This is a never ending topic that always been discussed by so many of us. There are many books out there that often discuss the success side in various perspectives. Some believe that both can be achieved, as others believe that careers are above all and there is no such thing as the real happiness that last forever because humans will never feel satisfied. Me? I'm on the opposite side.   

For me this goes back to what is the principle of your life. I don't blame the two. Everyone will be different. Speaking of the principles, I believe the trade off, making decisions from two difficult choices, is necessary. I agree that humans will never be satisfied. That's why God teaches us to always be grateful, knowing that there will never be a limit of satisfaction in life. Never. But again, this is not a limit to achieving something.

The choice did not immediately arise from the beginning, but it was formed through a variety of experiences that currently becomes my foundation in making decisions.

I worked as an auditor for more than one year. Then I ventured to stop. This wasn’t a reckless decision. Believe me, it's not. This experience teaches many things that I believe are useful in the formation of myself in the future. What do I really want to achieve in life? Am I satisfied enough? I speak on all sides: money, time, and happiness. And the answer is I'm not happy. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy working in this environment. The people? Freakin 'cool, I swear. But something makes me feel empty. Living hundreds of thousands of kilometers from my family had never felt like this before. I feel that I am just undergoing a routine that is endless. I learned so much, I did. But time feels wasted for something I don't want to live for all my life.       

The searching process led me to the point that my previous work and life directed me to everything that was worldly, very worldly. Just say everything consumptive, liberalism, hedonism, anything that is wasteful of money with the lure of ideas that make sense in the midst of metropolitan life based on their "open minded" theory, but not necessarily true. Something logical might seem reasonable, but believe it might be just a human effort to make it reasonable. And I don't like it. First it might be fun where you can spend your payroll for nice things. But believe me I've reached my turning point. I feel sick and disgusted with all of those things. You can disagree with me, I understand.

The void reminds me of my parents' advice that I need to be closer to God, nothing else. You can't solve it only with money. It might be possible, but it's only temporary and will continue to be a sickening circle. Shortly after I resigned, I spent more time with my family, traveling and bonding more than before. Surprisingly, I felt comfortable and very calm. I felt completed even though I haven't worked at that time. As time went on, I began to be able to think clearly about what was my purpose in life and return to my initial ideals from the start, starting an apparel business with my own design. To achieve that, I obviously need a good amount of capital which I will fulfill by working for a state-owned company like what my parents want. Like pleasant visuals, I can simultaneously achieve two desires, mine and my parent’s. Apart from everything, I am grateful that I can be closer to God. Repairing what I should have repaired from the past.

Happiness for me is the most important thing over a career, especially the happiness of my parents and those around me. This is like an automatic result making me a complete person: I AM HAPPY. If a decision of working for a company with a smaller salary can make you close to many important components in your life, family, close friends, and God, why is that a difficult choice for you? You will still be able to achieve a variety of spectacular things in life. No need to go through the same path with your other friends, even paths that look ordinary and less challenging, believe me, are able to lead you to life that is far from what you imagined before. Just listen to what your heart says, and then do it!

- DAS -