I was fairly competitive in my teaching career, but when I found a job I loved, I found that I had learned so much, that most of my work was not that much of an effort for me. People thought I was supremely competent, but it was really more my positive attitude, my belief that all kids could learn, and being organized. I loved supervising and mentoring new teachers, but when i had earned all of the credits/coursework for my certificate of advanced graduate studies in educational leadership, I decided I didn't want to be a principal and it is very hard to find a curriculum job. I never did the internship or got the degree. This was right around the time I had been cycling for about 1-2 years and my priorities were changing. When I quit my job in 2007, I found it very hard to shed my professional identity and hence, the going back to school. I found I love working independently as a therapist, making my own schedule, as opposed to having to make every decision with a team of at least 3 other people.
I'm content. I do miss making the $, though. Even though DH makes plenty for us to live on, I always felt that I could support myself nicely and it felt like psychological freedom. It's hard to explain. The jobs I'm applying for now are less than my 20 something kids make.