Doing What You Love, And Loving What You Do

You know you have "made it" when you can earn a decent living and be financially independent while doing something you enjoy and are good at. You are a success if you can use your skills to earn money, provide for yourself (and your family, if you have one), and contribute something worthwhile to society. I understand that there is no occupation without its hassles and drawbacks; still, I admire people who can do the thing they love the most, as opposed to the thing they hate the least. What it's all about is being in a situation where you can really thrive, a situation that showcases, utilizes, maximizes, and allows you to develop, your strengths. It's about doing something that allows you to truly reach your fullest potential and be the best you can be.
I wish I could get paid to write, and comment on, stories on EP. It is the only thing I can think of that I am even halfway good at. I know I have carved out my own little niche on EP. I try to write things that are thoughtful, as opposed to the same old blah, blah, blah, conventional "wisdom" you hear all the time. At the same time, I don't like to write about anything too deep, serious, moralistic, or philosophical. I try to inject my sense of dry, quiet humor. Also, I like to write positive stories; I don't want to write anything that will leave the reader frustrated, agitated, depressed, or offended ( unless you're the really prickly, hyper-sensitive type who takes offense where none was even intended). While my stories are positive, they are not Pollyanna-ish; I find false positivity depressing. Not to brag, but I'm not a bad writer. Yes, I'm aware that there are many people who are a lot more intelligent and articulate than I am. On the other hand, there are a lot of stories on EP that are so rambling, disjointed, illogical, and full of spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors that they don't even make any sense. I don't THINK mine are as bad as all that.
As for comments, I figure that everyone needs, and wants, validation and encouragement; I think I'm pretty good at giving that. If someone has strong opinions about an issue, it is unlikely that an online stranger who leaves a snarky comment is going to get you to change your mind. As for "getting the person to see the other side", it is likely that they have the "other side" thrown in their face all the time by relatives, friends, co-workers, neighbors, acquaintances, and maybe even strangers. This is why they have to join an online community to escape all that and find people who understand. Leaving nice comments is an art; your comments have to be thoughtful, genuine, and show that you have really read the story and thought about it. It's not as simple as just saying, "You're the greatest, you're wonderful", etc. A lot of the comments I have left, people have really responded to, in a way they never would to other comments.
I know I have a unique writing style. It always stands out from all the other stories; I can recognize it instantly. I'm not saying it is necessarily better, just unique. I wish there were some way I could spin this talent into a way to earn money. I really admire ( and to be honest, envy) people who can do what they love and love what they do. I'm sure there are many frustrated, discouraged people in this group. I wish you all the best, and I hope some of you will read this story and find my input enlightening and inspiring.