@ Sethasuarus.
Yes. You're probably right that we get what we settle for but, when you have commitments / mortgages and a lifestyle with which you're comfortable, tyou put up with he daily grind. As others have said, what we do for our day jobs provides us with the money to indulge our interests. I could probably downscale my lifestyle - but I doubt my wife would........
LD: If you spend 1hr45 each way to e.g. an 8 hour job, and maybe you get 8hrs sleep each night, then you really only have 24 - 11.5 - 8 = 4.5hrs to enjoy the lifestyle you're comfortable with. Take away mealtimes, doing dishes, etc and what's left?
Jeez, I just realised I'm probably making it sound worse, but ..
Right now I can't actually work and I'm forced to be comfortable with staying in 90% of the time but I have every faith that my treatments will actually work. Being sick means I've hit rock-bottom and been forced to slow down, which gave me lots of time to think about what I really want to do, rather than 'working for the man'.
In the meantime, I've been planning to: open a small food outlet, do my masters degree via Harvard Extension School and get a pilots license, then a light aircraft to do deliveries/charters or tour flights between Scotland and the northern islands.
Plans, anyway! But it feels good to know even though you can't act yet, the decisions you've made are still good in a month or two, when you still feel enthusiastic.
Maybe you can make some decisions on what really makes you happy..
(it's just my 2c