i fear that in the end i will have failed living my life? anyone else?

Question

I am 26 years old. I live a very sound life. I am almost done with med school. I have no vices, good friends and most importantly good family. At my age I have done alot that people who know me say I have done really well for myself. My relationships with women have been good. Yet i have this overwhelming fear of me dying and have not lived up to my potential.

I really do enjoy my life right now and see no reason why it should change. I am not depressed either. I dont know what it is, but i cant seem to shake it. And i have felt this way for years. I hate but as of now thats my truth.

Anyone else feel this way?
If you have nothing productive to say than I ask that you please keep the comments to yourself. I thank you in advance for your answers and happy holidays.

wow. I am glad i am not the only one. You all seem to be right. I know there is happiness behind a door and I have all the keys, yet I cant walk through the doorway.

I also ask myself in the end what was the point to it all. Would anything have really been different if i had not been here. As for the doctor thing, it does not reallt matter because had I not done it, someone else would have.

the doctor thing is not a swipe at you just how i feel about myself. I am sure you help alot of people.

Answer 1

i'm 21 and working in one of thew largest accounting firms in the world. i've graduated and am living a good life but i feel exactly how you do, like something is just missing. i have no fear of dying but i am terrified of mediocrity in every sense. i fear becoming one of those people who live behind their white picket fences, mortgages, 2.5 children and a dog. in other words, i never want to look back and realise that i never lived but only existed. i felt the most alive when travelling and in the company of close friends. do you think we're both suffering from growing pains? or maybe just being neurotic?

Answer 2

Hate to bring ya down, son, but it doesn't get any better.

I'm 36 now. Recently I caught up with old college friends that I hadn't seen in about 14 years, and we had some laughs. But there was this strange sense of disillusionment with life. That somehow, the whole damn thing was just pointless. We even talked about it some. Everyone felt about the same, that we somehow had not achieved our potential, that life was somehow bleaker than we would have liked, etc.

I have thought about this a lot over the last 3 months, and here's the conclusion I've reached: none of it means a damn thing. We're all just killing time and waiting for time to kill us. In the end, don't we ALL fail anyway?

The only consolation is that, because there is no point, WE are the masters of our fate. That we can give ourselves the meaning we desire. That 80% of our lives are in our hands. So do what YOU think is right.

If everybody did that, the world might not be better, but it would damn sure be different.

Answer 3

I guess every individual feels the same at some point of his/her life. I too fear that when I look back say 20 years later will I feel satisfied of things I did and things I didnt. I find myself planning of doing various things to enrich my life. There is this constant urge that I should be learning this, doing that or wearing a certain kind of dress or even meeting certain people ..... Perhaps this is what life is all about. If we had answers to our questions where would the fun be? And it is true that certain happenings do change the course and texture of our own life beyond our recognition. Waiting for Godot deals with the same topic. If everything is so meaning less why not enjoy the moment at hand inthe best possible manner? I was reading Paulo Coehlo where he says children have no past nor fear of future that's why they are so care-free.Let's do the same.

Answer 4

I used to feel something somewhat similar, although not exactly the same, when I was around your age (and in similar status). I observed colleagues who had "fallen off" life at various stages, such as dropping out of high school, college etc. My nagging thought was: "Everything is going so smoothly, when is MY luck going to run out?" So I understand your feeling, immensely.

There's no necessity for me to go into depth about my own history thereafter in order to offer an opinion, so I'll just say this: Hold that thought. It may be prescient of some upcoming circumstances, opportunities. Also realize that there's a lot we don't understand about our lives -- things that religion, philosophy and esoteric studies seek to explain -- and perhaps the only chance we have to connect the source of this understanding is listening to that "still small voice" within, such as what you feel.

If you follow what I'm saying above, I really don't think your feelings are a portent of misfortune, but a signal (from yourself?) to be watchful of opportunities to come . . .

Answer 5

I wonder if you might have been born on a cusp (of astrological signs). There are some people who just have the feeling that they should be doing something else, or are afraid that they won't make the most of this life.

I've just had to accept the fact that I feel this way and get on with it. Just accept it and live your life to the fullest.

I often find the "rocking chair" test helpful. You imagine that you are at the end of your life, sitting in a rocking chair and looking back on your life. What regrets would you have? If you know what they might be now, then avoid them.

Answer 6

When I used to be younger, I suggestion of existence as a competition with transparent and seen winners, losers and average spectators. I, of direction, used to be the pass judgement on, jury and persecutor. The best authority, necessary of being elected queen of the arena... A queen so potent that she had little need of a king, a lot much less advisors. The courses which taught me humility have been rough adequate to make me ask this query within the first individual singular as an alternative of pointing the finger of presumption at YOU humans. I'm comfortable I found out my courses as an alternative of performing on my adolescent knowledge. The global is potent while regarded by way of tolerant compassion, irrespective of what number of judgers disrespect my existence. Good success. May you be judged rather by way of your equals.

Answer 7

All I have to say hun is try to live the life you love and love the life you live........I do, sometimes i feel the same way, but then I look at all the good I do and how many people i help everyday. That should count for a whole lot. I'm a doc for 6 yrs now.
take care of yourself and others in your circle

Answer 8

I suggest you join a good Toastmasters club and begin pushing yourself up the ladder.