It's inevitable at some point throughout our lives that we will hear someone utter the words, "go to school and get your degree so that you can make money and live well". But, it's also highly likely that a degree will not serve to provide us with the extravagant life we had once hoped and dreamed for, at least not in every case. Of course, as with most things, that is a matter of perspective. Yes, my perspective. The one who took 10 years to get her undergrad because LIFE "got in the way". Then, "accidentally" stumbled into the teaching profession. After discovering some innate skill, it was only fitting to pursue a Master's degree in education. Am I finally wealthy? What do you think? Maybe, maybe not. But, some things take time.

Some achieve wealth because of their degree and others in spite of it. While others may earn their success by their own hard work and effort without a single college hour to show for it. In the end, does it really matter anyway? By no means am I saying that getting an education is not beneficial. But for some of us, regardless of the income it brings, we are the only ones who can measure our success or the wealth it may yield. Ultimately, what really matters is that in the constant endeavor to find a more affluent life, people find something of greater value, themselves. When we discover who we are, we are able to ignite our passion and use that to fuel our career path. While the two may not always coexist, having a passion in or for what we do can often lead us to something greater. Successful people like Warren Buffet, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg share similar views that finding your passion and making it the bedrock for your career will catapult your success and in turn make a difference to the world around you. Opposing views by researchers state that an approach to a career based on passion is far to narrow to find success.

Comparatively speaking, a person who works and lives every day with a passion for their work may or may not wear the nicest clothes, own a new car, or a fancy home, or maybe even travel the world. But, to gauge their own success and wealth would be to recognize the importance of what they do, more so if it involves helping others and whether or not they find joy in what they do every day. On the contrary, the wealthy career driven person may have it all and appreciate it all but never feel fulfilled. They may not see the true value in their own accomplishments if those successes do not extend beyond their own extrinsic happiness. When all is said and done passion is all about perspective. Perhaps someone's passion for their career stems from the monetary wealth that they can attain while for others it's much more intrinsic. While some might say that money can't buy happiness, if what you're doing makes you happy, then the money is relative. However, if you can live and work with passion, you will never work another day in your life.