I wonder if this disillusionment comes from trying to combine what gives you meaning and what gives you an income. I spent most of my 20's failing to become a r

I wonder if this disillusionment comes from trying to combine what gives you meaning and what gives you an income. I spent most of my 20's failing to become a religious minister before switching to CS and experienced a large amount of disillusionment in the process. My sense of meaning and purpose in life were so tightly tied to my vocation that the loss of one meant the loss of the other. Before I switched to CS, I saw behind me years of unused education and experience and in front of me low paying jobs I didn't enjoy outside my field of expertise. I chose CS because it was interesting enough and paid enough to have a job. I realized in the process (which was a difficult one) that I could still have all the things I wanted originally, but just split up into different baskets: - A job where my minds engaged (learning, problems solving, etc) and pays well. - Outlets for my creative endeavours (music, writing, etc) - Outlets for community (church, sports leagues, even work) - Outlets for helping others/finding meaning (for me, being involved in my church) And the interesting thing is, by splitting all these things up I am actually much more resilient to failure in any one area. I enjoy the sense of wonder from my job when it strikes me, but, so far, the drudgery hasn't spoiled the work for me because I can scratch that itch elsewhere. I also feel free to leave my future open and transition to something else if I happen to feel otherwise without abandoning that sense of identity.