What they always say

What they always say - that is, inspirational speakers, and self-help books, and people who lead workshops on how to improve yourself - is that you are supposed to find your passion, live your dream, seek your joy, and just go for it. Figure out what you really want to do, let the rest be dammned.

But I say that most of the time, most of us have a couple of perfectly acceptable choices in front of us, and it's pretty effing hard to figure out what you really, passionately, want to do, when there are 3 things right there that will be OK.

And there is always the reality-crashing-in factor - the time, the money, the location.

And then again, it could be a female thing, too - women I think are just more acustomed to making compromises, and settling, and doing something a little bit smaller. I can work part time, now that the kids are in school. I can keep my regular job, and do a little of this on the side, just for fun.

I inherited some money from my parents when my mom died a year and half ago. It's enough to live more comfortably, not worry about a lot of things, but it's not really quite enough to just quit my job (and lose my health insurance that covers me and my kids), or open a restaurant, or put both kids completely through college. And if I spend it all now, what do I retire on? And, since my parents were so generous to me, doesn't that make me bound to carry on the tradition? I'm not allowed to blow this money, I should instead steward it, and pass it on to my kids.

So yeah, "do what you love" ... words to live by?