I'm so, so happy for you, Caroline! You need to follow your gut, girl. Because here's the thing–if it turns out that you AREN'T happy doing that after all, you can always (always) get a “lucrative” career down the road. It's never too late. Nothing is permanent. Better to experiement and know, than to regret never finding out. Thank you so much for sharing this with us. Keep me posted?

So do what you want…what you really really want (oh no, Spice Girls flashbacks!) and don't worry about whether it's like Joe Schmoe neighbour or Auntie Alice. Do what's right for you and make that a priority. Then take steps to get there…you'll find all that little stuff (saying no politely, scheduling) will fall into place.

Reconciliation between the money and the socially responsible parts of me would probably include creation of a for-profit water purification company, similar to that of TOMS SHOES.

That's not even half of what I've dreamed of creating, but it's a good starting point. My world is full of bloomabilities.

Thank you.

I totally get your point, although I don't think I meant to imply that your goals can be fulfilled internally, but rather that the internal/intrinsic goals that one has are the ones that should be made a priority, and then executed as deemed necessary. It's not a matter of how you get there; it's a matter of where you're headed. But thank you for stopping by to comment–I completely understand what your perspective was.

So true! That's precisely why I started this website in the first place. Friends constantly saying, “I wish I could do what you do.” Why can't you? The answer, too often, was not a logistical concern (although even so, something that could be circumvented), but rather a psychological issue that was holding them back. It's the whole “I can't leave my career for a year because then I'll have a gap on my resume,” for example. But when it comes down to it, it relies mostly on where your priorities are. If your priorities are in making as much $ and accumulating as much stuff as possible, then go for it. If you've got others, though, it might be time to reevaluate. So…hell yeah, Mark! Live it up, buddy! Thanks for dropping by.

You know, for some reason that doesn't surprise me. France seems like a traditional culture, and perhaps their language teaching techniques tend to get stuck in the same pattern. On the flip side, we tend to let the pendulum swing a little too much here in the U.S., but in our defense, at least we're seeking improvement. It seems to me that a combination of methods might be best, because I also don't think it's feasible to learn language from an inductive approach where you're just shown examples and are expected to deduce the rules for yourself–lol. That seems like torture! In any event, I'd love to hear more about your experience in France. I have two friends there now working as Language Assistants with the Ministry of Ed, if you've heard of that program. Let me know if you'd be open to dialoguing via email a bit. And thanks for the great comments!

This post was mentioned on Twitter by TMFproject: {New at TMF} All Wants Are Not Created Equal : http://su.pr/AlRuaK...

Thanks for sharing, Ashley- kudos to you!

due to travel and workload, i've implemented a personal policy to check email no more than twice per day. i should be able to get back to you fairly soon, but if you need my attention immediately, you can reach me here:

http://awayfind.com/punk

thank you for understanding my efforts to increase productivity and effectiveness. cheers, and here’s to a life of freedom!

Mark Eckenrode

P.S. be sure to store this link with my contact information in case of an emergency.

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