Discussion What dreams have you given up on?

[WhiteRabbit]

I wanted to travel.

 

[ineed2die]

Being a basketball player
Being an artist
Being an engineer
Being a husband

 

[yousaidimsweet]

being a full-time writer :( not sure if my work is actually good or meaningful and the pay can be iffy it sounds like

 

[HereIGoAgain24]

Finding a true significant other- a happy romantic relationship, one where we feel complete together. I've had a couple of girlfriends, but they've invariably collapsed- mostly because I've had to pretend to be someone I'm not to keep them going, but once because the person I was into turned out to be a complete psycho.

 

[fkyou]

Dreams?what dreams.you mean basic needs?

 

[Green Destiny]

I grew up absolutely loving the sport I've Hockey and I knew in my heart that I wanted to play it professionally one day. I did play it from pre school all the way until middle school but ran into a few complications. One being that buying the gear necessary to play is very expensive and getting into a sports program is also very expensive. The 2nd was that I suffered some bad head injuries growing up that eventually lead to my doctor saying that I had to give up the sport to save whatever was left of my brain. Being forthcoming I can say that I was never going to be good enough to be a professional, I lacked natural talent and was quite the hot head and got pissed off a lot which made me play worse and a bad team mate.

 

[Not Today Satan]

Medical school - went into emergency medical services instead

 

[Forever Sleep]

Mine's a slightly different path. I pursued my (creative) dreams with rock solid determination and a whole lot of hard work. I achieved some of them. I'm a realist though, so I knew I'd never really hit the peaks of my industry.

Now though, it's more that I don't even know that I want it! Talking to others, getting a taste/ glimpse here and there has made me realise that 'all that glitters isn't gold.' I've even been considered for things that I would have done anything for at one point but now, I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. My industry is incredibly exploitative and- who wants to be exploited that much?

It's like finally catching up with that golden carrot you've been chasing all this time and finding it's gold paint that is flaking off to reveal- well, just a carrot really! Going mouldy in places.

So, I haven't exactly abandoned my dream. I'll still work hard to sustain where I am now if I can but, it doesn't hold the same allure it used to. That would be good if I could convince myself that I'm both safe and secure where I am- but I can't do that either! Maybe no one can though these days. Maybe I can reassure myself I'm likely the happiest I can be but, I'm not exactly that too. So, it's all a bit of an anticlimax really.

 

[CogitoMori]

Love of any kind. As soon as you open up to people about real shit they abandon you. Anybody trustworthy won't see you as worthy to listen to, and everyone else will use whatever you say against you if you decide to tell them anything.

 

[derpyderpins]

I have given up being at the top of my field. Good choice. The grind would kill me.

I've mostly given up on being famous/having a large reach of influence. I should cut out the rest of it. Although I think my plan to be an underwear model in Korea marketed towards ajumma (middle-aged women) is genius. They think I'm such a polite sweet boy and they're all really racist and like white guys.

Best one was giving up on making it work with my long-term college girlfriend. Took far longer than it should have, and god bless I hope she's doing well, but my wife is the best thing that's happened in my life so far.

 

[CTB Dream]

all lif

 

[ConfusedClouds]

so i assumed improvement was automatic instead of something you have to work at. now the time i had to grow and improve are far far over

This. This is soooo relatable!


For me the one I'm struggling most with is sport. I had mega opportunities but can always think of ways I didn't commit enough/try hard enough. I was supposedly always seen as a good level (across multiple sports at school/uni age, but didn't really start being fully sporty until age maybe 14). I'll never know if it was all just bs feedback (see quote above) or whether its the politics of being selected when you haven't been 'in the system' since primary age.

I threw it all away when others kept going. Covid didn't help. Now I'm fitter and stronger than I ever was but its irrelevant because I'm too old to 'compete' without generating even more of the aforementioned false feedback. And I now also realise how I can't be trusted and relied on in a team environment.


That and having a meaningful relationship that I can trust. Its impossible to trust myself around others now. Toxic negativity burden.

 

[CTB Dream]

Being the member with the most posts on Sanctioned Suicide. I simply don't have it in me. I can never compete with this high output. The only chance would be the game section but I simply despise that.

nonm no giv can 1

 

[human909]

happiness

 

[Amarajoy]

I got out of the hospital 10 months ago, and I had started over in my life entirely. I had found out I have Bipolar and I already knew I had Autism. So with this newfound knowledge I went on a quest to find something in life that I'm passionate about. I tried everything, mathematics - creative writing. Nothing worked out for me. The biggest dream I gave up on was drawing and sculpting. My friend keeps telling me it's a skill I can learn, but I just cannot draw anything and I have no imagination. I don't think that part will change with practice. Some people can just draw and draw amazing things from their imaginations. I can't. So that hurt like heck because I wanted to be able to do that. Not being able to do anything with my life is honestly the real reason I'm ctbing.

You can go to school and learn. My friend is a painter. No natural talent. Had to be taught by studying at University.

 

[softlyn]

being myself. It's not something that's feasible in this life

 

[fishygirl]

i always wanted to go to a prestigious art university. but my grades are trash and i was never motivated to really pursue it. i almost got into a less known art university for game design, but the tuition was too expensive. i still do art and i dont really feel the need to get a diploma for it anymore, but i still dream about it sometimes. if i could have done better in school instead of being a miserable piece of trash i wonder where id be now.

 

[veinofether]

Someone loving and wanting me as much as I do them. Someone seeing me as worthy enough for it.