My son loves numbers. He always has.
Before he could talk in full sentences, he was staring at numbers in his baby math books like they were the most interesting things in the room.
His first math book (ABCs of Mathematics by Chris Ferrie), before he could even say the words.
When he discovered the show Numberblocks, that was it. He sang those songs all day. First from memory, then from actually understanding the logic behind them. We even made him a Numberblocks costume for Halloween when he was in kindergarten. It was one of his favorites.
He did not just love Numberblocks. He became one.
He may not be the top of his class in math. But he loves it in a way that is hard to explain. Put a number in any game he does not care about and he will care about it immediately.
Coming from an engineering and STEM background, I dreamed he would carry that interest forward. Not just be good at it, but genuinely love it.
But beyond the logic and the numbers, my deeper dream was simpler. I just want him to be happy when he grows up.
Happiness feels like a luxury these days. And just like we are teaching him the basics of math, I want him to learn the foundations for a happy life.
These are not everything. And honestly, I am still figuring them out myself. But I believe if he starts with the basics, he has a better chance.
That is why I designed the Math of Life shirt. Four operations. Four foundations that can lead to happiness.
Addition: Love
Love is not something you find in bulk. It builds in small moments, small habits, intentional choices made every single day. Just like when we first learn addition, it feels slow at first. But that is the foundation everything else is built on.
You cannot get to happiness without first learning how to love.
Subtraction: Comparison
As a parent, I am guilty of this. I compare my son constantly. To other kids his age, to what I was like growing up, to some version of who I hope he becomes. My hope is that he learns to manage it better than I did.
Comparison is not always wrong. Sometimes it motivates. Sometimes it gives us a reference point. But when it becomes the default, it quietly steals joy.
Subtraction does not always mean zeroing something out. Sometimes it just means doing less of it. That counts too. And that is why comparison lands here.
Multiplication: Gratitude
My son has a good life. A comfortable one. Better than what I had growing up. And sometimes the things we have in abundance are exactly the things we forget to be grateful for.
I want him to never lose the habit of saying thank you. For the big things and especially for the small ones.
Gratitude is one of the few things that multiplies the more you practice it. It does not just add up. It compounds. And what it builds toward is contentment. For me, that is the biggest piece of a happy life.
We try to practice this at home with him, one thing said out loud every day. Small habit. Big return.
Division: Expectations
This one took me a month to reflect on and figure out.
I could not find the right word for a long time. This was years before AI could help with something like this. And looking back, I am glad. When the answer finally comes from your own heart and mind, it means something different.
I landed on expectations.
When my son grows up, he will work with people. Build things with teams, with partners, with a family of his own. I hope he becomes someone who can share the spotlight and let others carry their part too.
Some of the heaviest moments in life come when we feel like we are doing everything alone. The most fulfilling ones come when something is built together. That only works when expectations are divided and everyone knows their part.
We try to teach him this at home through small responsibilities.
Equals: Happiness
These are not the only things that matter. They are just the foundations. They are things we are all still working on, myself included.
I cannot force him to carry any of this into adulthood. But I hope if it becomes familiar enough now, it will stay with him.
Being the best at math is hard. But being a good, and happy human is harder. And it takes just as much practice, if not more.
The Math of Life shirt is available in toddler, youth, and adult sizes. Because these four lessons do not belong to just one age.
And with every shirt purchased, we donate a shirt to a child in need through our partnership with Room to Grow. Every child deserves a shot at learning what happiness is built on.
Shop The Math of Life collection here.
— Ji, INSPIRRE Founder, Dad & Student of Life