What is the one utmost “Passion” You have ? . It may be anything “Music” , “Sports” , “Fame” , “Social Work” etc.
Now live Just For That passion ANd care for nothing else .

I once read an advice column that explained that unfortunately, for some of us, someone turned the difficultly level on the video game of life to Extreme. It’s tough, it’s a challenge, but I don’t think the point is to beat the game, that’s not what life is about. The point is to give it your best effort, to try your best and know that given the circumstances you’ve done the most that you could do.

It’s okay to be in your 30s and not Have It Together. I have friends who were moved out and working and married at 25. I have friends who are 37 and unemployed living with their elderly parents. Comparing your life to others is the easiest way to kill any gratitude for your own successes. Compare your life now to where you were 5 or 10 years ago. You don’t need to follow the script others or society gives you, follow what makes sense to your own heart.

I think that you should begin to flip you perspective and energies. All the embarrassment and hurt you’re carrying, use it to feed your drive. Use it to FIND your drive, and then use it to feed it.

You want to be independent? Then Try to figure out ways to make more money, figure out ways to get another job or to move up in your current one, bulk up your savings account, manage your money and solely focus on moving out and becoming independent.

You have all this energy in you, but if you continue to feed it with negative thoughts, that all you’ll do. create a negative person with no drive or motivation. I know this myself believe me! But if you start to shift your perspective to positive thoughts, by becoming more mindful to your negative ones, realising when you’re putting yourself down and changing the thought, you’ll start to think a little happier, and you’ll start to think “maybe I can do this”, and you’ll begin to find a motivation to succeed where you want to be. It is difficult, but it’s what you’ve gotta do, otherwise you’ll end up not reaching where you want to be.

Hope it all goes well for you!

Jonathan, I couldn’t help but smile thinking of you smiling at someone else when you are feeling a little sad. That is inspiring. It means you have a sweet and kind spirit. I think expectations of where we should be in life is a joy killer. We aren’t all the same. We all don’t need to be a certain place or have certain things by a certain age. You mentioned freedom and independence and I just want to say that having your license and driving a car can give you autonomy but it can also be very isolating. With your grandmother driving you, you have time with her, which may not seem important right now, but as someone who lost her grandmother, I would give anything for one more car ride with my grandmother. People who drive feel the same as you do too. They feel sad and despondent and like they aren’t living up to potential. I always think that as long as we are living with intention to be kind and productive, giving smiles and being warm, we are succeeding. Life is short. No one says I wish I had made more money at the end of their life. They say I wish I had enjoyed the everyday little things more. You are doing just fine. You sound like a really wonderful person.

Hi Jonathan,

It sounds like you have overcome quite a lot! I think it is quite admirable that you have remained at this current job for a year now. I know it is hard to focus on that achievement when you see others that you may think are doing “better” than you. Comparing yourself to others can rob you of your own achievements. You’ll find MANY articles discussing that on this site. http://tinybuddha.com/?s=comparison

Do you happen to have access to a bus line or a bike? Perhaps you start there in getting out on your own more.

I hope you can start to see how amazing it is that you are where you are while still getting yourself to where you want to be.