From a pretty early age, we are encouraged to do as well as we can through school so we can get accepted to a great college, and therefore get "good" (a.k.a. high-paying) jobs when we graduate and enter the "real world."

Work is important and essential in our society, there's no denying that. You need to work to make money and survive. Nowadays, it's unfortunately not uncommon for people to work two or even three jobs to make ends meet. When people say they work multiple jobs, crazy overtime, six or even seven days a week, people tend to be impressed, and react with a congratulatory "that's great, good for you!" Is it though?

In schools, it's the same thing, probably even more so. Students who pull all-nighters to get projects done, spend endless hours on papers, all their time poring over books or laptops doing research, are praised and rewarded, while everyone else is encouraged to work that hard themselves.

Don't get me wrong - I'm very impressed by people and students who work this hard, who will do anything to reach their goal and succeed. However, our society encourages students and people in the workforce to essentially work themselves into exhaustion for the sake of money, and the conventional idea of success. While working until you're running on fumes or burnt out is encouraged, what stops being emphasized at a pretty early age, is creativity. Imagination. Fun. Doing things because enjoy them and no other reason.

Many people are exhausted (mentally and/or physically) by a job they can't stand, but they're driven to suck it up and make the money, as they've been taught to do (and I include myself in this). They feel drained, tired, and agitated, so they come home and sit in front of the TV or the computer to relax and not think for awhile. But these people aren't tired; they're uninspired. They work a job that doesn't fulfill them, then come home and engage in these mind-numbing activities that suppress inspiration even more.

If our culture continued teaching people the importance of creativity and expression past childhood, we would probably be more inclined to find hobbies we enjoy, activities that fulfill us, passions and personal goals to work on. We'd do things purely for the enjoyment of it, and we'd be free from that incessant sense of urgency to make money no matter what we're doing.

All this being said, there are of course plenty of people who's work is their passion. They do what they love and love what they do, and that's honestly something we should all work toward.

However, it is still important to remove yourself from work mode, leave work at work, come home and do things you like for yourself and no one else, purely because they bring you joy and allow your mind to relax and detox from the pressures of work. We must stop looking at fun, relaxing activities and free time as rewards for working until we're dead on our feet, and instead look at them as something we need to stay happy and fulfilled regardless.

Work is extremely important, but so is our happiness. We shouldn't sacrifice our contentment with life for work and money. Don't put eight hours a day into a job you don't care for, and then not work on your own goals and passions in your free time. And even if those eight hours are dedicated to a job you love, let your free time be dedicated to joy and happiness that comes from getting lost in something you love to do, for the sole reason that you love to do it. Life is to be enjoyed. Don't let that little green slip of paper dictate it.