Absolutely, everything is a trade-off, and you're the sum of your decisions.
My bet? Power is attractive when the author was on the outside and using it to further her own interests. Now that she has the power - and all of the attendant responsibility that goes with it - she doesn't like it so much.
You CAN’T have it all. It’s best to accept that and move on with life. I’ll never have my own G650, a Tiffany lamp, or own a Unimog. I’m over it now.