And often those who end up with jobs that are more enjoyable are either lucky or know the right people. There’s definitely something to be said of finding work that fits your personality, but most work is still work. And there is usually a reason that one profession pays more than another profession.

I think the main problem is that many (especially the boomer generation) have fallen into the traps you already identified:

- Self identifying with the work they do
- Elevated lifestyle (bigger house, nicer car, etc than necessary)
- Giving up balance because of the first two points

I’m amazed at the number of rich people I know who can’t back away from the work even when they have more than enough.

Our scarcest resource is time. The problem is not having wealth. The problem is wealth having you. How many people become a slave to their wealth? Laziness is a vice. Work also becomes a vice. Putting yourself in a situation where you can stay in the middle is the tricky part.