Well, I took a 35% pay cut to move to a job and location that I adore, busted my butt, got a monster merit raise after a year, paid off the credit cards and own my house. What I like best is when I hear a soft-handed Democratic politician who's never had an honest job in his life tell me that it's an economic disaster. It isn't, actually - his pension is safe enough.
I make my employer a lot of money and he rewards me accordingly. I'm happy, he's happy.