Remember to find a balance. You might have been doing the right things for the wrong reasons. Questioning is good...
this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2023
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Jealousy is a huge motivator. Having to do something for a purpose is even better. What do you want to do? Because the endeavors you mentioned don't happen overnight. When your sitting at your desk solving some problem that you didn't even anticipate and you're not even doing that thing you set out to do, it's hard to stay motivated. So, what is it about those endeavors that you mentioned piques your interest?
I just gave a few examples. They're just doing something that is good for them, good for people around you, and definitely fulfilling. Especially contrasting with what I've been doing while these were happening.
It's not that I don't want to work. I really do. I actually worked a lot as well but I worked on stuff that doesn't help me. I'm very ambitious
I don't know what to do. But I can kind of point out with my finger towards what I'm looking for
i am going to tell you some universal truths.
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first truth: you will not fully understand these truths. though i list them here clearly, you will still learn them the hard way.
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do not compare yourself to others. regardless of how you measure their success, you will find only a brief moment of satisfaction upon outdoing them, followed swiftly by regret, insecurity, and, not long after that, emotional crisis.
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financial and professional success are antithetical to happiness and fulfillment at least as often as they aren't.
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you can only ever know yourself. everyone's life is a series of choices. only you can know what choices are the right ones for you. you cannot know anyone else's choices. you cannot know if anyone else is making the right or wrong choices. you cannot know what motivates others. your dataset for anyone else is so incomplete as to prevent the drawing of any good conclusions. no good reason to compare yourself to anyone. but when you do, there's no good reason to feel bad about it, or good about it, and certainly no good reason to feel bad instead of good.
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what follows is a cliche, but it is not a cliche: your life begins now, and now, and now. you can only do something now. not back then and not in a bit. now. really understand this. if you're not happy now, it's because you keep doing things that make you unhappy. now, if you're not happy now, it's because you're still not doing anything to make yourself happy. what are you doing to make yourself unhappy?
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you're making yourself unhappy. it's not them making you unhappy. they might be doing things you're not happy with, but you're the one doing unhappiness. now, if you want to bank all your happiness and fulfillment on outdoing these people, that's fine, but it's going to be awhile. years, decades, you're entire life, perhaps. but, don't forget number 2: happiness can't be found on this route. i wonder what it would look like, what choices you'd have to make, to be happy, and much sooner?
let me know how it goes. also, apologies for the length. it's all stream of consciousness and i'm to lazy to edit.
homework: read The Tao of Pooh
❤️
My world view might have become too materialistic. But I just want more prestige, satisfaction, validation. More and more of it. Yes I probably won't ever feel "this is enough" because it requires a constant gradient of growth.
I'm not sure I even want to be happy. What even is meant by happiness? No, I know what happiness is. It just doesn't feel meaningful anymore, all these emotions. Like, nothing that makes me happy actually matter to me. I never feel happy for doing what I actually need. I don't feel happy while preparing food but I feel happy but only when I sit down and eat the food, even though eating food wasn't the harder part that I must be focused on. Happiness feels like mind's bait that is so addicting everyone is hooked on and want more of it. Some experiences admittedly contribute to me saying this as well
I don't really want to feel anything sad or happy, but focus on work.
Also for number 4, I really believe there are some objectively good and objectively bad decisions. I can see so many of the bad decisions I made it's too hard to ignore, and things that have implications to my personal life. When I want to do something, it turns out I'm too late. Or I have to do much more effort others don't have to spend. Or I make an effort on wrong things that have no benefit to me. And I can see what I should've been doing by looking at some people.
My reply might be kinda too contrasting to what you're saying but I'd like to hear your thoughts as well.
Kind of. I've amassed a fair amount of knowledge over the span of this life I'm over halfway through, but very little in the way of accomplishments. (Not counting the achievements in video games.)
Sounds like you might have depression, maybe try looking into that. Good luck with everything!
Got my third diagnosis 😭
Ok comparison is bad but what in this thread even makes you think I might be depressed? I'm just harsh with my past and I believe I'm rightful to do so, and overwhelmed a bit about my life overall. Like, I'm still high-functioning, I'm motivated enough to carry out challenging stuff daily
I used to be depressed though, on a "high" level. I think I got over it by now
It's the whole vibe of your response - the whole feeling of helplessness is often associated with depression, being overwhelmed by life is also a very frequent symptom of depression.
Being high-functioning and motivated to carry out with life doesn't mean you're not depressed.
I'm not saying you are depressed, that can't be diagnosed over few simple comments, I'm just saying you sound like you might be depressed and it might be good to go check with a professional if that's the case.
Yea but I go easier on myself these days as I see it now as part of a larger systemic problem. Living in suburbs, having social anxiety, struggling with toxic family issues, etc. It all played a part in my escapism into video games and unproductive time sinks. I forgive myself for the past and try to do better today. It's about making the most of the opportunities that are given to you, cheesy as it sounds.
I grew up evangelical, and I definitely wasted my young years not living life because of it.
For every 1 dude who does incredible shit, 99 of us are getting by being content. Being content and unremarkable is the norm, don't let social media or fucked up parents tell you otherwise.
The only meaning to life is being happy and content. There really isn't any meaning to it, so the former is the best option.
If you really feel like you need to do something or regret it forever, then you need to get off your ass and start making changes. Otherwise surprise! You're just like everyone else!
Nobody TRULY cares except YOU and MAYBE your closest loved ones. Even then you realize people pay way more attention about what people think they think about them vs what they actually do. Most people generally don't give two shits as long as you treat them with GENUINE love, openness, bare minimum respect.
Only compare yourself to yourself if you’re doing better than you were a month ago, year or even decade you’re going the right way. Everyone has skeletons in their closet to you rarely get to see medical issues, spouse cheating, debt up to their eyeballs all this can be hidden for a long time.