[justaman]

How can I start to do something? I don't do anything. I speak to people to find out they play guitar or they study at university or they are a black belt or they could be in some sort of religion. I don't do anything. I am an atheist. I don't work. I eat. I sleep. I post on the net. I watch television. I read. That is it.

[Myzen]

Hi Justaman,

This is a good place to start. Well done for coming here and sharing your feelings with us.

Welcome to the forum, and I hope you'll stick around with us.

Good thoughts, M

[hereiam]

You start something by motivation. What are your interests? If you have none, then find some. Walk around your citys downtown area and look at all the shops. Or go to the mall and walk into each store, the atheltic store, the music store, etc. Look around for something you can do. Maybe getting a job would help?

[tamzinrose]

I'm the same. I have no talents. My friends are all good at something, or good at many things...just makes you feel kinda useless.

[justaman]

spot on. It's more a lack of achievement, than a lack of talent, isn't it? I feel left behind. And the thing is, these days it is by younger people, too. I am 27.

[justaman]

I am interested in health and well-being as well as self defence. I am too old for self defence as I am 27.
And people would make fun, I'd have to hide my costume.
I think well-being. But anybody can do that, I suppose. I think a skill or membership that requires some discipline or some determination to achieve.

[Perzephone]

There's always tai chi or yoga.

Age is no reason to not do stuff - here I am at 30, feeling verrrry old & trying to go back to school. Granted, it's age-motivated - I'm getting too old & have too many debts to be out of the work marketplace for too long, my current job is in jeopardy, so I'm gaining some mad accounting skillz while I'm still under 35... Every time I see someone's grandmother or great-grandmother on t.v. getting a tattoo, I get a great burst of inspiration & motivation to go out & do something. I usually just end up getting my hair cut, but it's still something.

[JustBen]

I've heard of martial arts classes that were designed for adult beginners. Got anything like that in your area? Even if you don't, I'd bet that someone would be willing to train you one-on-one.

[justaman]

I suppose I am just annoyed that whenever I am feeling good, I hear of someone who is doing something and I htink to myself, "what am I so happy about"? Not achieving anything is a bad feeling. It induces feelings of worthlessness and shame in oneself. Anyway, thanks for your ideas.

[CMFox]

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
justaman said:
I am too old for self defence as I am 27.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post"> There is a book (which, admittedly, I haven't read) titled "What should I Do With My Life" (or something very similar). One piece I did read was about a man who had served in a trade for decades but, in his 60's, went back to University and got a law degree.

You are 27. You're young. If self-defence is of interest to you discounting it on the basis of your age is ill-advised - unless of course you're infirm and senile. Seriously, you're still relatively young and MORE than equipped to pursue anything.

As for myself - I'm younger. 23 years young and I have floundered about for some time. I'm thinking of starting a psychology degree in London when I'm around your age. I used to stress incessantly about not having what I "want to do" catergorised and specified in my formative years. It's bollocks - it truly is. I still don't know WHATprecisely I want to do, but if I knew, I'd be bursting ahead 100mph.

Age, frankly, is a irrelevant. ESPECIALLY at the tender age of 27.

[dexter]

justaman,

Remember always that depression will do that to you. It distorts your thinking, always looking for the most negative interpretation of any event or situation. You can't judge your life by comparing it to the accomplishments of others, depression will always find a new low for you to settle into. Find a cure for an illness? Someone will find a cure for a worse illness and win the Nobel Prize for it. Write something you are proud of? Someone else will write something and win the Pulitzer. Well sort of extreme examples but I hope you know what I mean.

So hang in there and work on relieving the depression, once you can do that I think you will see a lot of opportunities that were easily dismissed before.

And you are not at all too old for martial arts. Any place that teaches should have children's and adult classes, in the adult classes I am sure you will find people who are much older than you. It is good for your health, good excersize. If you stop yourself from doing things you want to because you think you will look silly, you can use that as an excuse for anything. I'd bet some of those Nobel prize winners started off with research that other people thought was silly.

Why am I so hung up on the Nobel Prize today???