eh?

Vulpine said:

Man! I have always wanted to hike the AT. How cool would a meet-up in Georgia be?

Colossus... are you bringing a gal with you next spring, or is it a personal "doing it alone" thing. Maybe it's too soon to ask, eh?

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As of now I am going it alone, and possibly doing it with another guy from Colorado I just met who has the same timeframe.

My girl, bless her heart, is not a backpacker, lol. She likes to hike and camp, but not both at the same time!! She'll be my moral and logistical support.

That'd be awesome if we could meet up and do a section, or hell even the whole thing! I'm pretty pumped about it. Big undertaking, for sure. It will cost me quite a bit, but most of that cost is in maintaining my life back home---bills, etc.

I'm trying to tell as few people as possible until it's time to head out. Tentatively looking to leave between Mar 15 and Apr 1st.

My bad, I should've taken the "OMG the AT!!" to PM.

The thread was about "Bankruptcy of pocket vs. Bankruptcy of soul".

I'd like to see more stories of how folks prioritized their happiness and took proactive steps to pursue, and possibly obtained, their happiness.

Like you said, Colossus, "escape" plans enacted.

It seems to me you might be looking for a way out of your 9 to 5.

When these thoughts appear, its your soul saying it needs some nourishment.

Give it some thought on what you want to do. You make a decent living as of right now, which means you have choices.

and by choices i mean, time to choose what you want to do. Like save some $$ and buy a franchise or open your own shop. Toake a trip to Africa and feed the poor. Take up Mountain climbing.I dont know, thats up to you.

Sometimes life boils down to insane move.

Believe in yourself and let us know, maybe we can provide some insight.

Take your time, think it through.

Thought Art of Manliness Podcast #78: The Myth of Following Your Passion may help too. Haven't read the book.

Excellent, thanks for the link.

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Colossus, I finished med school in 2013 and I am currently working in a startup. I am also doing my best to get out of the "medical" realm and find a good fit for my personality.

Buy this book ASAP. Thank me later.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0984358102?pc_redir=1411970981&robot_redir=1

^Thanks for the tip, but it seems this book is another example of "this worked for me" without any sound, thorough, objective analysis as to WHY it worked and how likely it is to be a repeatable scenario for another person in another time.

This is no different than any other 'get-rich' book, which focuses mostly on the "feel-good" and "you-can-do-it!" part of equation, provides a lot of completely theoretical ways to do it (make a business that scales well with low capital investment despite your complete lack of experience in doing anything of the sort and special personal skills) and tries to use his isolated example of hitting it big in a web business during a fertile time for that sort of thing as proof of why he knows what he's doing, despite the fact he has never repeated his one-hit wonder performance.

Colossus said:

^Thanks for the tip, but it seems this book is another example of "this worked for me" without any sound, thorough, objective analysis as to WHY it worked and how likely it is to be a repeatable scenario for another person in another time.

This is no different than any other 'get-rich' book, which focuses mostly on the "feel-good" and "you-can-do-it!" part of equation, provides a lot of completely theoretical ways to do it (make a business that scales well with low capital investment despite your complete lack of experience in doing anything of the sort and special personal skills) and tries to use his isolated example of hitting it big in a web business during a fertile time for that sort of thing as proof of why he knows what he's doing, despite the fact he has never repeated his one-hit wonder performance.

Click to expand...

Man... you're lucky I just woke up and my rage meter hasn't filled for the daily quota

In short- no, what you said is EXACTLY WRONG and EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE of what's in the book and what the guy stands for. There are at least a few dozen of people who had tremendous success BECAUSE of what he wrote in this book. (like...an example, one guy just got a huge deal on shark tank and is in every home improvement store now)