If you tie your happiness and self worth to your occupation, statistically, the vast majority of Americans, and certainly the rest of the world, would be completely miserable failures.

But no, people have hobbies, interests, friends, and families to make up for the neccessity of doing what one has to do to feed, clothe, and house themselves.

Put the money into a new house, the stock market, or keep it at a bank: Any way you go you are investing the money. The question is: Which is the best way to invest it?

Pros/cons:
Keep it at the bank:
Pro-Money is VERY secure (You don't have it all in one account exceeding the FDIC limit do you?)
Con-You are actually losing money by the time you account for inflation.

Stock Market:
Pro-You could make a lot more money.
Con-Risk...