Ert: my life didn't turn out how I thought either. Of course, I'm pretty sure a lot of my plans were thanks to my MI anyway, but I'm smart enough to have been something other than a secretary in a dead end job. MI was a factor in where I am now, there is no doubt about it. Hurray for bipolar and grandios thinking, implusive decision making, and low-self esteem... but, to be fair, I think a lot of people end up thinking "this isn't how I thought life would turn out." Just because you didn't get what you planned doesn't mean it ends up bad.