>... what made you go from thinking "this was you" to thinking another lifestyle could make you happier, which lifestyle? Why? There are a lot of things that h

>... what made you go from thinking "this was you" to thinking another lifestyle could make you happier, which lifestyle? Why? There are a lot of things that have gone into that question. I would say the biggest thing was that I became aware of the fact that I was always 'in my head' instead of having a more direct interaction with people/environment, and realizing (from a number of sources, but importantly, through meditation) that being not 'in your head'—direct interaction with things—is a major part of feeling content or satisfied (as well as being effective in... most domains). Makes sense if you think about it: you think when you are trying to change something; if nothing needs changing, you don't think and you're content. Now I'm looking for a balance with social interaction, physical activity, and intellectual work. Since I've been unable to earn money from my own projects, I am giving them up to just do a normal 40hrs/week kind of programming job: if I try to do the job and the projects, there's no time for the balance I want. After a few years I may get a job that's more physical/social and return to my projects, but for now I need to catch up on finances, and programming is the only way I know how. Edit: another way of saying the above: anxiety/depression became a problem, and the balance I describe seems to be a major part of the solution.