bkeasley said:
i'm going to add this in there too... i hate the IT field so there.. i'm gonna take like some real estate classes or go get a job at guitar center for the rest of my life atleast i like music.. i dont even like IT anymore.
HERE HERE!

I too used to work in IT for some years, and eventually found myself burnt out and hating the job. I kinda think I had my major midlife crisis early because now I'm involved in setting up ponds and aquariums, and I'm hoping to work towards a future career as either a master scuba dive instructor, or as a marine biologist or dolphin trainer. I had the revelation/inspiration to do so while I was diving on vacation in Cozumel. I was dreading going back to the IT world as my vacation was almost over. I decided, I really hate IT, so why do something you hate when there are people getting paid to do something they are passionate about? I love diving and the ocean, specifically all the facinating creatures that live there. While I was diving on vacation, I was thinking about how the guide gets paid to do this for a living! So I thought, "Why can't I do this?" Then I started thinking about all the stuff that really interests me, and how I might turn that into a career, and thats what I came up with. I also concluded that to get the career I want, I should live near the ocean somewhere. I haven't done that yet, for a lot of reasons (not the least of which is money), but I'm working on it. I'm going to get as much training as I can locally first, and see how my pond and aquarium business goes for a couple years, and then figure out where to go from there. I guess my point is, do something you really enjoy, even if you might get paid better doing something else. Your happiness will be well worth the difference in pay.
BTW- I have talked to a number of professional dive guides/instructors, as well as a dolphin trainer now, and allthough none of them are particularly wealthy, they all say they love their job and wouldn't want to do anything else. I don't know about you, but I've never heard anyone in IT say that about their job.