This question is one of the first questions I set out to answer PRIOR to starting to work. Heck, I addressed this question when I was still in high school. Yeah, I am a bit oddball of sorts. 😉
When I was senior in high school, our English teacher wanted us to write what our ideal dream life in the future would be. While most wrote houses and $100K+ salary, I wrote (what I thought as) modest $50K salary living in the country side. I wanted to just have a good and happy family life, raising kids who will grow up joyful enjoying life God gave them fully.
When I was in college, I swore to myself that I’d choose a family over work. If I had to choose between $80K job that required too much relocation and/or
traveling, and one that offered $50k job that would let me leave work at work and rarely any traveling, I’d choose the latter. To this day, I’m glad to say
that I’ve stayed true to myself. I didn’t even bother applying to jobs that would either ask more of my time or traveling. Some of you may just say I’m not developing my full potential in my career. While that may be true, and having grown up with my parents (esp. my dad) being so busy with work that they rarely spent any time with us, I do not wish that upon my two children nor esp. on my wife.
I like coming home without beggage from work. I like not having to go into work at wee hours of the night (or the morning). I enjoy being able to flex my time at work AROUND my family. I am so glad that I don’t have to think about the job-related things while I spend it with the family. So what if I make less money? When I am up on my death bed, there are only two things I want to be sure of.
1. Did I live fully for Christ?
2. Is my family happy with the way I have lived with them and for them?
I just pray that I’d never get swept up in that workaholic mentality… ever.
So… do you work to live or live to work?