What We Learned About Purpose, Mental Health, and Defining Success on 'Karak Chat'

From Finance Grind to Creative Freedom: Abubakr Sajith’s Candid Conversation on Re-evaluating Professional Worth

If you are a regular listener of The Dollar Diaries, you know that our collective mission is to explore the paths to professional success, learn from those who have built incredible careers, and share that knowledge straight to you. We aren’t just about the external, measurable markers of success; we are deeply focused on the internal negotiation that happens between ambition, happiness, and mental well-being.

Abubakr Sajith, one of our key team members and a founding voice of The Dollar Diaries, recently took a deep dive into his own journey on a popular podcast. His discussion was a refreshingly honest look at the choices that shape a modern career, revealing the psychological battles and paradigm shifts necessary to build a life that is both successful and truly fulfilling. While we often speak to guests about their financial and professional milestones, Abubakr’s interview turned the lens on the essential negotiation we all face: choosing a meaningful life over the relentless pursuit of traditional markers of wealth and status.

An Unconventional Start to a Professional Life

Abubakr began by grounding the conversation in his background, sharing an educational journey that illustrates the often-shocking transition from structured education to the diverse realities of the world. Born and brought up in the area, his schooling was entirely local. He recounted a “miserable experience” during his time at one of his early high schools, a period that involved navigating the difficulties of an all-boy environment. This shifted dramatically when he transferred to a co-ed school, an initial “complete shock” that took him months to simply get acquainted with.

Following his schooling, Abubakr pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and IT. The irony, as he himself pointed out, is that he specialized in finance and technology despite having “no idea how to do media” at the time, a skillset that has become foundational to his role on The Dollar Diaries. This early divergence taught us a key lesson: skills developed through passion often become more valuable than those acquired solely for a formal qualification.

After graduation, the immediate negotiation was with the job market. Abubakr initially focused on securing a role within the finance sector, applying for jobs and, like many young graduates, found himself navigating the competitive and often frustrating initial stages of a professional career. He eventually landed an opportunity with a small accounting firm. This period was valuable, providing practical experience, but the industry’s gravitational pull—the immense pressure and perceived status of the “Big Four” accounting firms—was a constant presence.

The Big Four Illusion

The discussion took a critical turn when the conversation focused on the lure of the “Big Four.” For many young professionals, especially those in finance, consulting, and accounting, securing a job at one of these prestigious firms is the ultimate goal, a non-negotiable step to validate their educational investment and career worth.

Abubakr was open about his own pursuit of this goal. The motivation was clear: getting that name on his resume. He recognized the reputation and the career doors that a Big Four name opens. However, his candid reflection provided a crucial counterpoint to this common ambition: the reality of the work-life negotiation.

The nature of the work in these high-pressure, high-status environments is often the same, regardless of the brand name—it is a relentless grind. The initial goal of getting the job often blinds candidates to the cost of maintaining it.

Abubakr shared a powerful realization that resonated deeply with us as a team: You have to make your job interesting. In the high-demand, repetitive environment of professional services, the work itself can quickly become monotonous, leading to burnout and a loss of passion. This is where the true negotiation begins. You have to find a way to infuse meaning, challenge, or a creative outlet into your daily life to sustain yourself.

For Abubakr and for the rest of The Dollar Diaries team, the podcast itself became that essential creative outlet. It serves as a necessary break from the intensity of the corporate world, a way to channel energy into something collaborative, interesting, and self-directed. This led to a profound conclusion: if you cannot make your job intrinsically interesting, you must negotiate for an external outlet that fuels your mind and spirit. Ignoring this need is a guaranteed path to professional exhaustion.

Money Versus Mental Health

The conversation naturally flowed into the classic dilemma that defines most professional careers: the negotiation between income and quality of life. For many, the goal is always more money, more property, more gold, but Abubakr challenged this linear thinking with a focus on mental health and happiness.

He argued that for those working in high-income countries or prestigious roles, the negotiation is not fundamentally about money—it is about time and peace. These professionals often reach a point where they have the financial security to choose a slower, happier life, yet they remain tethered to the high-pressure grind, continually chasing higher numbers.

This led to one of the most sobering and insightful points of the entire discussion: the observation that many people running behind property, money, and luxury items are “just genuinely very unhappy people”. Their pursuit is often for “very short-time things,” a futile attempt to fill a deeper void with material possessions.

Abubakr shared a striking anecdote about a family friend who possessed immense ego simply because he was wearing a watch worth a certain value. The pursuit becomes a “pursuit to nothingness”.

The sad irony, he noted, is that these individuals often “have the luxury to think about being happy but they don’t”. They have successfully negotiated the financial side of life but failed the ultimate negotiation for mental freedom and peace.

Success Redefined: Happiness as the Metric

Abubakr’s segment culminated in his own personal definition of success, a metric that completely sidesteps the conventional measurements of wealth and title.

He unequivocally stated: “How I define success is if I’m happy”.

This definition is powerful because it is accessible to everyone, regardless of their bank balance or career stage. It shifts the entire purpose of professional life from accumulation to contentment. It acknowledges that success is not a final destination marked by a net worth statement, but a continuous state of mind that must be actively pursued and protected.

He was also realistic, acknowledging that right now, he is happy. But he also quickly admitted that “Everything’s not perfect”. There are things that could improve, including his personal fitness. This honesty is crucial. Happiness does not require the elimination of all problems; it requires the negotiation of peace despite them. It means accepting imperfection and choosing to value the present moment of contentment.

For The Dollar Diaries, this discussion reinforces our belief that true success is found at the intersection of professional ambition and personal fulfillment. We must constantly question the narrative that demands we sacrifice our mental health for a job title.