Is real estate an ends to a means?

[Rob Massopust]

Recently I was talking to a friend of mine about buying rentals for cash flow and or appreciation. 

She said she wants a bunch of rentals so she has enough cash flow so she can do what she really wants.

Brings me the question: Is buying, flipping, renting real estate for you just a means to an end to do something else. Why not just focus on it is what you want in the end. 

What are some other things besides real estate do people do here.

{I ran a gluten free ecommerce[ Top 3rd party seller on Amazon] company in addition to RE for over 6 years, it did not make any money} Just FYI I hear alot of people want to make money on Amazon, its hard just like anything else.

[Michael Albaum]

For me, I think that RE estate allows me to spend the things in life that matter most to me, my family, friends, surfing, etc. If I have to work a 9-5 M-F, that leaves very little time for the rest of those things. Life is too short to spend 50% of your waking life working for someone else's dream. Additionally, RE is something that pays me this year, for the work I did last year...where else does that exist?!