Mind-Clearing Prelude to a Fucked Up Situation

I was pondering what to do this evening, when suddenly, it struck me. What if all this is as good as it's going to get? Well the next question seemed obvious enough: is it, in that case, our own fault if we have unfulfilled lives? Should we not be grabbing life by the balls (to use a common idiom)? I pondered, and pondered, until at last I was preoccupied. By the television. But now I am back to pondering, and writing in my blog to clear my thoughts. The truth is, I want to do more, as many people do, but where do we get the inspiration? We are told that our adolescent years are devoted to creating a better future for ourselves, but is this really the case? If a better future means happiness, I understand. But what I don't understand, is the constant pressure to form plans towards careers we don't want, with discouragement given to pursuing careers we do want. If, for example, one wishes to pursue a career in the arts, they are turned away, told they will not make enough money. Does happiness not come before money? I mean, sure you need to feed yourself, but at the end of the day, shouldn't you feel good about it? Which leads to one cause of the essential problem of alienation and boredom; money. Now, I am not trying to make excuses. I fully realize that I have the freedom to go and have a fulfilling life, and if all goes well, I will. I'm sure I'm not the only one to realize this. yes we have the power to achieve happiness, but do we have the encouragement?