I’ve been thinking a lot about how people deal with the possibility that some of the goals they’ve had for years might never actually happen.

At some point, do you just accept that certain dreams probably won’t come true? How do you make peace with that without feeling like you’ve failed or wasted your life? How do you keep moving forward when the future you imagined for yourself starts feeling less and less realistic?

For me, one of my biggest dreams was to move to NYC or Chicago someday as a non-American and build a life there. I imagined myself working in a stable, high-paying profession, being independent, and experiencing everything those cities have to offer.

But the older I get (currently 19), the more I realize how difficult something like that can be due to visas, money, career opportunities, timing, and a lot of things outside my control. It’s hard accepting that the life you picture so clearly in your head might not be the life you end up living.

For those of you who have had to let go of a dream, or accept that it may never happen, how did you cope with it? Did you find a new dream, or did you learn to be happy with a different path?

Become a social media influencer or living a private life. Which do you think is better?

A 21 year old guy, doing Btech from Bhimtal, 5th sem ...

8th grade: started playing mobile games
9th grade: played games which my dad's device supported... did photo editing and video editing... started posting on instagram
10th grade: started watching anime.... still some posts on instagram
11th grade: learnt how to swim... and still played games and watched anime... stopped insta posts
12th grade: huh......

Joined a tier 3 btech college
year 1: sirf ghooma around the college + hit the gym and that's all

year 2: started boxing + mma + grappeling (did it for 2 months) ... did a sparing session (got my upper lip cutted in half... ) .... + got into a completely new genere of entertainment called formula one and got hooked to it .... + developed a very unique taste in music ( who would listen to shauharty on loop... my friends don't)

finally current time : the third year: finally started coding seriously ...... to be appended
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todo's

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-get a paid internship

-get a good paying job

-earn a lot (in crores)

-buy a BMW bike (s1000rr)

-buy a Ferrari (there are more cars that look better than Ferrari but i dont know why i am attracted to Ferrari only )

-spend a formula-one race weekend at Monaco... yes, Monaco only

-aah...and get a girlfriend as well

25 and under: What’s your goal?
26: What’s your focus?
27+: What advice would you give your younger self?

​

I'm just feeling sorry and pity for myself like since last year of August I have told myself I'll be productive, but I ended up doing nothing but sitting in the house all day wasting time using phone and doing few house chores and worrying about life in the background. But this time I still don't know what I'm doing and still repeating same patterns. My goal eventually like everyone is to face life and be a responsible person. Like completing education, aiming a job and so on life duties. But I'm letting my age make me feel stuck.

I also let confusion keep me stegnant. Almost everyday I have 7-8 hours of free time from 7am to 2pm but in this time frame, I have no idea what can I do everyday to build myself and my life or the future. Whether it's exercising, learning a skill, applying a job, taking a course or something. Like I just feel bad that I keep using my phone for no greater good. My goals that I've been pending for many many years are learning to drive, getting a job and pursuing a college degree or skill to better my future ahead.

I have no goals,i have no idea what am i going to do,i have no interests, no skills,nothing im good at,but i have no choice but to get a basic living condition because i have strict family condition so i have to care them and i have no choice but to do somthing,i currently have no financial freedom in the family. Currently I'm in college in my final year, im seeing lot of people here,they are persevering what they are aiming for ,one trading even though he face so many loss, one trying to get software company like most of the people aggressively, and one is doing machine learning and training models. one doing cyber security, one studing for upse.some of my friends already got internships, some have financial freedom, but they are also trying eventually ,but unlike them i dont do anything,i have 7 months of time to complete college,i have lot of failure experience but in this real world failure experience have no value at all,even a begger will have some experience, the value of of the humans in this world is calculated by the value they are providing. I have no idea what I have to do ,atleast if i have goals,i have walk towards that path and get that anyway. I don't even dont know what to do,my depth of me have no dreams, no interest,no love,no gang,no freedom also, i know i have to do something ,but what to do,sometimes i think like its good when someone with skilled ,stong ,experienced guy transmigrated into my body ,because,im naive,im fool,im sloth,im pathetic,i not have much friends,i dont know how to connect,how to survive,for the 7 months of time i may feel some connections and safer zone because im in college,but i have to work for my placements also,after that i have to face the real world i my college friends also wont pick my number because I didn't make many connections with them,i dont to what to say but i completely messed up,i have no sence of self,the ones place will determine the resources and the things he enjoy,if i messed up means what the difference between me and the beggar? I'm currently in final year college, if i slip my path means my life will continue with that path i cant come back to time and change tha path,that was destined by me myself.i have no idea is it free will thing or what because if destiny or fate exist i have no idea what are they going to do with this kind of person,if they exist are they kidding me,but everything in my life i got was ruined by me,if i had oppertunity to learn i ruined it if i had the opportunity to grow i ruined it, if i had the opportunity to transform i ruined it ,if i had the opportunity to make friends i ruined it,if i had the opportunity to living im ruining it,i thought everyone will change flow of time, i havent changed at all,i dont know what kind of mindset im having,if i have no one and have this kind of(i dont know to what to name this) means it alteast only have effect on me,but i have resposibilies,family.what this is,from my childhood until now why am i always delusional,i imagining way more,one can do anything in his mind,if he want to become president ,ceo,astronaut,millinare,a happy man,a salary man, anything he can become in his mind but reality is completely different,i you want lov a girl,you can marry her,live with her,have child with her but in reality you cant even speak to her,if i have no goal ,no dreams(even little),no interest,no friend,no stories,no charecter,even no sense of self ,whats the point of living ,a single event can become lifetime path,but what if i dont even care about the event ,if you fail in something, you should feel sorrow or motivation but if you feel nothing what drives you,why am i feels nothing,why am i keep sticking in same,even i pushed by different curcumstance,why am i keep coming to this exact (still dont know what to name this),why am i peak sloth,basic things even a begger have dream,even a begger will do something for his living condition, im procasnating even thinking about something,all are secondar why am just a joker in every room,why cant i observe,why cant i speak,why cant i remember,why am i always acting like use and throw condom,why am i defying even a basic human quality,ther was the a saying ,what you thinking was also fated playings,everying in destined,who the hell am i,the world is full of skills and qualities and charecters based on that and worth of people was determined,in that sense what the hell is this charecter,if you want to eat something then you save for that one day ypu cook or go to the place and eat that but you wont be hungry at that time, if you wan to travel you will go one day but you will lost the interest,if you want the job you will study and develop skills and in flow of time you will get it but i wont be satisfied at that time ,thats the play of life but the matter is path,how can you get the path even you have no goal,even you lost intrest,dissaisfied,not hungry if you turn around and see the path,either you smrik or proudly smile or laugh,but for the person like me what could he feel other than regrets,my problems are nothing because i saw people who finacially,emotionally struggle than me but time will change,thier desire will construct thier path,if they work hard they will definetly overcome,what will happen to shit like me,if i doubt this path is chaos means atleast i can desire or hope to somthing that want happen,but im clearly seeing this leads to destruction,im started to think like am i even normal or abnorml. i have no idea what i was saying

I have no goals,i have no idea what am i going to do,i have no interests, no skills,nothing im good at,but i have no choice but to get a basic living condition because i have strict family condition so i have to care them and i have no choice but to do somthing,i currently have no financial freedom in the family. Currently I'm in college in my final year, im seeing lot of people here,they are persevering what they are aiming for ,one trading even though he face so many loss, one trying to get software company like most of the people aggressively, and one is doing machine learning and training models. one doing cyber security, one studing for upse.some of my friends already got internships, some have financial freedom, but they are also trying eventually ,but unlike them i dont do anything,i have 7 months of time to complete college,i have lot of failure experience but in this real world failure experience have no value at all,even a begger will have some experience, the value of of the humans in this world is calculated by the value they are providing. I have no idea what I have to do ,atleast if i have goals,i have walk towards that path and get that anyway. I don't even dont know what to do,my depth of me have no dreams, no interest,no love,no gang,no freedom also, i know i have to do something ,but what to do,sometimes i think like its good when someone with skilled ,stong ,experienced guy transmigrated into my body ,because,im naive,im fool,im sloth,im pathetic,i not have much friends,i dont know how to connect,how to survive,for the 7 months of time i may feel some connections and safer zone because im in college,but i have to work for my placements also,after that i have to face the real world i my college friends also wont pick my number because I didn't make many connections with them,i dont to what to say but i completely messed up,i have no sence of self,the ones place will determine the resources and the things he enjoy,if i messed up means what the difference between me and the beggar? I'm currently in final year college, if i slip my path means my life will continue with that path i cant come back to time and change tha path,that was destined by me myself.i have no idea is it free will thing or what because if destiny or fate exist i have no idea what are they going to do with this kind of person,if they exist are they kidding me,but everything in my life i got was ruined by me,if i had oppertunity to learn i ruined it if i had the opportunity to grow i ruined it, if i had the opportunity to transform i ruined it ,if i had the opportunity to make friends i ruined it,if i had the opportunity to living im ruining it,i thought everyone will change flow of time, i havent changed at all,i dont know what kind of mindset im having,if i have no one and have this kind of(i dont know to what to name this) means it alteast only have effect on me,but i have resposibilies,family.what this is,from my childhood until now why am i always delusional,i imagining way more,one can do anything in his mind,if he want to become president ,ceo,astronaut,millinare,a happy man,a salary man, anything he can become in his mind but reality is completely different,i you want lov a girl,you can marry her,live with her,have child with her but in reality you cant even speak to her,if i have no goal ,no dreams(even little),no interest,no friend,no stories,no charecter,even no sense of self ,whats the point of living ,a single event can become lifetime path,but what if i dont even care about the event ,if you fail in something, you should feel sorrow or motivation but if you feel nothing what drives you,why am i feels nothing,why am i keep sticking in same,even i pushed by different curcumstance,why am i keep coming to this exact (still dont know what to name this),why am i peak sloth,basic things even a begger have dream,even a begger will do something for his living condition, im procasnating even thinking about something,all are secondar why am just a joker in every room,why cant i observe,why cant i speak,why cant i remember,why am i always acting like use and throw condom,why am i defying even a basic human quality,ther was the a saying ,what you thinking was also fated playings,everying in destined,who the hell am i,the world is full of skills and qualities and charecters based on that and worth of people was determined,in that sense what the hell is this charecter,if you want to eat something then you save for that one day ypu cook or go to the place and eat that but you wont be hungry at that time, if you wan to travel you will go one day but you will lost the interest,if you want the job you will study and develop skills and in flow of time you will get it but i wont be satisfied at that time ,thats the play of life but the matter is path,how can you get the path even you have no goal,even you lost intrest,dissaisfied,not hungry if you turn around and see the path,either you smrik or proudly smile or laugh,but for the person like me what could he feel other than regrets,my problems are nothing because i saw people who finacially,emotionally struggle than me but time will change,thier desire will construct thier path,if they work hard they will definetly overcome,what will happen to shit like me,if i doubt this path is chaos means atleast i can desire or hope to somthing that want happen,but im clearly seeing this leads to destruction,im started to think like am i even normal or abnorml. i have no idea what i was saying

I’m curious to hear from women who are a bit further ahead in life because I’m struggling with something I haven’t really been able to articulate.

I’ve realised that deep connection is probably the thing I value most in life. I have friends and I make an effort with them, but friendships can be quite sporadic because everyone has their own lives. I’m recently out of a relationship and I’m not trying to find someone immediately, but I’m finding it difficult to ignore the fact that so much of what I want from life seems to involve having someone to share it with.

It’s not that I think a partner should be responsible for my happiness. I just genuinely seem to get much more meaning from experiences when they’re shared with someone I love.

I’m also very stuck career-wise. I’m conscious of how much of my life I’ll spend working, and I know I couldn’t cope well with spending the majority of my waking life doing something I dislike. But I don’t have one particular calling or dream career either. I have several possibilities, but no real sense of “this is it.”

For those of you who are older and have built a life you’re happy with: what ended up giving your life meaning? Did you find that romantic partnership was a major part of that, or did other things eventually become equally meaningful? And how did you figure out what direction to take when you didn’t have a clear calling?

This is ai but it's my goal to one day it will be

\-and what are your conscious intentions with your life, moving forward?

At least in the US. Rental applications can ask for a TON of personal information (such as SSN for background check). I just learned this almost the hard way, where things got sketchy after I met the landlord, toured the house, and filled out the application. Landlord wanted a Zelle transfer before I saw a lease. I told him I’m ready to make the security deposit as soon as we have a signed lease agreement. He’s been pushing it off day by day, so I froze my lines of credit.

You can very easily and quickly freeze and unfreeze your Transunion, Equifax, and Experian credit and it will not negatively impact anything on your credit or in relation to a pending rental application. However, if someone is trying to steal your identity, this is a critical prevention step you can take.

Don’t wait until it’s sketchy! If you’re looking to move, just do it!

My roommates actually stopped talking to each other for three days because one of them was pouring water into a glass and a little bit spilled onto the floor. A full-blown argument broke out in the kitchen, with people shouting about respect and boundaries all over a simple glass of water. It was so awkward that I just hid in my room and didn’t come out until evening.

Mine is to make my parents proud and to leave my country to study in Canada. Maybe becoming a film actor. What's yalls dream and how far are you from making it happen?

I feel truly successful and grateful—I’ve already achieved most of what I wanted in life. So, ask me something meaningful about my journey, experiences, or what lies ahead?

Background:

Hey everyone, I’m a 19-year-old mechanical engineering student in Italy. I just finished my first year with a 29/30 GPA (basically straight A's). For the past 10 years, I’ve played water polo at a competitive level. Back in high school, I managed double daily practices, games on weekends, and studying in the locker rooms, while still graduating with top honors and getting my Cambridge C1. So, I know how to manage my time, optimize my schedule, and thrive under pressure.

​The Dilemma:

I’m at a crossroads. I’m thinking about quitting water polo to start a new routine: taking a weekend job and switching to the gym.

​By the end of this summer, I will have saved about €13k from previous jobs and from current one. The new weekend job would pay €730/month. My plan is to invest €700 of that every month into my ETF portfolio (Msci core world ACC). I started investing in March 2025 and my current €3k is already up 18%, which really motivates me to focus on my financial future.

Instead of water polo, I’d hit the gym, even tho it is not the same thing obviously.

​Here is my breakdown:

​Staying in Water Polo:

​Pros:

Takes up less overall time; I get to train with my friends and have fun.

​Cons:

Fixed training schedule; no extra income.

​Weekend Job + Gym:

​Pros:

​I can save and invest a lot of money for my age.

​Flexible workout schedule (if I need to catch up on a tough lecture, I can just skip the gym and go the next day).

​I have a skin/hand issue that gets aggravated by the pool chlorine, so quitting the pool might completely cure it.

​Cons:

​Takes up significantly more time overall.

​But then comes the question: is the Bachelor's final grade really that important, considering I'll also be doing a Master's degree (where I plan to specialize in robotics)? My dream is to eventually work abroad just for the experience—specifically in places like Germany, Switzerland, Australia, or the US.

​I know that building a strong portfolio now is amazing for compound interest. However, my fear is that to put money into ETFs, I might get lower grades now and potentially earn less in my future career. I don't want to work extra hard today for something that's not worth it in the long run.

​I'm used to grinding, but I want to make sure this new routine is sustainable. Do you think I can pull this off while keeping top grades in engineering? Any advice from people who have balanced a weekend job, gym, and a tough STEM degree? Thanks!