I'm getting close to graduating high school and I am terrified of the world. Already having gone through everything as an LGBT youth I am afraid of the real world and I don't worry as much about being able to survive but more of finding a life I love. How is it possible to do when you have no clue what you love?
Things to love... People. Who you love and what you love about them is always something that everyone struggles with. Only you can answer that question. Hobbies. Do you like sports? Art? Music? Video games? What? Having a passion for something which you can also hopefully share with others is key to finding your way through life. Your profession. Yes, college is scary, what do you do? It's scary not knowing what you want, I didn't know what I wanted to do until I was 30 and in college I had to declare a major in my junior year. Glad I went with chemistry but, it was hard to pin down exactly what I wanted. I enjoy my current profession immensely and at 32 it is my first real job. So at 17 you're just starting out in life. Don't rush it, find what makes you happy. You will find your way. Try things. Meet people... Live.
Jaysuss, (great name, by the way ) I feel you. At 25, I'd say I'm no closer to figuring these things out as you are. However, I want to tell you what I've learned: 1) Money, stuff, jobs, etc. can be replaced. People can't. Always remember this. True friends are hard to come by. Goodness knows I've learned that the hard way. People, I dare say, are the most important things in the world, and this is coming from me, someone who dislikes people on general principle, although I have been told that I don't. 2) Experience is something you gain immediately after you need it. Learned this one the hard way, too. Don't expect yourself to know everything. It'll only frustrate you and sap your productivity. You will learn some if not all of life's lessons the hard way. Everybody does. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. 3) The existential crisis is a bitch. You know when you start to wonder about the nature of the universe and your place in it? Yeah, there's a name for it, and it sucks. But the fact of the matter is that figuring this stuff out is not a waste of time. 4) It's funny how you find you enjoy your life when you're happy to be alive. That's a lyric from a Relient K song. I didn't come up with that myself. The key to enjoying life is....just enjoying it. Do things you enjoy. Spend time with people you love. Present yourself in a way that is true to who you are and makes you happy. Short of that, I will emphasize that it's not about the money. It's about what you enjoy. Trust me, I've been to comic conventions where these guys have quit very good jobs to pursue their art, and even though they're broke as hell, they're happy. Hell, I work at an Arby's. I make minimum wage, and from a persona standpoint, it's the best job I've ever had. And I've been an insurance agent! But I hated the insurance business, and it made me really depressed, so I went back to Arby's. And even though I worry about money a lot, I really wouldn't have it any other way. I have great coworkers, and I enjoy what I do.
This thread is what I need. I'm in the same boat. What a great advise you got there justjade and thank you for that!
