Vague question

[jessica]

Well, that was rather harsh and unhelpful.  I  was using humour because I am not in a good situation,  I was not intending to mock anyone, and am actually very grateful for any suggestions, whatever they may be. The fact that I shot many(by no means all) of them down due to some knowledge of my own limitations or circumstances or whatever, is not "negative" at all. I am perfectly well aware that I need many dozens of different ideas - of those, some will be  wholly ill-suited for me given my current situation/abilities etc., others will not work because they require something I cannot give due to time-constraints/lack of cash,  still others may not even be viable in the current economic climate etc., with perhaps only a dozen or so ideas out of 100s  likely being worth me investing a lot of time and effort in. That's why I am so grateful for any ideas, as even bad ones are useful in that they close some unnecessary paths/career-options and maybe even open up other possibilities to explore, at the same time.

Being a rawpaleodiet guru requires rather more than I've got, such as Aajonus's charisma-levels etc. I can do a rawpaleodiet e-book, and will indeed do it when I have my new PC soon, but in my current country, there are precious few rawists, let alone RPDers for an audience, and I've been told that one needs to be a doctor here to be able to qualify as a nutritionist/diet-guru. Come to think of it, even homeopaths and the like need to be doctors. Silly rule, but there it is.....

that's why in the "what are your passions" thread I stated that everything I am truly passionate about is illegal

because if everyone could follow through with all the things they deem "against the rules", the system that created them wouldn't continue.  do you see how you get trapped?  rules only serve to suit themselves. 

but our thoughts and wills are still truly free, and if you make everything that is within your control limitless by imposing no rules.

[cherimoya_kid]

Geoff, have you thought about studying microbiology?  You could use that to prove the usefulness of the raw paleo diet. You could even do your dissertation on the effects of cooked versus raw foods on cell health.

[TylerDurden]

Geoff, have you thought about studying microbiology?  You could use that to prove the usefulness of the raw paleo diet. You could even do your dissertation on the effects of cooked versus raw foods on cell health.

Err, I have no plans on doing several more years of courses. I mean if I were the son of a multimillionaire, fine, but otherwise....  Still we do need some more people here doing scientific treatises on raw vs cooked. If I recall, one or two of us are doing some things in that line.

[TylerDurden]

but our thoughts and wills are still truly free, and if you make everything that is within your control limitless by imposing no rules.

  That's all very well, but I am not a fan of going to prison or being fined heavily etc. If I could always get away with breaking the law, fine, but I don't know of any sure way.

[jessica]

  That's all very well, but I am not a fan of going to prison or being fined heavily etc. If I could always get away with breaking the law, fine, but I don't know of any sure way.

I am only saying, break the rules you have imposed upon yourself.  basically I see this tread as you reaching out, others trying to help you to expand your idea of what you can try and you just shooting every idea down, including your own ideas, with some self imposed rule or regulation or doubt, etcetcetc.  if you don't try anything and just stay inside your head, with doubts and disbeliefs, you will never accomplish anything, nothing ventured nothing gained. 

[TylerDurden]

I'm happy to try, it's just that I don't want to do something that lasts months or years to get going  but then  fails because I didn't think of an obvious catch earlier on. 

[aLptHW4k4y]

I totally agree with how tyler is approaching it, you have to be very critical and careful in this kind of situation. If you blow it you'll probably end up at a lot worse position and it will be a lot harder to get out of it than it is now.

[eveheart]

If a college degree is the path to your ideal occupation, you can earn your degree and work at the same time. My father did this, I did this, and my children did this. My son-in-law has earned his baccalaureate, his masters, and is working on his Ph.D. while working and supporting a family. You are probably his age. Life is long and has many different stages. You can do many things within its span of years.

[ys]

maybe play lottery...

I do

[TylerDurden]

maybe play lottery...

I do

I do, too, but it is hardly a career.

[Iguana]

If a college degree is the path to your ideal occupation, you can earn your degree and work at the same time. My father did this, I did this, and my children did this. My son-in-law has earned his baccalaureate, his masters, and is working on his Ph.D. while working and supporting a family. You are probably his age. Life is long and has many different stages. You can do many things within its span of years.

Yes. Also, a safe way is to start and try a new activity while still keeping the old job until the new one brings enough money.

[cherimoya_kid]

Err, I have no plans on doing several more years of courses. I mean if I were the son of a multimillionaire, fine, but otherwise....  Still we do need some more people here doing scientific treatises on raw vs cooked. If I recall, one or two of us are doing some things in that line.

You are clearly intelligent.  Couldn't you get a fellowship that would pay your bills while in school?  Most of the more intelligent grad students I know have their tuition paid for by scholarships, plus they get a yearly stipend as well.  They're not rich, but it's enough to pay their bills.

[Alive]

What job do you have now TD?

Could you take up meditation, qi gong, or other energy exercises so that you are switched on enough to enjoy the job you have?

Can you get promoted?

Could you write a sci fi novel with a raw paleo twist?

Could you run a health retreat out of your mums holiday home?

Could you ignore your health beliefs at work and make money out of vice?  I notice that we used to have a lot of fresh juice and salad bars at the malls, but they have been replaced by coffee, cakes, ice cream etc. It seems that modern people want to buy crap, so sell it to them!

[jessica]

“The problems of the world cannot possibly be solved by skeptics or cynics whose horizons are limited by the obvious realities. We need men who can dream of things that never were.”
~ John Keats ~

[TylerDurden]

You are clearly intelligent.  Couldn't you get a fellowship that would pay your bills while in school?  Most of the more intelligent grad students I know have their tuition paid for by scholarships, plus they get a yearly stipend as well.  They're not rich, but it's enough to pay their bills.

  I can get tuition paid for,not other things.

[TylerDurden]

What job do you have now TD?

Could you take up meditation, qi gong, or other energy exercises so that you are switched on enough to enjoy the job you have?

Can you get promoted?

Could you write a sci fi novel with a raw paleo twist?

Could you run a health retreat out of your mums holiday home?

Could you ignore your health beliefs at work and make money out of vice?  I notice that we used to have a lot of fresh juice and salad bars at the malls, but they have been replaced by coffee, cakes, ice cream etc. It seems that modern people want to buy crap, so sell it to them!

  Cannot give a long answer as I am at an internet cafe. My mac  is bust and I am waiting for days to get another one.

No to all questions. I work in the green sector, currently, realistic job description would be "pondscum", most probably. Ah well, do not expect me back online for another week. I hate these keyboards. I need an english language one, as i can type faster.

[TylerDurden]

Well, for now I seem to be back online for now, due to  a miracle. Please come back at me with further suggestions.

[eveheart]

Suggestion: make a list of your strengths.

You have repeated your weaknesses, but enumerating these will not further your search for your career.

What are you great at? What are you passionate about?

[TylerDurden]

Hmm, no idea.

Strengths:-

Never taken a sick day in my life.

I am passionate about the raw diet. I am passionate about science fiction. I love playing PC games. I love skiing and mountain-hiking. Those don't really allow me ways to make money, though - (I'm good at skiing but nowhere near ski-teacher material etc.). Well, maybe my  eventual rawpaleodiet e-book will bring in a tiny bit, who knows?

Hmm, I really need to broaden my interests.

[TylerDurden]

Well, web developer seems to be a possible option. I am considering retraining as a general computer programmer and learning web developing on the side in my own free time. I will need to learn a dozen new programming languages, but it's possible to go freelance as a web developer without needing a 3 year university course etc. Maybe I will be a web developer in a year or two of real, hardcore learning.


I am also slowly selling some of the junk in my flat. Who knows? Maybe I can make a living selling stuff online.
I'd have loved to have become a dog-breeder but  not having a garden with space for kennels is a non-starter.

Anyone have any other ideas?

[ys]

I just want to tell you I know many people who jumped into programming bandwagon late 90s-early 2000 because money was good.  Years later a lot of them had to find something else to do because they hated programming that much.

If you are not passionate about it this could be another boring job.

[eveheart]

I'd have loved to have become a dog-breeder but  not having a garden with space for kennels is a non-starter.

Many businesses are run as a limited partnership, meaning that your limited partners provide the capital, and you provide the working hours. A kennel could be run on your limited partner's land, even if it is their backyard that has room for kennels. The land would represent their capital investment. You would be the working partner, and actually do the breeding and marketing of the dogs.

My old boss had a side business raising championship dogs. She lived in a condominium, her kennel partner lived in the country with room for the dogs.

[TylerDurden]

I'm not worried about programming being boring, I'm way more interested in the money.

Re dog-breeding:- No opportunities re finding a business partner with cash or facilities for kennels or whatever. If I do anything self-employed, I'll have to go it alone.

[aLptHW4k4y]

For (web) programming check this out, it will launch you right into what's current and in trend now: https://class.coursera.org/startup-001/class/index
It doesn't assume any previous knowledge as far as I know and it's all free. It was way too beginner level for me and I dropped it after the third class.

[TylerDurden]

For (web) programming check this out, it will launch you right into what's current and in trend now: https://class.coursera.org/startup-001/class/index
It doesn't assume any previous knowledge as far as I know and it's all free. It was way too beginner level for me and I dropped it after the third class.

  Thanks.