Scottie Scheffler and leading a fulfilling life

Scottie Scheffler's press conference comments last week struck a sensitive chord and I'm curious if/how others reacted. He has given me a lot to think about as someone who is pushing through ungodly levels of burnout and reconsidering my career path.

Many of us are on this site and pursuing this career path because we're driven by financial freedom. Work hard, make lots of money, ensure your family can live a luxurious worry-free life. Do x, y, and z to unlock the grand double doors to a life fulfilled. 

Obviously, this isn't how life works, but it doesn't stop people (myself included) from diving in headfirst anyway. If the world #1 says his professional achievements are awesome for 2 minutes before he's thinking about the next major, why do we convince ourselves that we're somehow more clever than everyone else and can call it quits once we've made boatloads of money? The hedonic treadmill never stops -- your Open Championship win last weekend raises the bar to win again. Your big win in one fund becomes a hefty commitment in the next, your standard of living grows commensurately with your newfound wealth, and 2 minutes later you're back on the treadmill hoping for another big win years later -- until 30 years go by and you regret missing what life had initially offered you.

But on the flipside, I suspect the average person here would be just as miserable prioritizing passion over financial freedom. Worrying about making ends meet just to DJ in a backyard or backpack across Asia sounds equally miserable and unfulfilling.

If the pursuit of financial freedom isn't a core pillar of leading a fulfilled life, what is? Is it sacrificing the opportunity to make gobs of money to pursue a career in something you're passionate about? Is it building something? Is it something more nihilistic, admitting no career will give you a sense of fulfillment and realizing it's just about grabbing beers with the boys and spending time with family?

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