Oddly enough, I've met a lot of people lately who've decided to quit their jobs on their own! Initially, this seems counter-intuitive, but I think people are starting to think, "Well, if I could lose my job any day now, why did I work so hard to obtain and maintain this position in the first place?"

This led me to this thought:

I think we often cling to financial security as a way of buying ourselves contentment. Sometimes we think, "okay, if I can just get to this financial position, or this solid job, then I can relax and be happy." This economy has shown us that the security we were looking for was kind of shallow.

I left a salaried job in January of 2008 in order to focus on freelance game design. Right now, I don't live paycheck to paycheck, but I do live somewhat gig to gig. Sometimes I get a little shiver thinking about it, but more often it feels like a thrill, like I'm really challenging myself. And that is what buys me contentment. Being out of my comfort zone.

I'm reminded of a quote by Warren Buffett:

While unemployment in the United States is now at 8%, the other 92% are wondering when they'll be next. This climate is showing who was really devoted to their job, and who was just floating on an artificial market boost.

I highly recommend the following book, even for anybody who is not looking for a job. It has, and continues to have, changed my life: