Premium Hands on the Bubble, on a Short Stack

In response to my last post, AnguilA left me some great feedback on my live final table run on Sunday. Specifically related to the topic in the title, he says the following:

"...getting a premium hand like AK near the bubble you have to go for the double up for sure. The money in every tournament is at the top, and that's what you have to aim for every time you sit down to play. If you bust in the bubble, well that's poker, but you would have had a chance to win instead of bleeding away..."

I have certainly read this sentiment over and over and over, and do have an understanding that this is an imperative mentality to have to be a successful poker player. Given the size of my stack, I'm sure he's right, but I swear I've also read in at least a handfull of places that you're folding about anything but AA on the bubble. Again, that probably doesn't go for a stack the size of mine.

I understand that I need to be shooting for the top and that busting on the bubble has to happen from time to time, and I also know that you can't be a successful player if the money means something to you. But when I'm trying to restart my live roll, the difference between walking out of there with $120 and walking out of there even is vast. In an online $5 or $10 tourney I'm going to the felt w/AK & AQ because the ROI for top money is ridiculous, but bottom money was very meaningful here, so I was willing to make some mistakes if it meant getting there.

Incidentally, the AK hand already saw 2 players all-in, with a big stack covering them. I folded it on the button to the three way action in front of me. And I would've lost to A7. The AQ hand I would have gotten a call from a priced in big stack who raised PF, and gotten in as a 70% fav.

I dunno...let me know if I absolutely have to get away from that mentality to be successful. Given the understanding that you *know* you're deviating from optimum strategy to reach a specific goal, can't these things be quantified from time to time, specifically in the case of attempting to build a bankroll and seeing an opportunity for profit?

I know its kind of a silly little topic, but I at least wanted to get feedback from anyone who felt like chiming in. Could be very valuable information to those of us who are bankroll challenged.