I was at a crossroads just before applying for faculty positions. Nearly 10 years of preparation led me here. But by then: overwork, low pay (it’s academia), uncertain returns, family crises, emotional burnout, and physical setbacks that left me immobile — all hit at once. It forced me to pause, rethink my priorities, and face the hardest question: how can I find my way to happiness? A life question with no standard answer. happiness