Agreed - you can definitely want to be paid more, especially if you are working above and beyond the call of duty.

The key thing, I think, is to strike a balance. And I know it's often overused but [Maslow's hierarchy of needs](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nBko7m9CLQI/UKWSkHf-JwI/AAAAAAAAA8...) is pretty spot-on here. Once you've got to a certain level of pay, where you're making good enough money to get the things you need to survive comfortable (Safety + Security), enjoying the job takes more priority.

If you're being paid so poorly that you can't even survive, enjoying what you do isn't sustainable. But enjoying what you do might lead to better pay, for sure :)

I used this for my sig for long time "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." Confucius I didn't work since :-)

I completely agree. Money is still very important and should also be a priority. If you are adding a lot of value to the company you work for then you should be paid accordingly and rewarded for your efforts.

My point here was that if you're focusing more on what you do and less on what you're being paid, then the latter should become a much easier thing to achieve.

I feel you must have both. You can love what you do, but pay validates that your work is loved by others too. Without that validation you start to get down on what you are doing and start to hate it yourself. What is the point in working on something you love if everyone else hates it?

Absolutely. But if you ever work for a non-profit - which I did in a previous life - you will definitely have to focus on "loving what you do" - and loving the missio of the non-profit - because you will die a thousand deaths every time you think of your salary.

Even in nonprofits, salary is highly idiosyncratic. There are plenty of nonprofits with very well-paid employees and, in particular, executives.