New here - female 48, just self-diagnosed

[Unexpected_who_me?]

Get out of corporate is #1 ! Then tutor math online as much as I need/want (hubby has his own online gig) and live on a budget in MX (which is much easier than in US) till 59.5 when we can withdraw from 401K without penalty. Money can grow in 401K for 10 yrs... Then get social security whenever we need to (of course don't withdraw until we need the money, so we let SS grow too - unless we know we won't have much longer to live, in which case take money rather earlier than later).

But I guess the main goal is to live the highest quality of life possible - both physically and mentally. Health and a minimalist lifestyle will be our main priorities. We are looking at volunteering, trying to help others, and doing what we can to not harm the planet.

Pretty simple.

 

[StreetMath]

Ah, fellow math enthusiast. Tutoring math can be a lot of fun with smart kids who had bad teachers. Often, they just need clear answers to reasonable questions. What a mess, “education” these days.

 

[Unexpected_who_me?]

Ah, fellow math enthusiast. Tutoring math can be a lot of fun with smart kids who had bad teachers. Often, they just need clear answers to reasonable questions. What a mess, “education” these days.

Yes, tutoring is so rewarding and I've been doing it on the side since high school.

 

[StreetMath]

Once had an inner-city Hispanic student with zero interest in school trying to pass an algebra class so he could play basketball (or something like that, can’t remember the details). All he cared about was sports, girls and being cool. His parents were even less concerned about his grades than he was, somehow.

My God (agnostic but love the expression), he was smart. He learned so fast and got so excited about it. I heard later that he was showing his parents little math problems at home.

Well, his parents decided they didn’t like me, my tutoring or something, not sure what it was (happens a lot). Last I heard (years ago), he was flunking again. Don’t want to know where he is now.

How many children wasted like this?

 

[Unexpected_who_me?]

Once had an inner-city Hispanic student with zero interest in school trying to pass an algebra class so he could play basketball (or something like that, can’t remember the details). All he cared about was sports, girls and being cool. His parents were even less concerned about his grades than he was, somehow.

My God (agnostic but love the expression), he was smart. He learned so fast and got so excited about it. I heard later that he was showing his parents little math problems at home.

Well, his parents decided they didn’t like me, my tutoring or something, not sure what it was (happens a lot). Last I heard (years ago), he was flunking again. Don’t want to know where he is now.

How many children wasted like this?

Yes, breaks one's heart to see so much potential/brain power going to waste, when it could have gone a different way. A lot of it is family driven. Kids cannot escape the construct (the matrix) they are born into. They cannot see or imagine a future beyond it.

I also don't understand the "looking down" at kids that can't do math - there are so many that are gifted in arts, sports, or anything else. Yet in schools the math kids are still viewed as the "best", being respected by all teachers/administrators...

 

[Coxhere]

Interests and what pays the bills is different - I don't have any interest in math but after retiring from corporate I plan to tutor math online (which I can do from anywhere in the world). Having US students that pay in US $ for it makes for some extra income, which will be much needed.

I feel I intensely explored my interests while working full time - the 2 big ones I had (besides raising my kids as single parent) were helping others and Enlightenment. For the first one I gave up corporate in 2013 to help by starting a life coaching business and fell flat on my face. I had spend years getting a certificate/degree on the side and preparing for it (not just prep as life coach, but also set up website, business cards, banking etc). Lost lots of money in that pursuit...
For the second one I read and reread prob over 100 hard to digest books (zen, mystics, and so on), been meditating daily 7-8 yrs like an hour a day, been to retreats etc. Then all fell off me. No more interest in it. Nada.

I guess now, at almost 48, I take interest in my health, and still learning about the world (climate change is a big one, living abroad, health - and now autism). Maybe teaching others about these and make money from that is what you hint at? Not sure I'm good at any to teach... also it is so tiring to start something new - esp. after failing so badly before when I so bravely "escaped" the corporate world...

 

[Coxhere]

You said, "No more interest in it (meditation). Nada." My happiness, my creativity, my self-awareness, consciousness, everything depends upon my daily meditation practice-discipline. I can't imagine me thinking, personally, "No more interest. Nada." What happened?