This is an interesting thread as everyone has a different history and hence, a different take on their experiences in aviation. Some truisms I have found in 30 odd years of flying airplanes.
1. It's not the best who make it to the top (what ever the top is these days )
2. Luck plays too big a role in getting in, moving up and any and all things "good" about flying.
3. The good places to work today will not be the ones every ones wants in (put a number here) years.
4. This can be a lousy life if your not cut out for long days, often alone in places you'd rather never have seen/been to too often.
5. Friends, family, neighbors, pilots wishing they hard your job, aviation writers, non-flying flight management and others who don't do your job or have every done your job [I]know its easy[U] In the same vain, these people know you get lots of time off, have vacation that lasts forever, just put your feet up for most of the flight, really are on vacation when your out of town.
6. Seniority is good.
7. Some days it is so great to fly, its the best seat in the house, other days they don't pay you enough, even if nothing goes wrong.
8. If you love to fly, nothing anyone, including me, says will put you off reaching for the dream.
9. The dream is becoming more dream and less reality