I went back to Puerto Rico the week of 4th of July.  Went to the beach on the 4th and saw many poor but happy people.  Puerto Rico celebrates American and Puerto Rican holidays, so they have tons of holidays.  I started to wonder who was happier, Americans or Puerto Ricans?

The main reason I left the island (17 years ago) is because I wanted an education and a job that would make me a lot of money.  My mother was poor by US standards, and I did not want my life to be constrained or controlled by money.  I believed money would provide me independence. 

Over the past 13 years I’ve worked at different businesses and earned an MBA and a culinary degree.  I’ve learned that working for a boss that believes in you and wants you to succeed is invaluable for learning and motivation.  On the other hand, an unsupportive boss makes you question why your working so hard, or how much do you really enjoy doing what you are doing?  Why should I care?

So who is happier?  Overworked middle class Americans that can afford HDTVs and suburban homes, or Puerto Ricans with a bunch of holidays who have barely enough money to get by.

At first I thought that perhaps the answer is to strike some kind of balance, but rarely have I heard of anyone taking a bunch of days off and making $100k.   Maybe the answer is to make enough money to live in San Francisco for half the year and then live the other half in another country like Argentina, Brazil, or Spain on a San Francisco salary? 

Perhaps a better alternative is to find out who you are and what you stand for.  These findings should guide you to a cause that drives you.  If you would like guidance in finding your purpose I would suggest reading “How will you measure your life?” by Clayton Christensen . 

I’ve decided that helping others is a big part of my purpose.  I will no longer work for corporate profit maximization.  I guess the message I’m trying to convey is “love what you do and the money will come”.  If I’m wrong and the money doesn’t come, then you die happy working on what you loved to do.  In my humble opinion this is worth the risk 10 out of 10 times.