work to live or live to work

It’s a basic question that I, personally, ask my self everyday.
Do I work to live, or live to work?
Do I study hard to get a higher education to have a sufficient job to have a good life, or live to study hard to get a higher education and have a job?

Than I can’t help but think: than why do I spend 12 years in school, 3-4 years in college, and who knows what will I be when I graduate?

I see people around me work really hard to get a better job, higher salary, and God knows what else that they spend literally 24/7 of their life working that they have no life anymore.
If they don’t even enjoy it, than what for?

Some people say to be successful.
What is success?

success
suc’cess
achievement of intention
the achievement of something planned or attempted.
(Encarta Dictionary: English (North America))

I completely agree with that dictionary.
Success is when u get what u want.
If u want to have a huge mansion with a Porsche and Ferrari in ur garage, and u have them, u are successful.
If u want to be free and live in the street and u do, u are successful.

Another question is: why do we want to be successful?
For me, to be successful is to have a good life so I can enjoy my life.
So if to be successful u have to throw away ur life because u’re too busy working and studying and attempting to be successful, than what’s the point?

Our parents work hard so we can get a good education and a good life.
We get a good education but we’re too busy studying to get to a higher education so someday we can have a good job where we can work hard so our children can get a good education and a good life that we don’t have the chance to enjoy the good life.
So do our children and so on and so forth.
Where will it stop?

If u are a rich businessman who’s never home to see ur family and u’re satisfied, u are successful.
If u are a rich businessman who’s never home to see ur family and u feel terrible for it, u have a sad life.

If u are underpaid but u love ur job and u love every single second of ur life, u’re successful.
If u are underpaid and u hate ur job and u’re dying to get more money, u need a new job.

If u are a straight A student but u have no social life, but u enjoy it cause u’re not a social person anyway, u’re successful.
If u are a straight A student but u have no social life cause u’re stuck in ur room having a date with ur calculus textbook, and u curse every second of it and u wish u’re out with ur friends, get a life and be happy with a B.

So, yes, as cliché as it is, success IS relative.
From what I know and see,

Most people spend 15-20 years of their life studying hard.
Than they spend 30 years or so working hard.
Than when they finally have the time to enjoy all that, they’re too old and too boring to do anything.
What's the point?

I don’t want to be that person.

For me, my stance is firm.
I work to live.
I study hard to get a higher and better education to have a sufficient job to have a good life. Not vice versa.

Dream big, and make it real.
But don’t throw away ur life.
I believe it's not worth it.

-me