Hey, come on. Quit bashin' the guy. Jeez, every time someone expresses the slightest amount of weakness around here people dive on them. I'm really getting sick of it. You do realize that this sort of behavior might be preventing people from contributing genuine content, right? We're supposed to be helping each other out here.
Anyway, I completely feel you, YMG. I'm about to turn 28 this week and I've been going through this sort of thinking for several years. It sounds like you've been living a lot more than I have though. Most of my twenties have been wasted. I think the key to the solution here is to figure out who exactly you're listening to here. There's been a lot drilled into your head over the years: who you need to be, where you're supposed to be in your stage of life, when you're supposed to get married, etc.
The one thing that has gotten me through all the self-doubt is to take a good look at the people who are living the life they're "supposed" to be living. I have relatives and friends who have gone down the easy path, the one that everyone would have expected them to. I feel a lot of these people didn't have the creativity, drive, or backbone to listen to their inner voice. They stuck to the simple plan. In my early twenties I envied these people. Now I look at them and pity them. I would never trade my life for theirs.
I feel "old" all the time. Why? Probably because I feel like I missed out on something I was "supposed" to do when I was "supposed" to do it.
As long as you don't compromise yourself you're on the right path.
Anyway, I completely feel you, YMG. I'm about to turn 28 this week and I've been going through this sort of thinking for several years. It sounds like you've been living a lot more than I have though. Most of my twenties have been wasted. I think the key to the solution here is to figure out who exactly you're listening to here. There's been a lot drilled into your head over the years: who you need to be, where you're supposed to be in your stage of life, when you're supposed to get married, etc.
The one thing that has gotten me through all the self-doubt is to take a good look at the people who are living the life they're "supposed" to be living. I have relatives and friends who have gone down the easy path, the one that everyone would have expected them to. I feel a lot of these people didn't have the creativity, drive, or backbone to listen to their inner voice. They stuck to the simple plan. In my early twenties I envied these people. Now I look at them and pity them. I would never trade my life for theirs.
I feel "old" all the time. Why? Probably because I feel like I missed out on something I was "supposed" to do when I was "supposed" to do it.
As long as you don't compromise yourself you're on the right path.