My favorite post of the week, titled The Path to Contentment, sings to me. It comes from Frugal Dad who writes about a shift in thinking caused by a series of events in his life and the lives of those around him. Faced with the notion of mortality Frugal Dad has started to focus more and more on his life and less and less on his career.
It’s unfortunate that many of us have to encounter tragedy or near tragedy to come to this realization, but the notion of mortality is so powerful that it will both lift your soul and free your mind. Suddenly you realize that all of the things that seemed to matter, like owning nice things and succeeding in the corporate world, actually aren’t very important at all.
I encountered my own brush with death a few years ago and I have never looked at life the same way since. Although my work situation is not ideal, I have become content with my job. I stay at my job because it provides me with the flexibility my health still requires and for the time being that is all I need in a career.