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Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

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Re: Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

#161

Post by aerovistae »

zacharycohn wrote: post #158
windowshopping wrote: post #119

I've been feeling this way since middle school. I didn't really have any bad subjects in school, so I figured I could do whatever interested me professionally, but nothing really strongly appealed to me other than a paycheck large enough to eat out whenever I wanted. I discovered programming was pretty fun, now I'm a software engineer, and I'm just saving money for..... something . I don't know what. I've been trying…

You could come join us at 18F or USDS. :)

Believe me, the temptation is strong.

Re: Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

#162

Post by aerovistae »

analyst74 wrote: post #156
aerovistae wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For example, imagine a town official in charge of roads, explaining why the repairs on a certain local highway on-ramp have been delayed for two years. Imagine all the people in that town finally getting to say, "Ah, this is the guy in charge of that! But if what he says here is true, this isn't his fault! As a constituent, I can call this number to pressure the right person in this specific town agency to remove suc…

This sounds like a good idea! Not sure how to monetize such thing, but hey, not everything worth doing can generate money.

I don't know either.

Re: Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

#164

Post by mfrye0 »

Yeah I've been there too. I actually had that realization while in college. I saw my friends a couple years older than me who were graduating, but could not find jobs, and were going no where.

It took me awhile, but you need to figure out what you want of life. For me at least, I decided I wanted to help make the world a better place and be in control of my own life. To create something and not rely on a 9-5 job for a paycheck. I'm still figuring shit out myself, but I think I learn more by trying and failing than I would ever learn in school.

Check out James Altucher. I read this a few years ago when I was in a similar state of mind and this article really struck a chord with me.

http://www.jamesaltucher.com/2013/12/the-ultimate-cheat-shee...

I'm on year 3 :)

Re: Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

#166

Post by gohrt »

Make friends at work or at a community hobby/social/religious/whatever group. connect with people who are into what you are into.

find a mate, start a family, or join a family.

when you are busy, engaged with beautiful/intersting things or good people, you don't feel stuck.

Re: Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

#167

Post by dominotw »

To seek fulfilment is to invite frustration. There is no fulfilment of the self, but only the strengthening of the self through possessing what it craves for. Possession, at whatever level, makes the self feel potent, rich, active, and this sensation is called fulfilment; but as with all sensations, it soon fades, to be replaced by yet another gratification. We are all familiar with this process of replacement or substitution, and it is a game with which most of us are content. There are some, however, who desire a more enduring gratification, one that will last for the whole of one's life; and having found it, they hope never to be disturbed again. But there is a constant, unconscious fear of disturbance, and subtle forms of resistance are cultivated behind which the mind takes shelter; and so the fear of death is inevitable. Fulfilment and the fear of death are the two sides of one process: the strengthening of the self. After all, fulfilment is complete identification with something - with children, with property, with ideas. Children and property are rather risky, but ideas offer greater safety and security. Words, which are ideas and memories, with their sensations, become important; and fulfilment or completeness then becomes the word.

http://www.jkrishnamurti.org/krishnamurti-teachings/view-tex...

So.. I guess start identifying yourself strongly with something. What that something is not very relevant, cast a dice and see what sticks.

Re: Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

#168

Post by gohrt »

windowshopping wrote: post #120
windowshopping wrote: post #119

I've been feeling this way since middle school. I didn't really have any bad subjects in school, so I figured I could do whatever interested me professionally, but nothing really strongly appealed to me other than a paycheck large enough to eat out whenever I wanted. I discovered programming was pretty fun, now I'm a software engineer, and I'm just saving money for..... something . I don't know what. I've been trying…

As an aside, I did have one little idea recently that spoke to me: I was thinking it would be nice if there were some sort of media outlet that focused on solutions instead of problems. Imagine a news source where the articles were outlines of plans by people in positions to leverage change, explaining specifically what they want to change and how to do it. Every article would end with links and contact information i…

good.is claims to do this, but it's actually a junk viral news site. :-(

Re: Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

#169

Post by gohrt »

stevenkovar wrote: post #154

Happiness, money, and love are great as a byproduct of effort, but destructive as the main goal. Do you want to feel fulfilled or do you want to be happy? My money is on the former; for me this fulfillment comes from continually improving. Focus on the process. The process of learning, of working, of talking, of exercising, of being... everything you do, do it just 2% better than last time. Try and be more of yoursel…

> "how much do you make"

what culture is this?!

Re: Ask HN: When you feel stuck in life

#170

Post by elmojenkins »

I am in your shoes OP, I feel it too. There has to be more to this thing. The thought of sitting in my office job for the next 30yrs makes me shake. Seriously. I don't know that I can do it, or that I want to do it.

Bottom line, you need money. How you earn the money is up to you...How much money you need to 'feel' comfortable is up to you.

If you can get a Masters degree (for free through employer or very cheap), do it. Bachelors degrees are like high school diplomas, everybody has 'em these days, and in 10-15yrs you'll want the Masters.

Buy a lottery ticket!

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