Woman earning ₹2.5 lakh says she was happiest with ₹15,000 income: ‘No money or salary is less’

Corporate employees often feel demotivated after being pressured by peers or relatives about salary increments, but a social media user has shared her experience, stating that, "No money or salary is less; it's about your perception of how you want to live life."

The user, who goes by the name Sakshi, recalled how she started earning ₹15,000 and was “happiest” at that time.

She shared that as there was an increment in her packages, with her earnings rising from ₹1.5 lakh to ₹2.5 lakh, a sense of dissatisfaction remained, as her income seemed inadequate in comparison to others in similar circles.

‘It was never about the salary’

She also spoke about how her life changed when she left her job, and how surviving without an income became difficult for her, but she eventually got through it.

"I realised it was never about the salary. It was the comparison that created dissatisfaction. When I left my job, for a few months, that zero salary at month-end hit me hard. But it also made me realise that you should work on something you truly like. Now I work without thinking about others. No money or salary is less, it's about your perception of how you want to live life," she wrote.

Social media reactions pour in

The post has triggered widespread discussion online about the link between income, happiness, and societal pressure.

One user commented, "It's far better to have a modest 'lifestyle-adjusted' income doing something that fuels your curiosity than to be a miserable high-earner suffering from 'comparison fatigue." True wealth is the ability to ignore the scoreboard."

Another wrote, “That zero-salary phase hits different, though. It really forces you to rethink what actually matters.”

A third user added, "Satisfaction comes from purpose, not paychecks."

Similar experiences resurface

The conversation also brought back attention to a similar viral story involving Seema Purohit. In a video, she shared how her first low-paying job brought her more joy than her current high-paying role in Dubai.

Purohit described getting caught up in what she called the “race” of chasing better opportunities and higher salaries. Despite achieving career success abroad, she acknowledged that the sense of fulfillment she once experienced in a simpler role was missing.

Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. Livemint has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.