BUT it doesn't feel that way now. I feel like that talking heads song: how did I get here, and I find myself with a beautiful wife, and a beautiful house, as these days go by. You know the one I'm talking about. I just ended up where I am by not making decisions, by just taking the path laid out for me. I have a chance to change course, but I have no idea what to do, or even how to go about changing. I don't know if I'm willing to make the sacrifices necessary to change.
You have a good job, a loving wife, a nice home. But you are not satisfied because perhaps you feel the day to day activities and there is nothing what you crave - satisfaction, little tidbits of happiness, etc. You achieved level one, but cant get to level too.
I wish I could follow your advice. I am married but not with kids. My wife and I are on the career fast track and I think I might want off. I don't think she's ready to step off though. She would like us to move towards financial stability and have kids in 5 years or so. I think I want it to some extent too, but it really is not making me happy. At the very least I'd like to take a few months and contemplate my situation, but I'm afraid to step off the track because maybe I won't be able to get back on. seriously though. I look in the mirror and don't even see a myself. I see a person that I've been watching my whole life. What will he do next. Should I, the viewer, even care.
Start with the little things that will keep you satisfied, or make you happy. Before you just chuck a career, see if you have enough money to cover what you want to do. You don't have kids at the moment, so you and your wife can have fun - go out at nights, take lots of vacations to various places, do what you want before you think of having kids. Sit down - make some goals. Where will you go in 2007 to visit. Go to another country for a week or so, check out some places you have heard about but havent been. As for you, you feel meaningless right now. You need to find something you want or like to do. Take some pictures, write a blog or article about life, bodybuilding, read a book - do something that give you some happiness in the mundance world of career fast tracks.
Personally, I think the fact that he doesn't want to take a leap out of the norm and explore something different because his wife wouldn't like it says something about him. I picture marriage to be something blissful. You're with your to-be life partner; there should be no comprimises. That's one thing he should asess right there, but maybe my view of marriage isn't typical. Life's hard, but dealing with things that are dragging you down will only make it harder. Get rid of those things and your life opens up.
Marriage is all about comprimises - you have a partner when you are married, and sometimes, things you want to do you just cant. But you knew that when you got married. The joy of both of you doing things together, and build a life together isnt easy all of the time - you have to work at it. But you have to have goals - to do things. Things she wants to do and you are cool with it, and things you want to do. Have a guys night out also, at least once every few weeks.
What makes you happy? And not in the grand illusion of things - but small things, that you can do on a daily basis or every few days. Start with small steps befire leaping...
