Forum Post: Pursue your passions and the wealth will not matter!
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 7, 2011, 4:39 p.m. EST by hilltopperdad
(3)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Steve Job's wealth was generated based on a passion to develop the best user interface possible to enable people to use computers easier. Bill Gates developed this interface and enabled its use on any generic hardware platform and as a result became very wealthy. Wealth is a result of doing a good job and providing a product or service which is needed and people are willing to pay money to have. Most successful people are not pursuing wealth, the wealth is a result of a passion. When you pursue wealth you can never be happy, it is the pursuit of passion which makes you happy. Go home from wall street and pursue your passion!
I grew up in western PA and watched my father accept the responsibility of being a good parent and role model. He worked two jobs never slept more than 4 hour straight and taught me what hard work looked like! I went to college received my degree and moved near NYC to work for a big box retailer. After having our second child my wife and I decided that the mid-west values (bible loving/gun owning Mr. Pres) were more important than the environment we were currently living in. We took a 60% cut to our household income and moved! Yes moved! This is a big country with a lot of opportunities. I am now a middle class father with 4 wonderful kids. We struggle every day, but I refuse to blame this country. This country is the best place on earth. The FREE market works and will work every time! I would not trade my life for anything. Please look at what this country has to offer and try to move on! You are blaming the wrong people.
I would love to say that you are right. I have been pursuing my passion but still have to work part time to pay off the student loans from my past passion/career that was abruptly ended 10 years ago due to a corporate merger. I [and 120 other coworkers] was a pawn in their money game. I had to accept my life in TV broadcasting was over, an 8 year career done. I decided to go back to school to follow a more creative passion, it was going good until the economy crashed. Now I work part time, my body overworked, while severely underpaid stuck in the worst work environment I have ever been in one student loan on unemployed deferment because I don't get enough hours to be considered employed; and losing hope of ever finding a job that is better suited to my expertise. All while following my passion. If only we could support each other and allow those who have found their passion away to pay off their bills while they work towards it full force... in our current economy there is no room for that unless there is PROFOUND CHANGE in our economic system that is currently structured to favor the rich and advantaged. The 99% should start coming up with a succinct plan and get moving before this next election.
Steve Job's wealth was generated by stealing other people's hard work and ideas and outsourcing the operation to China where his little devices were manufactured by kids in such horrible conditions that many were driven to suicide.
Wealth is the result of the system being stacked in your favor.
Also, it's hard to pursue your passion when you can't afford a roof over your head, can't afford to pay your medical bills, can't afford food for your children. It's hard to pursue your passion when you spend all your time working to pay off student loan debt that just keeps increasing.
I love sunshine and apple pie! It is my passion!
I'd love to here your opinion on this matter after making it in the 'real' world for a decade or more. I'm not disregarding what you're saying, it just comes across as a bit naive. Good luck with your sunshine and apple pie!