I am in a role that most people would consider a good job. Good salary, reasonable hours, job security, respected company. I cannot tell my family this is not enough because they will not understand — in this economy, in this country, having a stable income is not something to walk away from.
But I go to work and I leave no part of myself there. I do the tasks. I attend the meetings. I contribute adequately. And then I come home and feel nothing.
I know what excites me. I know the kind of work that makes me lose track of time. I also know that that work does not currently pay what this job pays, and I have responsibilities — parents, rent, commitments — that don't pause while I find myself.
I'm not asking anyone to solve this. I'm asking how people in this situation have thought about it. Did you take the leap? Did you find meaning within the role? Did you build the other thing on the side until it could carry you? What does navigating this look like in practice, not in theory?