I am 24 yr old male who is still struggling with reaching success in life. I had to go through a lot of mental and psychological issues since 16 and certainly they hindered my growth both career-wise and spiritually.
So the result is my current self. Still no college degree (1 semester away), working temp jobs as clerk, feeling sorry for myself for all that had to happen and what I had to endure.
I feel like a total loser because I feel like at my age, I should have accomplished a lot by now such as completing Master's degree, working for major corporation, etc.
I have been trying very hard to deal with my mental issues by doing whatever I can to help myself and utilizing whatever resources out there. But I keep struggling with one issue after another. I am extremely worried and frustrated about obtaining success which seems so distant.
Can you give me advice or insights on how to rise above this critical, challenging times in my life? It seems like all the odds are against me.
2006-09-13 15:38:36 · 8 answers · asked by nicesinging1 1 in Business & Finance ➔ Careers & Employment
Yeah, girlhokin has some good advice.
It sounds like you need a vacation, though.
Take a couple of weeks and hike some mountain or something.
2006-09-13 15:51:47 · answer #1 · answered by x 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are 24 years old - and you should have a master's degree? Stop being so hard on yourself.
If you have succeeded in psychological and mental issues, that is an accomplishment!
You are 25% through your life - did you know that the "peak earning years" are from ages 50 - 60 - yup, and you've got 25 years to get there.
Honestly, I did my MBA work after I got out into the working world, and I found that people who experience life before college often get more out of it.
While I was going to college part time, I typed insurance policies for a living, and that was on an IBM selectric, multiple copies, no correction fluid allowed - we had little razor blades that we scraped the error off and re-typed. No shame in that. My mom sold boiled ham and slurpies at K-Mart to help put us through college.
There is nothing to be embarrassed about that you do low skill jobs while you're in college - that's what you want, a steady paycheck without a whole lot of "thinking".
Stop the frustration - look at each day as a success because you've lived it to the fullest, were kind to all you met, and made the world a better place.
2006-09-13 15:43:34 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The first step is to review your personal definition of success. I felt the same way you described when I was younger. I expected to have all of those things and be married and have children etc by the time I was 23. My 23rd birthday was the hardest day of my life. I have never felt like more of a failure. I am about to celebrate my 27th birthday and I have just come to the conclusion that success is an ongoing process. You need to sit down and come up with some realistic goals. How many CEO's would be classified as successful based on your expectations. Very few. I promise from personal experience that success will come to you if you just relax and focus on the what you can do in the moment to bring you success in the future.
But remember, define what success means to you and be realistic. Your current expectations are not realistic.
2006-09-13 15:51:00 · answer #3 · answered by sambadgerlover 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
if you are the type that likes to have pity parties success is farther away than you think. there is nothing you can do about the cards you have been dealt. but you can do something about the way you play them. i could spend days of your time telling you my story. did not find my career until i was 29. struggled through the levels of advancement in a business that i had no experience or prior knowledge of. in my 20 year career with the company i had to deal with threatened supervisors that did their best to hold me back. i became a millionare and had everything i ever wanted. beautiful wife, great kids, big home with pool, luxuary cars and respect of my peers. at 47 i had open heart surgery. at 49 i had a mental breakdown. i lost my business, my home, the cars, everything including my self respect. i lost $287K i had in my retirement fund. $100K in a money market fund. $100K+ in my business account and $50K in cash in my safe at home. i am now disabled and receive $1760 per month from SS. but i still consider myself successful because i am still alive and i still have my family. success is a journey not a destination. successful people are the people that do the things failures refuse to do. all you can do is the best you can do. if you ever reach or live up to your expectations failure is not far behind. people wonder why successful people keep working and doing the things they do. it is because it is a way of life. a habit they can't break. get you some books by successful people you admire. listen to motivational tapes. remember, no matter how bad you think you have it there is a successful person somewhere that had it worse than you and still made it.
2006-09-13 16:06:03 · answer #4 · answered by handyman5218 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
one thing first, you need to stop comparing what you are doing in your life with what others are doing(how much money they are making, how successful they are...) because if you don't stop doing that, you will always feel like a loser for the rest of your life.
no matter how glamorous some people's lives may seem, there are always problems, struggles, despairs and disappointment in every person's life. the worst thing one can do to himself/herself is to keep regretting what should have or should not have happened. Everything happens for a reason, those who learn from it and grow from it are the ones who deserve true happiness. those who complain about it and regret, get nothing but bitterness.
with all the rambling, I didn't hear you say one word about your passion in life. and my friend, without that, there's no true success either.
2006-09-13 16:03:01 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Read: Seven Habits Of Highly Successful People.
Life will always be hard. But you sound like you're aggressive.You'll beat the odds if you don't give up & blame everything on hard luck and the past.
Please read: Seven Habits Of Highly Successful People
2006-09-13 15:50:27 · answer #6 · answered by Common Sense 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are being much too hard on yourself. Focus on getting that last semester done and getting that college degree - and congratulations when you do! It's SO close!
And you're only 24?! Man, EVERYTHING is ahead of you. You're no failure at all.
2006-09-13 16:07:02 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why don't you finish up your degree if your one semester away it might open doors for you. If it doesn't go back to graduate school and make a better life for yourself. Good Luck
2006-09-13 15:42:18 · answer #8 · answered by horrorfan 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋