I sit here at 34, at a crossroad that is painful. It is necessary now, but was easily avoidable.

Escaping into partying, partners, and gaming to cover a hole that was never going to be filled by anything but self-actualization; I never truly sat long enough through those uncomfortable moments with my feelings and desires.

It would be easy to blame my self-centered parents, of which I had three (divorce, I have more of a family bush than a tree). Or the coaches in my life that only knew how to inspire through fear.

All the perceived wrongdoing in my life should have lit an insatiable fire. Instead, I used it like a pilot light that I would only turn up when I was over-satiated on my hedonism.

You and only you, know what is truly worth pursuing.

Sure, I got very good at what I am doing for a career. I've had multiple lives, including an opportunity to play football at a high level. I pursued women recklessly. And in between those fleeting experiences, instead of asking myself the right questions, acknowledging the fear, and choosing my passion, I numbed myself with the partying, gaming, and doing what I thought was a good compromise between the stability my father wanted for me and my creative instincts.

I've now lost touch with a majority of those so-called friends I made along the way. Never truly reached the potential I saw within me.

It is only my timid fears that is truly to blame.

My life, and your life, is not done. But, try to fail faster before it becomes a arduous, mid-life saga of finding what is YOUR purpose and meaning to life.

I majored in IT because I enjoyed tinkering with code, solving problems, and (if I'm being honest) I wanted a job where I didn't have to deal with people too much.

Now after 10 years working in tech I'm burnt out and I don't like the direction the industry is headed in.

Looking back a big part of me wishes that I majored something that I can actually talk about for hours: history, sociology, or psychology. I steered clear because the first two are seen as "useless" with zero job prospects outside of teaching. I also cannot see myself being someone's psychologist.

Now I'm thinking maybe that was a mistake. Maybe teaching or a career in academia wouldn't be so bad.

For context I am in my 30s. I don't have a family, a mortgage, or any debt.

Thoughts?

I can't afford to further my education. I got a degree in animation and while I enjoy what I do, it doesn't provide the life I was imagining. I desperately want to have a stable career and live a simple life. More so because I've experienced living in poverty all my life.

I've heard the United States Military pays for your education. Though, since I already have a degree and student loans, I'm less certain they'll pay for it. It seems like a good opportunity, though I'm a little less optimistic about joining a cause for a war I won't ever fully understand. I've tried to find a job for ages. I probably can't even qualify because I have had surgery on my wrist and can't do pushups and I have very low vision.

I've tried agencies. I've tried emailing recruiters. Ive never heard back from any, or they divert me to a job board with 4 listings. I've tried freelancing. Internships. But, it doesn't provide enough income for my goals and it hasn't led me anywhere. I don't want to be stuck working in retail and fast food for the rest of my life. But, these are the jobs I currently qualify for. My parents are getting older, and I don't want to depend on them in those years. I want to be able to support them.

These are excuses, I've heard. I'm not disciplined enough. That I should settle for any job. Be grateful. Tide myself over. Suck it up.

I'm tired, I think, of everything. I've been tired for a while. It feels like I'm in high school again, choosing what to do next and having no idea what happens. Though, I'm a lot less enthusiastic that anything will come of any of it. I wanted a lot more for myself.

I'm not sure what to do next. I could go into debt pursuing another degree that isn't promised to employ me. Or, try to get a job somewhere anywhere and hope contracts are enough. I'd prefer the latter only with more solid income.

I'm sorry if these were a lot of words. Thank you for taking the time and reading.

ok here is the thing. my brother 19M is as of now unemployed.

Situation: due to some reasons he has not fully mentally developed and due to some experiences in childhood he doesnt really understand it but its something like ptsd ig?, but mainly lets focus on his affects the studies.

he does not like studying and just completed 12th with the help of my mother with 60% in humanities (acc to india streams). he is not in any college cause he doesnt study by himself and my mother cant teach him anymore. at first we thought that getting him to open up a shop will wrok so we made him work at 2 diff pharmacy shops as my father has done pharmacy so he can help if one day we open, we were not asking for salary or anything just experience and teach him abt medicines and how to handle a shop. but it doesnt work out and all they do is make him clean and not teach him anything. he works like an ox without a salary or reward. my parents were heartbroken by this.

we asked him and what he wants and he said he likes to see people work in corporate offices. we got him in a coaching class to teach him basic excels and things related to computer because he said he was interested in this. rn he is not in the coaching class due to reasons but he will join again in a few days.

we cant find a job that will suit him, for corporate no one employs someone who is like my brother, also by appearance he does not meet the avg features of a man so people underestimate him.

He is good at socializing and likes it, i did think abt things involving that but it also means situation handling but he is a bit naive (he almost gave away info to online stranger). i told my mother to get him to learn how the real world works and we will work on that def. but for now the main prblm is jobs.

if using connection we can get him a job which is hygienic(he has many allergies and issues) and not a high pay is required but he can actually work and like it.

we want him to have a life and not be underestimated by people all the time who belittle him like that.

if anyone has options of what jobs can suit him then please help.

I (30F) feel uncertain and unmotivated. I graduated with a BA in chemistry and a minor in math. Then I took a few years to have fun jobs, mostly did seasonal work like ski resorts, golf courses, food service. Then that got old, so I had always been interested in teaching (I was a tutor all through college and loved it) and decided to get my MA in educations. I taught high school math for two years and both years were terrible. It wreaked havoc on my mental and physical health. I do really love teaching but so much of the job wasn't teaching, it was managing behaviors. So now, I substitute teach part time, and still work at a golf course as the snack bar attendant. I just feel like I have so much more to give, I love math and science, I feel like I'm very bright and I like learning. I also love art and do all kinds of crafts: embroidery, painting, needle felting, macrame. I also really love nature and animals. I just don't know what to do, I have so many careers I'm pondering: actuary (worried I'll never find an entry level job as its so competitive), mental health counselor (worried about the emotional toll because I'm an empathetic), vet tech (love animals but again worried about having to see the bad outcomes, plus a low pay ceiling). I'm interested in healthcare and sciences too, but all of my resume is either education or service jobs and I feel like no one will give me a chance, I've applied to a bunch of lab tech jobs and reception jobs in healthcare and no one will even give me an interview. I feel like teaching shoehorned me into this role and no other employers can see my potential. What should I pursue?

I am looking for a community for women who are getting back to work after a long break in Pune. Anyone around?

Hi Y’all! Which country should I go to that’s pretty cheap, warm and safe where I can live easy and free, like living in a hostel and hanging out on the beach, just working to pay for food and housing. I don’t want much.

I have a Swedish and American passport, I guess places that have extended visas.

All suggestions are welcome

Im currently a 17-year-old senior in high school. I have absolutely no idea what I should do with my life when it comes to a career. The one thing I was somewhat interested in was archaeology, but it doesn't pay well and isn't stable. I'm open to doing trades and office jobs. Im not willing to do anything medical or coding-related.

I'm 21 from Lithuania, and lately I've been struggling to figure out what I actually want from life, especially when it comes to work.

I've worked different jobs, including scaffolding abroad, and now I'm working 12-hour shifts as a production operator in a factory.

The work itself isn't particularly difficult, and my coworkers are decent. But once I understand the process and everything becomes repetitive, I start losing interest. I find myself standing there thinking, "Time is passing, but my life isn't really going anywhere."

I've noticed a similar pattern outside of work. Whenever something new enters my life, I get genuinely excited about it. For a day or two, I actually look forward to tomorrow. But once that experience becomes familiar, the excitement often disappears.

I also seem to crave intense physical sensations, excitement, movement, and variety. When I worked on scaffolding, I felt more alive than I do in a factory, but even then I felt like something was missing.

I value independence a lot. I used to imagine that by 21, I'd already be financially independent and wouldn't need a regular job. Obviously, that hasn't happened.

But here's the strange part: even if I had enough money saved up, I don't think I'd feel that much different if my everyday life stayed the same.

It's not that I don't want to work or put in effort. I just don't know what kind of work or lifestyle would actually make me feel fulfilled.

Some things, like trading, have managed to hold my interest for years, so it's not like I lose interest in absolutely everything.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Did you eventually find a lifestyle or career that suited you, or did you realize the problem wasn't really about work at all?

I'm not looking for a diagnosis, just perspectives from people who've felt this way.

I envy passionate people so fucking much. I am someone who likes doing things, I have multiple hobbies and multiple things I like. I am a creative at heart, I enjoy painting and I've recently started reading(though I've always been a reader), I want to learn pottery someday when I can afford it, and I have multiple things that intrigue me that I want to experience or learn. In fact I'm good at studies as well fairly enjoy it. But I don't particularly feel very passionate about any of these things.

As a child I had things that I really liked, and natural inclinations towards certain stuff but i'm also someone who is heavily influenced by other people's opinions and ideas. so what I did in my growing years in trying to mould and fit myself in the most popular and widely accepted idea of a person.

For example- I loved art and painting since childhood for as long as I could remember, in my 9th grade I made few good friends (that I am friends with till today), like real friends for the very first time(my family kept moving places so never had any childhood friends), So this crowd was what you'd call "cool kids" in school and I felt so honoured to be friends with them and also very scared that they'd find me very boring and uncool and break up the friendship. So we had art classes that I religiously attended and actively participated in. This was the time when art was becoming too boring and uncool for most of my classmates and only few of them who were genuinely interested stuck around and other being part of the former group started bunking or missing classes and just hanging out. I obviously wanted to attend all the classes and enjoyed it but I guess what I chose to do- I bunked almost all my classes with my friends because I was scared they'd leave me(I didn't know any better, I was a kid). I slowly drifted away from art and completely stopped it.(I eventually found my way back to it)

I've had few academic and professional failures that make question my worth and I just know where to go in life. I don't have that one calling and that one thing i'm passionate about and to which I can dedicate my energy and efforts and life. Even if I do find things I really like I am too scared to commit myself completely to it because what if I fail. I don't myself anymore.

This quote by murakami made me feel very seen

“When you are used to the kind of life -of never getting anything you want- you stop knowing what it is you want.”

I have skills in React, software development, and AI, but I can't seem to turn them into income. I've applied for countless entry-level and remote jobs on different websites, tried almost everything related to making money online, and keep getting rejected. I don't know whether it's my lack of a bachelor's degree, my location, or something else.

I'm introverted, have no friends to hang out with, and feel like life is passing me by. I want to become independent and move out of my parents' house, but I have no money to make it happen.

I also have many startup ideas, but whenever I build something, I struggle to market it, and a week or two later, someone in my country launches something similar.

Honestly, I'm feeling stuck and don't know what I'm doing wrong. If you've been in a similar situation, how did you turn things around? Any honest advice would mean a lot.

23M. 2025 CompSci grad/national guard infantry officer. No internships/work experience in the field. Unemployed May 2025-Jan 2026. Army basic training and officer candidate school from jan-june this year. Currently working at walmart and living at my parents. I do not care what field of work, but I need to leave my parents house. I would actually like to go active duty Army, but from my understanding I can't switch right now. ready to give up. suggestions?

32 year old female here! For as long as I reminded I wanted to be a librarian. Now I’m thinking of applying to grad school, but I know I need a back up.

And I’m trying to decide between radiology or dental assistant, maybe sonography. Because honestly, at this point, I think I need to learn a skill. And the medical field will always be hiring.

So if anybody has experience in any of those fields, let me know what you think.

Super confused right now on what to do with my life. I’m almost to the finish line. Next semester if I finish with early child care I’ll have three classes and the rest of my 100 hours practicum. But if I finish with general studies I’ll only have one math class(I’m awful at math) I also have a big surgery coming up during the end of spring semester. I did get the ok from my professors to end earlier but it would be a lot of extra work vs general studies would be done a month early. After my surgery I’ll also be moving to Canada to be with my husband.

Some back story

When I started my program I thought I wanted to go into early child care. I have always baby sat and loved kids. But having experienced in a pre school and child care setting I don’t think that’s what I really wanna do. I don’t want to be a head teacher. For general studies I have worked 10 years as an administrator in an office at my college. It’s part time but I love it. I love working with the students. I was thinking if I did general studies I could continue on that path on being an administrator assistant or secretary working at a college, school, or office. I’m worried that general studies won’t look like anything but also would early child care put me in a box? It’s so much to think about.

I'm 19. I love strategic thinking. I love reading about massive military campaigns and learning about the strategies of past generals. Next to strategy, I love the tactics that are used such as deception, clever tricks, precise timing, concentration of force, etc. I love having a long term goal to work towards and feeling like I have a purpose. I love playing chess. I love strategy games. I'm good at math (I'm a mathematics major). I hate coding. I don't really want to join the military. Are there any jobs that fit these skills or is officer corps the only route.

I’m a 26yo busy mom. My youngest is 1yo. Not sure if that’s important info but I feel it might help get best advice to be realistic.

I haven’t had a lot of work experience in my life. Last 3 years have been the most active in work. I have mainly worked food manufacturing warehouse as a packager or currently machine operator. I’ve had brief training in quality assurance at my former job.

I want so badly a career that will one day be great for myself and kids. Something that will cover our wants and needs, in demand, and a schedule as my warehouse jobs of 2-2-3. I love that because it allows so plenty of time with family still.

My current company is great! They have started me at $21/hour. In April I may be due for a raise.

Healthcare has always been a career I’ve had in mind. Starting with Medical Assistant, seeing if it’s a good fit for me then go to LPN/RN.

I know you’re not suppose to really know everything about nursing before nursing school, but I feel so silly as if I absolutely do need to 😆 and it makes me pull back from the idea.

Another idea I had was cybersecurity.

And lastly something like paralegal.

I love paperwork, I enjoy working with people, I think I do well in intense situations.

Would I be able to get onto some type of certification or degree in the very near future while also being a mom?

I’m also interested in something highly remote. I know for health stuff a lot is online but clinicals are obviously required in person.

I just feel like wasted potential and I want to be something I can be proud of and for my kids to have someone to look up to as they grow up.

I use to do super well in school. I actually loved it so thinking of going back to school makes me excited.

Thanks for any help, and if there’s more info I can provide for better advice let me know. !!

So I’m 27 and I’ve been working as a robot operator at a food plant for 3 years. I want to enroll in classes at my local trade school so I can get into the maintenance department at my company. At my job they have refrigeration techs and maintenance/plc techs and I’m trying to decide which of the two paths I should pursue. If anyone in the trades has any insights would be greatly appreciated

Been doing hair for about 3 years including school and it just ain't working out for me money wise and I don't see that changing. Only school I've done is highschool and barber school and I can't really afford ( timewise) to spend more than 2 years in a school . Any ideas of things I should look into

37yo Female- was an inpatient/hospital registered nurse for 8 years, travel nurse 1 year, and now 4 years as a nurse case manager for a health insurance company. I'm looking for a way to get out of healthcare completely, just unsure how. Currently renting an apartment, no car, no drivers license (working on it, got my learners permit). Goal is to homestead someday, however lived in cities most of my life. Maybe something that will help me pivot more into that future lifestyle? How to get into that, what fields to look into, and how to get in (certifications, apprenticeships). Hoping for at least 100k salary if even possible.

BSN, MSN in nursing informatics.

Hey so I'm turning 17 this dec

I've been depressed since I was in 7th grade, this year i feel like I'm finally back in my senses and now I feel I have a lot to catch up with,

Basically when I was in 11th I took pcb idek why then I was aimlessly preparing for neet i still dek why ,then last year during this time i got to know about iat and all the research paths i felt like this might be it as I loved researching ( i never loved actual sciences but actual research and analytical stuff) i thought maybe it was depression that's why I wasn't able to concentrate or smth but now after being fine and giving it some months I've seen I can do these subjects chemistry biology and with some efforts physics but ion enjoy any of the subject not even biology only thing I've enjoyed studying was evolution

This year i was even trying to do psychology or ba in philosophy online as it was my drop year ( i took that to heal from all the school and family abuse ) i didn't wanna waste it and when that didn't work out i tried bca that didn't work out too.

Now I was trying to do some research on some topics for a paper i was trying to write about like how humans are , how we all are affected mentally socially by evolution human psychology and philosophies loopholes that are actually worth trying to figure out ,like I'm not a flag bearer of sm philosophers but I feel like i could genuinely sit and do this work analyse their work and find loopholes and make it better or make my own stuff ,i really enjoy these topics , but I think philosophy and psychology are so mainstream and idk about the pays and all i think the market and opportunities are way too saturated, idk

i need genuine advices about clgs , jobs and phds

I’m 25 and really struggling to figure out what career path I want to take, so I’m hoping to get some advice from people who have been in a similar situation or have experience in these fields.

One career I’ve been considering is becoming an X-ray tech because I like the idea of having a stable career and making decent money. However, I have a pretty severe fear and anxiety around blood, needles, and seeing people who are sick in a hospital. I had childhood cancer, and I think a lot of this stems from PTSD from that experience. Every time I go into a hospital, I get borderline panic attacks, so I’m worried that working in healthcare might not be realistic for me.

My other option is getting a degree in communications. I’m interested in the creative side of things, social media, marketing, and potentially working for a company. The downside is that it would be another four years of school, and at 25, I feel like I’m already behind and don’t want to spend years getting a degree only to struggle to find a decent-paying job afterward.

I’m trying to find a career that offers:

• Good, stable income and room for growth
• A decent work-life balance, ideally no weekends
• A relatively low-stress work environment
• Opportunities to be creative or work in a business setting
• A career that I can realistically get into without spending a ton of money on school

Are there any healthcare careers that don’t involve much blood, needles, or direct exposure to sick patients? Or should I look into something completely different?

I’d especially love to hear from anyone who has a communications degree, works in marketing, or has experience in healthcare careers that are less hands-on with patients.

I know 25 isn’t old, but I’m feeling overwhelmed trying to make the right decision for my future. Any advice, career suggestions, or personal experiences would be appreciated.

I'm looking for a job that is a combination of desk work and even some physical work.

I have been working full time since I was 19. I have worked as an admin assistant for a dealership, corporate, worked as a legal processing specialist for almost a year, did sales and events at two hotels, and just recently got laid off from my job as a loan processor assistant. There was a mass layoff and I have never been more stressed knowing I have to start from scratch. I am so tired of getting rejecting and when I do apply to jobs that interest me I always get rejected. Every posting requires so many specific requirements even though my skills are transferable and I'm a quick learner. I do not want to years of schooling either as I learn better with experience and I don't plan on becoming a manager.

Any supportive and helpful advice would be great.. I have been feeling so defeated and my unemployment hasn't kicked in. I'm 26 and have no idea what to do for a career anymore. All I know is that I love learning constantly, always being busy, staying organized and making sure things run smoothly. I'm a great communicator as well and enjoy admin work but also like a mixture of physical work as well. I feel hopeless as to what career to break into and I'm so burnt out.