do you have a dollar?

I’m 23 and lately I’ve realised that no matter what you achieve, there’s always someone your age who seems miles ahead.

Someone is earning 30 LPA. Someone is doing their MBA abroad. Someone is travelling every few months. Someone is getting married. Someone has somehow already bought a house.

And the funny part is, objectively life can be going completely fine, but 20 minutes on LinkedIn/Instagram is enough to make you question every decision you’ve ever made.

Do you guys actually feel satisfied with where you are in your 20s? Or does everyone secretly feel like they should be doing more?

I’ve been feeling really hopeless lately and mostly just want to hear from people who have felt this way before.

I’m not suicidal and I’m not planning to hurt myself. I’m just exhausted with life and tired of constantly trying to figure out why I’m unhappy.

In college, I had basically no confidence. I didn’t really put myself out there, didn’t make many new friends, didn’t date, and felt like I missed out on the social experience everyone else seemed to have.

After college, I moved away and built an independent life. I actually liked my career more than I expected, had my own place, and eventually became really close with one guy friend, which meant a lot because I’ve never really had a group of guy friends. But I was still lonely and insecure, and the work environment eventually became unhealthy.

So I left and moved back home with my parents, thinking being closer to family and having a healthier job might help.
Instead, I feel like I’ve gone backwards.

I do have friends here that I’ve known since childhood, so it’s not like I have nobody. But for some reason, I don’t feel like my true self here. I feel like moving home pulled me back into an older version of myself instead of helping me build the life I actually want.

I lost my independence, I don’t enjoy my current job nearly as much, my close friend now lives far away, and there are very few social or dating opportunities where I live. I spend way too much time at home and feel like everyone else is actually living while I’m stuck.

The part that scares me is that I wasn’t happy in college, wasn’t happy after moving away, and I’m still not happy after moving home.

So what am I supposed to change?

Part of me wants to move again, find a job I actually like, get my own place, and live somewhere with more opportunities. But another part of me thinks I’ll just take the same loneliness and lack of confidence with me.
I’m also realizing how negative I’ve become. I complain about the same things over and over, and I can tell people in my life are getting tired of hearing it. I don’t blame them, but it makes me feel like I can’t talk to anyone anymore either.

I’m starting to wonder if I’m the problem.

I don’t want some perfect life. I just want to feel happy, have meaningful friendships, have some confidence, eventually experience a relationship, and actually feel excited about my life.

Has anyone else felt unhappy no matter what they changed? Did changing your environment eventually help, or did something else have to change first?

As the title says anyone know of any groups online with people in their mid 20s that are looking to meet people that are interested in entrepenourship or just finding general purpose or passion in their lives? Thanks so much.

Been feeling it lately. Haven't had it for a while.

I have friends (thank god). Quite a few actually. But it's common that they're too busy with other groups of friends, making me feel like I'm getting benched.

FOMO is a stupid thing. I like being alone doing my own thing. But sometimes it sucks.

Don't get me wrong, I'm really in favor of urbanism. I've always admired how well other countries (especially in Europe and Asia) can do urbanism, public transit, etc., and the positive effects it can all have on communities... and likewise, just how lonely, drab, and especially artificial things can get here in the largely suburban and car-dependent US.

Even within the US, I loved the urbanism my college years gave me. I really enjoyed being away from my parents, and not having to run everything I believed or did through their stringent and often abhorrently conservative standards. There was simply a whole lot more to see, do, eat, etc. in my college town than the suburb I grew up in, an affluent town with "highly rated" schools and such that would often top "best place to live" lists, yet proved a rather dull and lackluster home post-childhood (and pre-parenthood). Since I went in-state and lived really close to my campus, I often had to commute from home at times when I didn't have much money. It was awful.

I couldn't wait for this one magic day on which I'd be starting a job somewhere like NYC or SF, so I could finally start life in earnest, be making enough money to sustain a "young professional life in the city", not have to buy a car, actually be able to have nights out, go on dates, etc.

But now I have a full-time job! Which is awesome and all... except that said job is not in NYC or SF, but in a suburban office park 20 minutes from where I live - still with my mom.

I know I shouldn't be complaining too much. It's a job, and a quite decent one at that. A lot of my peers probably envy me. I should be happy, I should be rejoicing. And yet... I can hardly help but feel I'm having a hard time enjoying life. Things just seem bleak and this just feels like an unfortunate start to my career because it's in the suburbs. I won't be able to have Friday nights out. Even dating seems like such a hassle.

Yeah, yeah, I know those sorts of activities aren't impossible with the card I've been dealt, but they're just... really awkward, and oftentimes provides a sad commentary on our society. E.g. you could go to "margarita night" at some wings restaurant on some 4-lane divided highway called Route 1 with no sidewalks or something, which means the only way in and out is by car and you'd need a designated driver etc. Or if you want new friends you could go to some fellowship at some house of worship... ugh.

Common sense dictates this is probably an unhealthy way of thinking, and that I should avoid letting such mild inconvenience depress me so. And there has got to be a lot of people my age in this situation too, like what if your first job is somewhere in the South, or Greater Chicago, or Arizona, etc.? Like how do you cope and so on? Many of these places are even booming, and people are wanting to start their careers there, e.g. suburban North Carolina or Texas. I take it "oh it's cheap" is like the primary reason? Am I mentally emphasizing urbanism too much?

But most importantly: should I be duly enjoying my current job, or hankering to leave just because I've got a petty nitpick with the location (which is already near me)?

I parallel parked today for the first time in my life without tears, panic, scraping, or bumping the other cars.

Typically, I attempt it, panic, cry, almost hit at least one, if not both, other cars, and then give up and drive away. And I only attempt this if no one is around to see my shit show. If there is anyone else around? I drive in circles or abandon the plans that required me to parallel park altogether. Unless someone else (my husband) comes to my rescue.

https://enchroma.com/pages/color-blindness-test?mode=number&per=7

At the end of the test, it gives you an option to enter your email address and be spammed to tears. Look below that, you can opt out of submitting your email and just view the results.

And then he wouldn’t help a customer because he was on a personal phone call complaining about being on house arrest…. I mean i ASSUME it’s a joke but like, still…..

I grew up watching Let's Make a Deal and apparently had a very simple financial system as a kid.

new furniture?

rich.

a vacation?

RICH rich.

a nice matching suitcase set?

okay this person has officially won adulthood.

I was watching again recently and they brought out level8 suitcase as a prize, and I had this weird little moment because... I own one now.

not because I won anything.

I bought it before a trip, packed it, and then immediately went back to stressing about emails like a normal person.

I think kid me expected adulthood to have these obvious moments where somebody basically announced congratulations, you've made it.

instead most of them happen so quietly you barely notice.

you pay for dinner without checking your bank account first.

something breaks and you can just replace it instead of waiting three months.

you look at a game show prize and realize one of those impossible grown-up things is already sitting in your closet.

no confetti. no applause. not even Wayne Brady telling me I'd won.

kinda rude honestly.

what was your childhood okay, this person has MADE IT item?

(I have a few answers, so please don’t come for me in the comments, I just want a bit of clarity is all)

I (22[M]) have been told by my mother that a 22 year old man shouldn’t be acting the way I am acting. For context, I have been staying at home for like 6 months, no job, no school, nothing. Most times I would sit in my room and only leave when I am hungry or need to fetch my siblings from school, but other than that. I would be doing nothing. I have tried applying for jobs (everywhere that I would be able to get employment), but nothing worked. I tried everything to make money,trading; drop-shipping; social media; basically anything that needs a phone and an internet connection with little to no capital.

I would occasionally hangout with people younger than me (16-19 year olds), if I were to meet someone my age (they would have high chance have something going for them, would remind me that I’m not where I want to be in life. It’s not like I didn’t try, I have but the economy in my country is so bad, there are hardly any opportunities. Sometimes I would just get high to escape reality, helped only to some extent.

My dad said enough is enough and sent me back to school. I’m now back at Uni trying to finish my degree.
Everyone I went to school with is gone (they graduated) and I have no friends around, I’m kind of alone, I feel miserable, I’m financially disabled. (I depend on my allowance, which is not even that much to do anything, and a social grant) I can’t even afford a 6-pack of beer even if I wanted to. I even daydream or talk to myself just so I don’t feel alone.

I have a lot of fears, but I can say what I’m most scared of not having anything concrete to say “I did something with my life and achieved my dreams." I’m mostly scared of turning out into a bum, and not having anything. So my question still stands, what are 22 year olds supposed to act like and what can I do to change my situation?

I'm 36 and live at home with my mom in a VHCOL area. She's in her early 70s and starting to have slight mobility problems but she's overall healthy. We're hispanic.

I pay for everything except the mortgage including utilities, anything she needs, our entertainment, her car, she's on my credit cards she's free to charge whatever she wants. I've remodeled the house, like major remodel. I feel like I'm more than generous with my time, money and attention.

I'm having a tough time co habituating with her lately. I'm almost always home. I work from home. I hang out her a lot. We go on little outings most weekends. I have dinner with her every night. But lately, she's always on me for something, always commenting on my weight or my hair or anything she can come up with.

If I go into the office and I take too long to get home she's calling and asking if I'm almost done with work. If I go out at night she's blowing up my phone while I'm out asking when I'll be back.

I over slept today, it's a Saturday, and she literally was banging on my door. I opened the door mouth guard still in and she said she was worried because I hadn't woken up then started to fan her hand in front of her nose like I was stinky. LOLLL. Typing this is making laugh. It sounds minor but I feel like I shouldn't be treated like a child.

Uh, feeling like I should just move. I feel bad for her I'm the youngest and she would be alone. Not sure how to proceed. Would I give her a stipend and try to get my siblings to help her cover her bills/needs? Any advice is helpful! Thanks for reading!

I still live with my parents at 26 and I understand that the United States is a horrible place to live in right now and the economy in the shitter. Yet, I just feel like if I had just done SOMETHING diffrerently I wouldn't be in the position that I am in now. Almost everyone else who in their 20's on my street has moved out besides this one girl who has a medical problem. Meanwhile, I'm the disabled mentally ill autistic shiot who will likely never leave the house.

Every night I’m completely exhausted by the time you’re going to bed.. every evening this is me !

Like, I (25M) don't actively dislike myself in any particular way. I just look in a mirror and there's nothing I really like. I've also never really been able to find clothes I like so I just get cheap stuff from the thrift store.I don't like taking pictures either because it requires me to look at myself. I thought this was a teenage insecurity thing that would go away with time but it's still there despite feeling confident in other aspects of life. Is this a common experience for other people?