Has Your Life Panned Out Different Than You Thought It Would?

[martintheduck]

Just like it says.... Has your life panned out like you thought it would? Elaborate? 

 

My answer: No, my life is totally different than I thought it would be. When I was growing up I always wanted to be a Veterinarian or a Lawyer or something and figured I would have gone to college and graduated in 4 years and got some masters degree or a PhD... have the wife, kids, house, car, close friends, etc. Figured I would be living in a big city, be connected with all the whose who, etc... real big aspirations. 

 

Well I graduated high school, got into a great university, then dad passed away and devastated me. Dropped out of college and worked for 5 years and moved to this small town in North Louisiana to go to a state school. I don't know the whose who or this town. I'm 24 and don't have a great job, I make decent grades, can't seem to find a gal I want to marry, SO HAPPY I don't have kids yet, and I gave up on having some great high dollar career. I've been doing a lot of thinking recently about how my life is completely different than I thought it would be. I still don't even know what I want to do for a career! 

 

Just need some help here guys - please, tell me I'm not the only one who hasn't had everything go according to plan? Any "fatherly" wisdom?

 

Thank you ahead of time

[Redlinerobert]

I don't know anyone who's life is has turned out 'according to plan'.

 

That's the beauty of life.  You really don't know how things will end up.  I've had ups and plenty of downs.  take the good with the bad. 

[Teal]

Want to hear God laugh,.....tell em your plan.

I've found that my plan and Gods plan for me were two different things. Looking backing, I'm glad that he has a better plan than I do....wouldn't change too much

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Hell no my life didn't turn out the way I thought it would. Not even close to what I figured I would be doing or be at. I'm so far off what I figured I would be doing, that the distance between the sun and mars is closer.

I'm happy as hell though. I love how my life is working out. I wouldn't change it for anything.

Life is a trip. Enjoy it. You only get to ride it once. Hell go travel around do something. Make the most out of your time here. Go buy a "lady of the night", go wrestle a gator, go punch a duck in the face! (Kidding DONT punch a duck!)

Quit worrying about the past, or your gonna miss the present.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Nope, better than I ever could have planned.

 

Happy, healthy family, food on the table, shoes on my feet and a few big bass in the livewell on occasion.

[Long Mike]

You say you are only 24.  I'm 67, so feel qualified to offer some "fatherly" advice.  At this point in your life, you are still building the foundation for what you will become in the future.  At all costs, continue your education, but keep asking yourself if the education you are receiving is preparing you for the career path you want to follow.  In other words, ask yourself "What do I want to be doing five years from now?"  and then make sure you are receiving the education necessary to prepare you for that goal.

 

The worst thing you can do is to do nothing.  That course of action will guarantee that you will be qualified to wait tables, or to work in your local fast food restaurant, or to sell shoes.  Is that what you want to be doing five years from now?

[Hyrule Bass]

You say you are only 24.  I'm 67, so feel qualified to offer some "fatherly" advice.  At this point in your life, you are still building the foundation for what you will become in the future.  At all costs, continue your education, but keep asking yourself if the education you are receiving is preparing you for the career path you want to follow.  In other words, ask yourself "What do I want to be doing five years from now?"  and then make sure you are receiving the education necessary to prepare you for that goal.

 

The worst thing you can do is to do nothing.  That course of action will guarantee that you will be qualified to wait tables, or to work in your local fast food restaurant, or to sell shoes.  Is that what you want to be doing five years from now?

 

worked out fine for Al Bundy

[Bankbeater]

All I can say is start saving for your retirement now.  Put a little away each week.

[J Francho]

Nope, better than I ever could have planned.

 

Happy, healthy family, food on the table, shoes on my feet and a few big bass in the livewell on occasion.

 

Exactly.

[K_Mac]

Nope, better than I ever could have planned.

 

Happy, healthy family, food on the table, shoes on my feet and a few big bass in the livewell on occasion.

 

Speedbead after reading this and other recent posts, I have come to understand you are a philosopher. I like a man who is not afraid to look below the surface...

 

No, my life has not worked out as planned. Life is what happens while we are making plans. I agree with Teal that not getting what we think we want or need is often for the best. I don't really know if he said it or not, but Abraham Lincoln is often credited with saying, "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be." I think there is real wisdom there.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Speedbead after reading this and other recent posts, I have come to understand you are a philosopher. I like a man who is not afraid to look below the surface...

 

No, my life has not worked out as planned. Life is what happens while we are making plans. I agree with Teal that not getting what we think we want or need is often for the best. I don't really know if he said it or not, but Abraham Lincoln is often credited with saying, "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be." I think there is real wisdom there.

 

LOL, thanks man. I have my moments of clarity.

 

I also have many moments that are the complete opposite.

[slonezp]

You say you are only 24.  I'm 67, so feel qualified to offer some "fatherly" advice.  At this point in your life, you are still building the foundation for what you will become in the future.  At all costs, continue your education, but keep asking yourself if the education you are receiving is preparing you for the career path you want to follow.  In other words, ask yourself "What do I want to be doing five years from now?"  and then make sure you are receiving the education necessary to prepare you for that goal.

 

The worst thing you can do is to do nothing.  That course of action will guarantee that you will be qualified to wait tables, or to work in your local fast food restaurant, or to sell shoes.  Is that what you want to be doing five years from now?

 

 

worked out fine for Al Bundy

I resemble those remarks

[Raider Nation Fisher]

I resemble those remarks

ROFLMAFAO!!!!!!!!

[retiredbosn]

Just like it says.... Has your life panned out like you thought it would? Elaborate?

I'm 24 and don't have a great job, I make decent grades, can't seem to find a gal I want to marry, SO HAPPY I don't have kids yet, and I gave up on having some great high dollar career. I've been doing a lot of thinking recently about how my life is completely different than I thought it would be. I still don't even know what I want to do for a career!

I've read and re-read your post, like others have said I don't know anyone whose life turned out exactly as planned. Mine sure hasn't, but I'm happy, and that is what matters. Couple of thoughts don't let your happiness depend on someone else. Your only 24, u have time. Don't think for a second that having a wife will make u happy. Another person can not bring total fulfillment to your life. You're setting yourself up for Co-dependency, besides people are fallible they make mistakes and will let you down. You first must be happy with yourself, who u are, if not you will never be happy. As far as careers go, why give up on your original plan? Unless you now realize that happiness isn't found in money. Don't over analyze, do what you love, anything less and your selling yourself short. Monetary gain and success by in large are achieved by people who are passionate about what they do. I wish you the best of luck in finding who u are. The rest will fall in line.

I forgot to elaborate how my life didn't go as planned. From my early teens all I wanted to do was be in the military, and make a career of it. I joined the Coast Guard and at the age of 22 I broke my back all of my plans were gone in an instant. I bounced around for awhile in civilian life, I wasn't unhappy, just a little lost I guess. After a few years I went to work for the federal prison system, I had a new plan and felt as though I had job security. Long story short the fusion I had undergone in the military catastrophically failed at the age of 35 I was medically retired. So there I was no income took almost three years for all the paperwork to get processed three kids and a wife to support. It sucked. Now I'm happier than I've ever been, my life is radically different than I thought it would be, but that's ok.

[wnybassman]

I'm still trying to come up with a plan at 42.

[flyfisher]

well I am going to turn 37 next week and am making strides towards a major career change but everything that has happened to me has happened for a reason.  I do what i can when i can how i can.  

 

I am not complaining one bit and i am only looking forward to the rest of my life to see how it all pans out and hopefully that i can raise my son in a way that I am proud of....right now that is really all that matters, well other than paying the bills and having food

[ww2farmer]

I think it's going pretty good, but I have never had a "plan" I just take it as it comes. My kids are happy and healthy. I have a job, I still have all my fingers and toes, I fish more than most, my wife has not killed me yet, I have little to no debt, and it appears I am well fed. Sure I wish a few things were different, I wish my sister was still alive, I wish my grandmother would have lived long enough to see my kids, but such is life.

[Raider Nation Fisher]

Yup life is good. Turned 30 today and am starting a major change in my career. Hopefully it pays dividends. Its taken me three years to finally make this jump. Its gonna work out, because I REFUSE to fail in this.

I'm about to pay off the last of my debt. Its taken four years but its almost done. My son is healthy. My wife may be pregnant, we don't know yet. Hopefully by Christmas we will have another little one on the way.

[EvanT123]

My football coach always shouted i"it's a great day to be alive" I hated football but remembered that quote.

[RNSkeeter]

School or no school, plan or no plan. I'm only 36 but one thing I found out is you can turn pretty much anything into a living or a path if you have a passion for it, work really hard at it, and do it for about 5 years straight.

 

Just think about it like that. 5 years and you're usually considered intermediate or an expert at something. Usually people will pay you for whatever expertise that is if it's valuable to them because they can't do it.

 

For instance you could start making lures. 5 years of dedicated passion, work, and focus and you'll make a high enough quality product people will want it and pay you for it. Or take something random like power washing. In 5 years you can learn enough about it to start your own small business, work for yourself and make a living.  Just focus on quality and have passion for being the best - people will always notice and it will open doors. You can apply that to just about anything you happen to fall across in life.

 

After I figured that out, I don't really worry about my future.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

^ That's a nice thought, but I don't believe life can always work out that way. Just because you "do" something for 5 years, doesn't guarantee you are going to become proficient at it. There is a reason that many start-up businesses fail and I don't think it's due to a lack of passion.

 

I'm a big guy. I like to cook and eat. I've been preparing my own meals for 15 years yet no one will ever confuse my food for a Battali dish.

[slonezp]

Maybe the best we can do is take hold or the reigns and steer ourselves in the right direction. The road is always going to be the road. There's going to be bumps and turns and shortcuts and detours, and we need to navigate thru all the bs to get to our final goal. Attitude is important. If you get caught up in the victim role, you are destined to fail. If that doesn't work play the lottery

[Felix77]

I was born and raised in the Bronx, NYC and I never really spent time outdoors (woods, lakes, ponds etc.) as a child.  100% pure urban kid.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be fishing for bass in tournaments.  The outdoors rock and I wish I had "found" it sooner.

[RNSkeeter]

^ That's a nice thought, but I don't believe life can always work out that way. Just because you "do" something for 5 years, doesn't guarantee you are going to become proficient at it. There is a reason that many start-up businesses fail and I don't think it's due to a lack of passion.

 

I'm a big guy. I like to cook and eat. I've been preparing my own meals for 15 years yet no one will ever confuse my food for a Battali dish.

 

You are right, it's not just 'doing' something. I was talking about pursuing it with dedication, passion, and excellence. We ALL cook and eat, but we don't all pursue it with excellence to be the best battali dish maker ever.

 

And of course start ups fail, but that doesn't make the pursuit of one a failure right? My point was that pursuing something with the focus to be the best is something people will notice and it will open doors of further opportunity. That's the part that I've observed happening over and over again. I have friends who have failed at startups twice, then on the third try a company saw what they could do and bought the company just to have them work there. And all that was about a 5 year pursuit that resulted in an entirely new path for them. 

 

It was about making a path for yourself in life, and that it can be done with just about anything. 

[SPEEDBEAD.]

^ Gotcha.

 

There is no shame in trying. You never know what may happen.