''... and it's ending one minute at a time.'' -- FightClub ''Life is what happens while you are making other plans.'' -- JohnLennon ''And then one day you find ten years have got behind you. No-one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.'' -- PinkFloyd, DarkSideOfTheMoon The point of these statements is that whatever you are doing ''right now'' is your life. Make sure you are living your life the way you want, because it won't last forever. ''Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.'' -- FerrisBueller ---- Life is beautiful, no? I am about to finish my graduate degree in English Literature, and I have something to say to those who poo-pooed me for pursuing my passion: Community Colleges and Universities, starting pay: 50,000-75,000. This, of course, depends on location. However, I have found that every location that sounds interesting to me has a great starting pay with the possibility for increase. This makes me wonder why anyone would waste his or her life doing something that isn't completely satisfying and invigorating! Whatever your passion, be sure you are always searching for ways to make it better, and never settle for that high-paying desk job. Money is not worth it. -- MairinBarney I hear you, having a degree in English myself, just a B.A. so far. Every time I complain in front my father, he says, "Well, you could have studied business" (he did). Some have suggested I tell him that's what I plan to do next, after I finish the Masters I'm working on at a glacial pace. I'm afraid my response one day will be "Yes, or I could just have myself committed now and save time". I resisted doing something so flaky as preparing to write for a living for as long as I could and broke down, switched majors and haven't looked back, much. I do wonder where you're looking for jobs though. Profs where I come from make lousy money, especially in humanities. Still, I know what you mean. I've had one too many lousy desk jobs and refuse to do it again. The bottom line is try to do what you would do even if no one paid you. The fact that I could get paid to write and talk writing is just incredible to me. Don't listen to what others tell you to do, do what you want. And yes I know many on here feel the same way about programming. I have friends who do. They can go on about code as long and as passionately as I can about literature. Follow your bliss, I say. -- DanielleOviatt ''My passion was software, and now I'm about to seek my 7th job in my 7 years out of college (work just runs out). Needless to say, my passion has waned... as all passion does. New passions arise. If you choose to follow the course of passion, you may fairly expect this. Zen is another way.'' ---- See also GetaLife, LifeVectors, JustStopDoingIt, WhyDoYouPermitThisToBeDoneToYou, LifesJustTooShort Improving Your Life: SevenHabitsOfHighlyEffectivePeople ---- CategoryQuote CategoryRealWorld