Great post. You echo my sentiments to a tee. I've also come a long way this year, from being a breakeven player at $.5-$1 NL in March to being a winning player at $10-$25 NL. Somewhere along the way a hobby turned into an occupation. Looking back, I have a sense of accomplishment for how far I've come, but at the same time I feel empty. If I can make thousands playing poker, surely there's other things I can pursue that I will be successful at. I don't feel like I'm making anyone's life better playing poker; the philanthropist inside me cannot be alleviated, no matter how hard I reason with myself. Maybe I'll start giving a portion of my winnings to charity, I don't know. Having a soul is a b*tch.