The Business of Life

The frequency of my blogging has slowed dramatically over the past few months, not that I was ever all that frequent before, its just a lot worse now. There are many reasons, and not a few excuses, but the reality is that I'm much busier than before and simply haven't made writing a priority. The sad thing is that I get a lot more enjoyment out of writing than I do from many of the other things that occupy my time.

Today I decided that it was time to write again. So I sat down and wrote some software. Wait! Don't glaze over! The sofatware was nothing special, just some minor enhancements for an online photo album. The thing is that writing software is a good outlet for me. I get to exercise my creativity and problem solving skills while apply them to projects that I find interesting and challenging. I think its that last bit that makes it rewarding and refreshing.

Think about your week. When was the last time you sat down and did something you wanted to for a few hours? Did you enjoy yourself? Was it rewarding? If you answered yes to either of those, then for most people, chances are you weren't doing anything related to your normal job.

That's where the business of life comes in. We all need to survive. That means meeting our basic needs for food, shelter and clothing and then looking to our safety and security. Unfortunately thats where it ends for far too many people. They get so caught up with just making ends meet that they miss out on the rest of life's offerings.

The real trick is to find work that generates enough income to meet your needs but doesn't leave you too drained at the end of the day to enjoy the few hours you have left over after you factor in personal care, transportation, eating and sleeping. Of course, if you can do that, then the question is, is it still work?

I guess that's where I'm lucky. Monday through Friday I work as a Software Developer. That means that of the time I'm at work, about 65% of my time is spent doing one of the activities I love the most: Programming. On top of that, I get to work with people who I really like and who are also passionate about programming. I still come home tired at the end of the day, (being creative and problem solving are heavy lifting for the brain) but I'm often happy with what I accomplished and can looking forward to the next day's activities.

Now, if I could just come up with a way to make money while I was sleeping!