[quote name='doctor_of_the_bass' post='143452' date='Feb 19 2008, 11:03 PM']"For me its all about balance, happiness with providing".
Jake
Couldn't agree more Jake. I used to run two vehicles (Porsche 944 - the `toy' and a trusty Escort van for transporting my rig!), had major monthly spending power (hence the means to start building on the collection of instruments which I'd started whilst still at school), everything was fantastic - the job involved IT consultancy for TV companies - spent a lot of time down at MTV etc but then everything changed - we were bought out by a competitor and things changed for us. The department was dissolved and I ended up having to change job and go back to being a technical author, which at first was fine. However, things went downhill after this change - many friends lost their jobs and after a period of 6 months I became deeply unhappy being chained to a job which saw me getting home at 10pm every night following a commute home from London.
Many friends of mine thought I was crazy walking out (I was earning £32K at that time) but it was the best thing I'd ever done - I was skint for a while but the collection helped me keep going through some sales and now, 7 years later, I'm earning a decent monthly wage for the most part, mainly through tuition (including the odd guitar lesson!!!), regular gigging and theatre shows. I'm enjoying life again and of course, my own playing is improving through teaching!!! And the collection is now at 51 basses....! My father summed it all up many years ago - `grab life by the b*lls otherwise let it pass you by' - took me till I was 30 to realise this but now my life is mine again and I'm very very happy.[/quote]
More power to you nick!