Mid-life crisis happening early - Quit 200k+ year job yesterday to follow a dream...

[CarlitosBX]

In on this. I am currently planning to do the same thing soon. Quit job at large law firm and go solo in a completely different practice area. Been working on my marketing plan and business plan since last July.

You planning in opening your own law firm? you a lawyer brah?

[Swolegain]

firemen are awesome, since you already have money not much point wasting your life trying to get more.

[tryout44]

Hey OP. Freedom = Happiness. It seems what you're doing is trying to justify time incorporated into the thought of actually changing career path so you can be close to your kids more. I think that's a great idea and since the rat race can really mess with you and how society runs. Have you ever thought about just being a stay at home dad and have your wife work? Did you know that nobody really knows what they want to do and that's fine. I'd say since materialistic items are no longer a factor and you have kids, you should just spend more time with them. Money doesn't equal happiness but I'm red and could ramble on and on about why it doesn't but that would be boring. So I will end this post by saying listen to this song OP, its called "everybody's free to wear sunscreen" by Baz Luhrmann. Theres a good quote in that song that says "don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life, the most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't".

Also don't rep me.

[trashtalking]

I like this.

[tikeshe]

mirin' story.

Good job bro. I hope to be in a position where i can do the same if i desire.

[GandhiFoo]

OP:
My grandfather was a firefighter for over 30 years. That man is my hero. The love he has for his fellow man is incredible, and just from reading your story I see that same love in you as well.
Walking away from money like that is beyond admirable. Going from making huge paychecks to putting your life on the life every single day for you fellow man..Respect.

[jmoh]

Why a firefighter? I can understand if you think that job is rewarding, but no job will bring you fulfillment 100% of the time. With that kind of money at hand, you had the opportunity to forgo the whole 9-5 entirely.

[cncman]

If dis guy makes 200k as a mod wut does TP make 350k?

[Holograph]

good luck.. dont think I could have made that decision

[EjnarKolinkar]

My advice re FD, don't miss a list in any city in the southwest region of AZ. At some point cities will have to do something to fill all the positions lost and not filled over the various hiring freezes due to economic downturn. When that happens is up in air. Phoenix is still wrestling with the possibility of losing the 1% food tax, and a questionable revenue future

Every list, every city, every time is the way to get hired to a municipal job, whatever the job title. Difficulty attempting a lateral, from another city to your prefered location would be a good topic to discuss with your acquaintances at PFD.

Father did the same basic thing but not FD at 40. I think at times he regretted it. Only thing I say is take it as it comes, if you ever decide you want to go back to the rat race, don't let pride stand in your way.

[FreshStart12]

My Man! I read the thread title and saw that it was you posting it.

To be honest I'm pretty surprised since it was clear on the Misc. how good you have/had it. Best of luck.

I'll be interested to hear the rest of this story as it unfolds.

[ahyp]

in b4 your wife leaves you



hope shes a good wife man

[Ronceiro]

dayum didn't realise you were going through so much recently

[Travis99]

firefighters, rescue workers are hero's. go for it brah Good Luck!

Thanks for your service.

[TheTherapist]

I wish i had a dream i wanted to pursue
or even the balls to pursue it.
or even the amount of money you make.

I'm 23 and that feels old already. Only making 63k working full time and going to school part time. Any words of advice for someone like me on dreams, living life, passion, love and your past career?

[smellydink]

what op thinks he'll be doing




what OP will actually be doing


















(not srs) GL brah.

[PlatypusMounter]

It's funny that no matter how many times I've heard it, I'm always astounded when people turn down lots of money for personal ventures and other non-material happiness. Maybe there's a lesson I should learn here, but I'd rather make my own mistakes first.

Good luck OP, I hope you're making the right decision for YOU.

[Chynaman]

mr moneybags quit his job to play more d3


and ESO

[h0z]

that's a pretty admirable life decision, it's rare to see people follow their dreams and look past the financial factors these days

i could never imagine myself in a corporate lifestyle but i feel that's exactly the road i'm heading toward with a math degree and an insurance internship. personally i couldn't care less about money in life but i honestly have no idea what type of stable career to follow that would make me happy and it already feels like its too late to make a drastic career change

[Rosco75]

OP,

I have a serious question for you. Do you think that you would have came to this decision if you had not built up a large enough nest egg to suport your family for 36 months? A problem I have with the whole "live your life follow your dream" argument is that it really isnt just as simple as that. A lot of the people even in this thread are parroting that mentality saying that they would rather have a highly less paying job that is fulfilling than a high paying one that they do not enjoy.

You state that you were tired of the politics and whatnot, but the paycheck was the colsolidation to endure that mental pain. I do not think that you see working there as the means to achieve this end that you seek.

I have recently become out of work, from well over 200k. Each year my salary has fluxuated between 90k and 285K depending on if I am stateside or if a contract losses coverage on my position. Through it all I was miserable, being deployed and also doing something I hated. I blew my money and I lived life to the fullest. I always planned on saving, and I still managed to build both a Roth and a traditional IRA to about 10K which isnt much, but I wasnt trying. Then all of a sudden I lost my contract and fell into a severe lack of work. I decided to do what I have always wanted to do - train dogs in Schutzhund and do private security work. Because I never built up a savings, I am struggling VERY hard to make ends meet.

My point in all of this, is that I have found absolute fullfilment in my job, loving each day. But I would give up everything to go back to my miserable life making 6 figures. I believe that normal people who work average jobs who hate them, would be in a simular position as me in that they really cant, by choice or circumstance, save up enough money to leave said miserable job and afford to do what they enjoy.
Obviously this is a generlization because each situation will be unique, but for the most part this would include the average Joe.

So what I want to know is, do you think your choice to be one of "**** everything I want to do what I want to do" or really is it "Sacrifice and save up so that you have the CHOICE to do what you want to do"?

[The_Albatross]

blows my mind that you make that money and have all of that going on and waste time here as a mod. I understand frequenting the forum once in awhile and having a laugh, but taking the time to moderate and put up with the **** that happens here? No thanks.

[Fiz-iks]

Why did you need to quit your job to start looking for a job? In my area firefighters have to build up points over a period of years before they actually become part of the department. I'm confused as to why you couldn't start looking for a job and then leave when you found one? Maybe that's just me.

[igoham89]

never has a time been more appropriate for YOLO. later down the track you would've regretted it if you didn't go. you're doing the right thing.

[VitaCrave]

I admire your success OP (srs)

What do you believe are the upcoming jobs that will yield a good amount of money? (80,000+)

Hope your family is doing well mate

[Doug-]

Have fun

srs

[xfirewolfx]

You're by far my fav mod. I like the way you think/talk


Also, My Father is the Fire Chief in my town

Have you ever watched the show " Rescue Me" ? It's about firefighters.

The world is your playground

[esmile]

Bro I know I'm a lot younger than you but I knew a lady who did what you did almost exactly. Long story short she does not regret it at all and said she would do it all over again.

Long story time:

I had a really cool journalism teacher in high school. She really seemed to care about her students unlike a lot of other teachers. She seemed to know a lot of stuff about how the way the world works and what not- leading me to believe that she was not a teacher her whole life. I asked her one day if she had any previous careers before this and she said she was CEO of a multi-milion dollar company at one point in her life. She said she got sick of the corporate life just like you and decided to quit. She told me something which I still to this day have not forget. She told me when you make that much money you still feel like you're not living you want. It's like everything is one step ahead of you and that you're wasting your life working a job that you don't enjoy. Regardless she quit her job sold her house and moved to a small town (where I grew up) and became a teacher with her husband. Goodluck bro I'm positive you've made the right decision- and with your financials in place you're completely set to enjoy life.

[FitnessBlue]

Good for you brah! I hope you get what you are aiming for. As a father of 2 girls myself, I am very very jelly of the time you have been able to afford yourself lately. Prepare for the politics/internal shenangigans of uniform work brah, and a less than desirable schedule (although you were prob busy in your recent position). You have everything laid out for you (due to hard work) and now you have the grand opportunity to focus on what's important! gjdm.

So, now that you have "more time"...*cough* Diablo *cough*

[FawkinJuicy]

If your lifelong dream was to be a career fire fighter, why did you go to school for Computer Science and International Business Management?

[Airdonis]

Nice one for pursuing your dream of doing what you love. Best feeling to not have any regrests. My parents were always pushing me to go for something extremely academic e.g. medicine or law, and i had the capability/grades to do it. But i decided to follow my dreams and i am so glad i did!