Am in despair, anyone feel the same?

spacewanderer

Hey guys, anyone out there feeling completely unhappy? I am hesitant to talk about my problems as a lot of people might not feel it is significant, but they are significant to me. My dad keeps telling me to think about people in Syria/homeless people, but honestly that does not make me feel any less upset. It just highlights to me what a terrible place this world is.

I feel I have got nothing I wanted. Isn't that the key to unhappiness - to not get what you want? I worked so hard at my job for 2 years, didn't get promoted, faced a lot of other work related setbacks which makes me feel I'm at a dead end. Now I want to look at other options - well the irony is I am being paid a high salary already, so nowhere I look can I find jobs which will pay me what I am getting here with the kind of career progression and responsibilities I want. I do find some great sounding jobs but I think my chances of getting there are 0.

My career has always been something I have focussed so much on, my family life is pretty cr@p. I have dreamt for years of climbing the ladder fast, doing great work. I'm now beginning to feel it's a massive lie. You don't get what you want, however hard you work - you need that extra luck, that powerful boss, that good year, that great team i.e a lot of things out of your control.

I know most of you guys think I'm whining about nothing "of course, life is unfair". This is how I feel though- I'm not getting what I always wanted, I don't think I'll get what I want, I am bombarded with images of successful people in the papers, on the TV and it makes me feel so envious. I know there are millions of people who have it worse, but that's what I'm complaining about... how can life be this bad for so many people? What right do I have to expect a good life, even if I work hard and am technically smart? I don't think I have the real life skills to cope with the dismal place this world is. Anyone else feel the same?

My family advise me to take pleasure in the little things and be thankful for what I have. It's good advice I know, but it's very hard to implement. All my life I was also told by my family/school/university/job to work for my dream, be this strong type-a personality, and finally nothing has come out of it. I can't suddenly switch to this small pleasures person - that's not the way I am built, nor trained myself for years to be.... thoughI really do admire people who can be happy on a day to day basis.

I'm so exhausted, filled with anxiety and worry. What about all my goals? Do things get better?

Have you guys got what you wanted? Are the succesful guys from your high school the ones who worked hard/did well in school or was it all circumstances outside anyone's control?