By Cheyenne Brown

Young adults are often stumped upon two questions when making the decisions about a career path. Do I take the job that I love, but may not give me a lot of money? Or, do I take the job I’m not so happy with but do it just because of the great income?

 “We live in a world that praises people for being success driven and in a society that assesses a person’s wealth by how much money they bring in,” editor-In Chief and Founder of “This Beautiful Day blog”, Lisa Ng said.

For instance, teachers who love their job love being around children, and just the whole aspect of educating . They may not be making a lot of money, but the money factor of the job does not bother them. So who am I to determine their success? They have found their happy medium in life which makes them far more successful compared to someone chasing money.

People who choose careers because of the income are constantly chasing that elusive feeling of achievement and acceptance.

“I never really understood how someone was capable of working somewhere that was affecting them outside of the job area mentally and physically,” freshman Dansbie Charles said.

Money is like a drug for a great deal of career people in the work force; that first pay check is always the sweetest so people work harder to increase the dollar amount on their next pay check. They strive to chase that “high” they first received, but hopelessly will never be able to feel it again. As they continue to work more and more, they become less happy and less satisfied with their jobs.

According to a study done at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, people who are happier at their job are 12-percent more productive.

“The driving force seems to be the happier workers use the time they have more effectively, increasing the pace at which they can work without sacrificing quality,” one of three researchers on the study, Dr. Daniel Sgroi said. 

Others may feel trapped with all this money, but no true satisfaction in life, no pleasure.  People are constantly striving for something that will never come.

We should make happiness our main goal and the money will take care of itself.  Focus on doing what makes you happy. Some people spend their lives trying to please their pockets rather than their hearts.

Everyone thinks the rich and famous have the good life because of what is seen on TV or in magazines. Sure, the designer clothes opulent mansions and high-end cars make the rich and famous seem happy and content, but what the public does not see are the underlying problems with family member and friends and self-gratitude than anyone else.

It all looks very glamorous, but time shows the true existence and worth.  Money cannot buy you true happiness.  People think money will bring happiness. Yes, money does make people happy, but it doesn’t last. Money brings about a false sense of happiness. The more money you have, the more problems that come along with it. You have to make the right choices, the right investments and surround yourself with the right people.

“People should lean toward a career path that motivates them, don’t start with the money. First think about what you like and what you don’t like and go from there,”

           – UGA Dean of Grady College of Mass Communications Charles Davis said.

It isn’t all about the money; it is about being prepared for the different levels of success so when you finally reach your goal you are happy.

“It is not how fast you get there, but how equipped you are once you arrive,” said Ed Harrison, former IBM executive and currently CEO of Alliance for Better Homes, LLC. 

To be truly successful, one must take the time to study, learn and gain experience to be prepared for each and every challenge the job may bring.  Take something away that you can build on from each opportunity.  Don’t rush success, be happy with your choices and strive to reach your goals in life.  Growth is a process and it happens one step at a time.