Money

I was discussing future plans with a friend the other day, and she asked if I was going to get an engineering job with a big company eventually and "make a lot of money."

I answered that I'm really not very interested in working for a large company, nor in making a lot of money...

See, I don't want to be rich. I just want to be happy, and I haven't seen much evidence that wealth beyond a certain point (which I passed years ago) has anything to do with happiness or contentment. Plus, I'm already happy (how many rich people can say that?). And if I was ever to become rich, I wonder what that would do to my kids. Not that I'm afraid they'd turn into Paris Hilton or anything, but it's not clear to me that big bucks would be good for them.

As someone wise once said, "I don't want everything I want."

Also, as far as I'm concerned, I'm already rich - I've got everything I need, most of what I want, and plenty to share with those who have less.

Here's a Wall Street Journal article which discusses the (non) link between wealth and happiness.