There are many positives to being a chef, yes. You will definitely always have work, you will have the ability to be creative...perhaps even artistic if you have it in you, you will eat well and you will eat for free, you will probably (as a chef) drink for free, you will meet a lot of people and you will develop friendships that are pretty tight.
A lot of people these days watch cooking shows on food network and think it would be great to be a chef. They see chefs standing and working in a relaxed, controlled atmosphere and being very creative. This is great, however, working in a real restaurant kitchen isn't like that. Those shows only show you a glimpse of one small aspect of the chef's day.
Actually, I have just finished shooting a demo for The Food Network here in Canada. I have one final segment to shoot and then it will be edited and then I can see the final product. It was fun and I hope we land the show. I still love to cook, and for me, the greatest thrill of the job is blowing someone away with my food. I am an artist and a chef. I have a natural artistic ability that will surface one way or another, and right now it manifests on the plates I put out of my kitchen at Eaton Hall.
If you want the career...jump in. Get a good pair of cork soled Birkenstocks and throw your watch away.
Marko