As a person who did leave a pretty good job making over $75,000 a yr to fly professionally I can say I'd do it again. Like everyone else who's wanted to fly since they were a kid I had to do it. With that being said, I did it and the flying was great and just recently left professional flying. Its the QOL and all the other stuff(low pay, bad schedule, crew schedule abuse, no major jobs, etc.) that make the job blow(at least at the regional level, I can't speak for 135 or the majors). If you have a family you care about, I'd wait until the economy pics up before dragging your family along for you to "chase the dream".

I think USMC's statement says it all and I agree. In this industry you just have to go balls out. Forget the money, QOL and instability or else you'll be thoroughly dissappointed. I realize for me personnally its just a job. Anytime someone tells you to be somewhere, at a specified time and to do a task thats called a job in my book. Now whether or not sitting behind a desk is worse than the above mentioned items is completely up to you as an individual. Good luck whatever your decision. In the end we are all pilots who love to fly.