Happiness?

Alright I have a question for all you maggots full of experience out there:

So I am facing a bit of dilemma in my life right now, I recently moved to L.A. to take a job in a career that will probably let me retire a millionare a couple times over in 15 years. I am almost 24.

But I moved from Utah where I had lived for the last 8 years and skied over 100 days a year each year. While in Utah I lived like most ski bums/students...just getting by...and I liked it but I couldn't scrape by anymore...

So I ask you this knowing now what you did not know then, would you rather have extreme financial security in your life and only be able to ski a few select weeks out of the year?

Or would would you rather not be as financially secure and ski whenever possible?

Take the money.

I'd like both, but if I can't (oh wait, I know I can't) I'll take freedom of what I want to do over future security. Now if you're happy skiing just a select few days (not sure you can really do weeks here), it's really nice if you can secure financial independence by age 40. I'm a few years away from that and there's no way I'll have any kind of independence then.

drC

[heavily abridged monkey story]What I think you're forgetting is that making it through those 15 years isn't guarenteed. I'm your age and I moved to P.C. after college in oct. '02 to ski for a winter, wait out the economy and then get a career job.

Then, my dad who worked 70 hours a week was diagnosed with cancer. He was waiting to retire and sit at his lake cabin. 6 months to the day after being diagnosed he died at 52. Another acquantance got skin cancer at 26 and was gone with-in a year. I've decided to stay here where I'm happy and find a way to make my money. Nothing is guaranteed. Nothing.

My take, life's too short to wait. Being a multi millionaire means nothing if you don't have a fullfilling life to wrap it around and you surely aren't taking it with you when you go. If you want to be a millionaire and be close to skiing then find a way to do both. I'd like both and I will have both. You shouldn't have to comprimise.[/heavily abridged monkey story]

I got accepted to law school while i was still ski bumming in JH. I moved to Seattle and regretted it everyday. But in the long run I am actually happier in Seattle because I have the best of both worlds...I am working towards the career that I eventually want AND I ski 5 days a week. The moral of the story- things happen for a reason AND do what makes you happy. THere are too many people who bust their ass to be financially stable and are miserable. On the other hand, there are people who bust their ass, make nothing and wouldn't trade their lives for anything.
You are young and have time to make money, but everyday that you are unhappy at your job is a day that goes by that you haven't lived to it's fullest...what would make you happiest?
Damn, that was a tangent...

It depends - ask yourself - would you rather work to live or live to work? It's great to have a good career that will leave you financially secure in the future, but our future is not guaranteed, nor is our financial stability. Things change.

I live for today, and lead an abundant life. It's all about lifestyle - Follow your bliss.

Find a way to have both your current job AND more than a couple days on the hill each year. Make it a priority.

In terms of happiness, this is a no-brainer. I'd rather ski more (be outdoors more, do the things I *really* love more) than be not happy and rich. So,

Happiness over money.

Interestingly enough, I haven't found this thing that will pay the rent that both makes me happy, *and* lets me ski/be outdoors/travel more often than I do. (During the summit, I took 6 days unpaid leave in order to ski, but doing this won't let me last long in my career).

My next move is to work my ass off, save up as much as I possibly can over the next couple years, and then take off a year to ski/travel/backpack. Or, go back to school. :)

Good luck to you, TheD. Work now, save-save-save, then take off.

I can't wait for the definitive, one size fits all answer to the happiness question. I need it, too.
In the meantime, I try to ask myself "what are the costs of trying?" This applies to new shit and to sticking it oput at something that I think could be good but isn't yet. Another tactic I employ is avoidance of regret.
The no future guarantee, well statistically you'll probably be fine. Those statistics applied to everyone who died on 9/11 and every cancer victim, and even people who thought there jobs would never move overseas and now are unemployed.

umm... yeah.

"do what you love and the money will follow."
"live your dreams."
"induldge your passions."
"follow your bliss."

...bullshit. Take the money.

I never met a middle-aged, BMW-driving, new ski wearing, trophy-wife-sporting dude who said, "Gee I wish I'd stayed a bootlicker with no health insurance, living in a cardboard shitbox with four other deadbeats for those 100-day seasons."


Skiing is life, but life is so much more than skiing.

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Originally posted by Pinner
umm... yeah.

"do what you love and the money will follow."
"live your dreams."
"induldge your passions."
"follow your bliss."

...bullshit. Take the money.

I never met a middle-aged, BMW-driving, new ski wearing, trophy-wife-sporting dude who said, "Gee I wish I'd stayed a bootlicker with no health insurance, living in a cardboard shitbox with four other deadbeats for those 100-day seasons."


Skiing is life, but life is so much more than skiing.

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Agreed.

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Originally posted by TheDingleberry

So I ask you this knowing now what you did not know then, would you rather have extreme financial security in your life and only be able to ski a few select weeks out of the year?

Or would would you rather not be as financially secure and ski whenever possible?

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Take the AND route, not the either/or. Get the bling AND ski to your heart's content. With the right job, you can follow the storms to Ootah on a whim. After all, LAX to SLC is only an hour and a half flight.

Being a dirtbag is overrated.

Today it is all about you. Someday it may become more than just you. I went from working in the ski industry to a career in an unrelated field. Now I have a wife of sixteen years, two children, a house, two cats, two dogs and a fish.

As much I loved my twenty years in the ski business - I do miss the drive up LCC when I worked at the Bird and some of the people and all of the deals - I couldn't provide for my family selling toys. Yes, there are those who have made it work for them, but I wasn't one of them.

My job has some time freedom; because I have a pass - thank you Mrs. Gadget - and I'm twenty-five minutes from the mountain, I'll be able to ski about forty days this year. Not the 100+ I used to ski when I was young and single, but not terrible either.

Since getting married - and particularly since having children - my priorites have changed. I've always loved cars and motorcycles; but I'm driving a shit-box Camry because I'd rather keep my kids in private school than have a 911 in the garage.

I'm not suggesting what you should do; I am, however, suggesting that you give some thought to the priorities in your life.

I know, that's why you asked the question. I'd lean toward the money -

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After all, LAX to SLC is only an hour and a half flight.

Being a dirtbag is overrated.

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Good luck.

If you think scraping by at 24 seems tirsome, try it at 34 or 44. I don't know the particulars of your sitch, but it doesn't HAVE to be all or nothing. Skiing is in your blood. It has formed your soul. Build from that foundation and stay true to it. You'll get your skiing in. Having $ can improve the experience (exotic locations, top notch equpment, posh digs, real meals, kindest kind, 12 yr old scotch, all those money grubbing whores who wouldn't normally give your poor ass the time of day). I digress. If it's truly one or the other, the choice is easy. You ski. Life is rarely that cut and dried.

All I know is that I followed my bliss and I have both the days on the hill AND the money. I'm telling you, when you do what you feel you're here to do (I'm talking career, here) AND you're doing what you love to do (ski/ride or even career choice), everything clicks.
Abundance is everywhere, just partake in it.

Let me just clarify I never said i was unhappy here in L.A. it is great. I surf, golf, and ride my dirtbike year round...and it rips. So I try to add it all up and I still do not know if it can match a backcountry tour in the Uintas and living in PC.

Paging Meg Oster. Miss Oster..please report to the board

If you can be a millionaire a few times over, then why don't you become a millionaire once and retire and then ski the rest of your life??? You can easily put a million in the bank and live comfortably in this world. Just think about the people who only make 30 bucks a month in Haiti. Likewise in africa.....and while you are retired with the millions in the bank earning interest....give back to those who are less fortunate as you travel the globe volunteering here and there all while skiing here and there.

Thats what I would do but I don't see myself making a million in a life time.

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Originally posted by Ski Monkey
Another acquantance got skin cancer at 26 and was gone with-in a year.

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Ughhh- didn't need to read that.

Pinner's advice....so money right now.

Definately, make it, be smart with it, and PROTECT IT.

Don't look think about starting over in your late thirties. While some say "Oh you are young" thats bullshit. Starting again at square one is a demoralizing and daunting task unless you have the backing to get something going fast.

And stop downloading pay-per porn.

Easy choice. Make the money, surf and ride your ass off, and then when you have the money, buy a gold pass at points north heli ski :D

I'm 17, so I don't know if you really want my advice, but here it is anyway.

I have dreams and aspirations of becoming a pro skier on some level of the industry. I'll never be a household name, but someday i might be the kind of guy you see consistently in the top 20 at comps. My name might be one that you KNOW you've heard somewhere, but can't quite place. And that would be good enough for me.

Anyway, the only way for me to accomplish that is to ski as much as possible. If I had the choice, right now, of either trying to become what i want, more than anything, to be, or starting a job that would guarantee retirement by 40, i would follow my dreams.

I guess what I am trying to say is that you have to decide what skiing means to you and where you want to take it. If you want to just fuckin ski, then take the job. While you're making bank, take some time off every once in a while and take an epic trip. Do SLC and the Canyons, do Whistler, do Jackson, do Cham, Verbier, Valdez, Val D'Isere... and then retire, move to your favorite place from all those samples, and live a happy and fulfilling life. I guess that's what I'd do.

Actually, if i were in your position, I would work for the next 30 years, instead of 15, and give half my salary to some kid in Seattle who likes to ski. If you need the address of a kid in Seattle who likes to ski, to send the cheques to, I'm sure I could find one. ;)

Is this job going to keep you happy for the next 15 years or will it be misery? Will your friends and family never see you cause you are working for your retirement? I am presuming you are fit and healthly at 24 skiing 100 days a season.....will you stay healthy with this money making job? Is the stress going to kill you? Are you going to look 50 when you are only 40? I know these are a lot of pointless questions, but will you be happy with your life if you died tomorrow?
Sitting on top of a mountain with good friends is one of the best things in life and if you can share that with family as well and pass it on to your kids, you should be very satisfied.
This might be a little morbid, but who do you want sitting at your funeral/wake.........a bunch of co-workers and clients that really couldn't care less about you, the friends you lost touch with cause you were too busy with work, you family that never saw you since you spend all you time at the office.....Or would you rather have great friends and family telling unforgettable stories about your amazing life and how you lived it to the fullest with them all being involved?
Maybe I have lived in a ski town too long, but there is no way I could ever leave the mountains or the lifestyle for money.

Samwich- for a young buck, you have some pretty good advice. For those of us who love to ski, regardless of what we want to do with it, it is in our blood and dictates what we do and where we live and how we spend out money. Again, do what makes you happy. You don't want to look back when you are old with bad knees and regret making a decision at any point in your life.

Dont forget you can be happy and live a good life even if you're not the happiest and living the best life.

Take the job, make the money, but take some time out to evaluate yourself and your life every 6 months or year. If you see you're becomming miserable and there's no end in sight, quit and go skiing. It'll be easier to quit that job and move to a ski hill than it will be to quit the ski hill and find another similar job at a later date.

Now you said you'd still be able to get the odd week away, so trade a few of those 100 regular days for some seriously epic days somewhere you wouldnt otherwise be able to go. Personnaly i'd trade 5 or 10 average days in whistler for a day in cham or alaska or argentina or something.

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Originally posted by TheDingleberry
Let me just clarify I never said i was unhappy here in L.A. it is great. I surf, golf, and ride my dirtbike year round...and it rips. So I try to add it all up and I still do not know if it can match a backcountry tour in the Uintas and living in PC.

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That changes things a bit, I read your initial post as you being unhappy in L.A. Doing something all for the money, unlike the nookie, can be a huge mistake over that much of a time frame.

I think cab9 has a lot of good questions to answer.

plakespear, sorry about that man.

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Originally posted by yogachik

Abundance is everywhere, just partake in it.

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That's gotta be one of the coolest quotes I've seen in awhile - great outlook Yogachik!

TD, I definitely empathize with your situation, being 24 and working my first full-time job with all the associated stability. It's kind of scary sometimes to think of what you've given up (skied all last year and loved every second of it) and to worry that you're wasting your 20's in suburbia when you could be [insert cool adventure here/]. But, my take on things is similar to divegirl's . . . do what you can with your job now, learn as much as possible, build a "network," and save . . . don't let yourself become complacent and lose sight of your most authentic self, and know that you can always leave and pursue whatever whim you get . . . you're only creating opportunities at this point.

Not sure if I'm really one to take advice from, but I think enjoying every day and making each one count will allow a decent balalnce, and a lot of choices in the future, both near and distant.