I've definitely got happier, more hopeful and more confident in myself as I've started to make enough to see that there's a possible way for me to escape this routine and still have decades of life left to live where I can spend time on whatever I want while still having youthful energy.
And I do feel like focusing on getting to that point as early as possible should be my main goal right now. The more money I make in present the more I can invest to achieve that point even earlier (as money makes money) as opposed to being half in, half out.
I won't sacrifice another 10-15 years of my life while I'm young to have a possibility to have all the time in the world when I'm 60.
It's a matter of perspective as you pointed out.
Yes that would be way too late. I am hoping to achieve this by the time I am 32 or 35 at the latest. If I get lucky, by 30.
I won't have enough from career likely by 30, but I should have enough to start some side project that would hopefully garner enough passive income.
It’s a matter of perspective though, as always, and to me, happiness lies in being able to set my agenda and share power over it with whom I choose, not with whom I’m forced to share it with.