What do you do when you realize your life is completely fucked?

[gearless_chris 1]

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" I went skydiving... I went rocky mountain climbing... I went 2.7 seconds, on a girl named Linda Lou......."

That's the way I heard it.

"If it wasn't easy stupid people couldn't do it", Duane.

My momma said I could be anything I wanted when I grew up, so I became an a$$hole.

[Belgian_Draft 0]

First, quit feeling sorry for yourself.
Second, as Michael Jordan said,
"I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. "

HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a
kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the
object we are trying to hit.

[ryoder 1,382]

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What kind of test?

Drug test?

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[MrFreefall383 0]

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I stress for about two seconds and then get started on unfucking it.

Fuck that, I just joined the military. It's worked out so far.

"If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

[iluvtofly 0]

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What kind of test?

Drug test?

First off I want to say thank you for the lack of lectures. And a big thank you for the encouraging words. I've finally gotten my sorry ass off the couch and read it all.

And no...it was not a drug test. It was my insurance licensing test. (And yes I've heard all the warnings about going into insurance sales...it's a temporary thing).

The reasons I was/am so panicked are these. I hate to fail things. For some reason when I fail at something I beat myself up more then most people would.

Also, it costs $55 and a half tank of gas everytime I take the test. Funds are extremely limited for me anymore.

If I do pay to take the test again then I'm not sure I'm going to have enough money for gas to drive the half a tank each day for training next week. (I'll be working closer to home but training next week is a half a tank round trip away).

Also, at my current job I was required to give them 2 weeks notice as to when I was going part-time. So 2 weeks ago I gave notice thinking I would have no problem passing the test because of how hard I've been studying. (And no they won't let me return to full-time if the insurance thing doesn't work out.)

So basically, I'm going to try to sign up for the test again. But if I fail it this time then I won't have the insurance job and I'll be stuck at part-time at a job I hate but need.

Also, if I don't get this new job then there's no way in hell I'll be able to save up enough money for a deposit on a new apartment in Florida. The whole reason I'm getting a new job before I move is because otherwise I wouldn't be able to afford it. (And actually the new job was offered before the whole moving thing became a possibility.)

[ryoder 1,382]

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It was my insurance licensing test. (And yes I've heard all the warnings about going into insurance sales...it's a temporary thing).

Ahh...yes, now I recall that thread.
I don't know how tough the exam is in CA, but when I took it in IN years ago, there were 12 of us in a week-long cram class for the L&H, then another week-long class for the P&C. At the end of that, we took the exams. Only two of us passed both on the first try. The rest of the class flunked one or both.

"There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones.

[iluvtofly 0]

Here basically they give you a book and say have at it. It's all self study. Once I pass the test then I take a week long class learning the specifics of the company.

[porpoishead 5]

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What do you do when you realize your life is completely fucked?

say fuck it!!

go skydiving, go to a roaming DZ boogie.

then do what you gotta do...if it wasn't for the bad times then the good times would be just another fucking day.

if you want a friend feed any animal
Perry Farrell

[SarahC07 0]

I've felt defeated by an exam once before. I spent about 2 minutes feeling really really shitty about myself.

And then I stopped.

Feeling really really shitty about it wasn't going to get me anywhere. I immediately took steps to move past it and as others of stated 'unfuck' the situation. I converted my shitty, depressed, defeated feelings into an 'I'm not going to give up on this' attitude.

I have more perserverance than I have brains and I won't claim to have much of either.

You can work past this. You can work past this.

[Nightingale 0]

What state? Your profile says Pennsylvania...

Maybe this will help.

http://www.learninsurance.com/pennsylvaniainsurancelicense/

I know that review classes were so valuable when I was studying for standardized tests, notary exams and such. If you're having trouble and it's going to affect your career that much, find the cash for the review class (credit card, family, friends, etc) and pay it off as soon as you can.

Most of the time, when someone fails a standardized test, it's not that they didn't know the material, it's that they were either:
1. unfamiliar with the test format
2. lacking strategies for taking that particular test.

General test stuff:
What you need to know:
1. is there a guessing penalty?
If no: answer every question whether or not you know the answer or can narrow it down. Do not leave any question blank on your answer sheet.
If yes, only answer the questions you can narrow down to at least a 50/50. Otherwise, it's not worth losing points.

2. Are some questions weighted more than others?
If no: don't waste your time on questions that seem very hard. Skip them and come back later if you have time. Take a guess, and circle that question in your test booklet so you know to come back.
If yes: You still want to make a guess on these and come back, but budget your time so you are certain that you do have time to come back, because you've probably skipped over the high pointers.

Read the question first, and then read all the answers. Cross out any that are blatantly wrong. Cross out any where the grammar doesn't match. (example: Tony ate a 1. apple 2. banana You can eliminate 1 because "a apple" is gramatically incorrect). Then, once you've narrowed it down, choose the best answer from the ones you have left.

Once you have selected your answer, do not change it. The majority of the time, you will change your answer from the right one to the wrong one. Only change your answer if you realize you have misread the question. Do NOT second guess yourself. Most of the time, your first instinct is the right one. Trust it, mark your answer sheet, and move on. Don't fall into the trap of talking yourself out of the right answer.

[SarahC07 0]

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Most of the time, when someone fails a standardized test, it's not that they didn't know the material, it's that they were either:
1. unfamiliar with the test format
2. lacking strategies for taking that particular test.

I completely agree.

[bigway 4]

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WARNING!!!!! RANT AHEAD


So I just got home from failing my state exam and realizing that my life is completely fucked. I had to pass the test today in order to start training next week. This required putting in to go part time at my current job 2 weeks ago. So now I can't start training next week and i'm stuck at part-time at my current job which I hate. I haven't had enough money to pay my bills the last couple months as it is. So I figure I'll be homeless in the next couple months.

Yes I can retake the test in 2 days but I'll just fail again. I've done nothing but study for it for the past month. So 2 more days isn't going to help.

So my life is fucked and there's no fixing it.

Please no lectures I'm just having a really really shitty day.

My mate just became a quadriplegic today.

Maybe that might put some perspective into how fucked your life is.

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[SuFantasma 0]

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WARNING!!!!! RANT AHEAD


So I just got home from failing my state exam and realizing that my life is completely fucked. I had to pass the test today in order to start training next week. This required putting in to go part time at my current job 2 weeks ago. So now I can't start training next week and i'm stuck at part-time at my current job which I hate. I haven't had enough money to pay my bills the last couple months as it is. So I figure I'll be homeless in the next couple months.

Yes I can retake the test in 2 days but I'll just fail again. I've done nothing but study for it for the past month. So 2 more days isn't going to help.

So my life is fucked and there's no fixing it.

Please no lectures I'm just having a really really shitty day.

If you've studied so hard, then don't study anymore. Learn from the test itself, go take it again and you'll be amazed at how much smarter you are at beating the test !

Ten years from know, you'll be downing down a drink and telling that story as an anecdote.

BEST WISHES!

Y yo, pa' vivir con miedo, prefiero morir sonriendo, con el recuerdo vivo".
- Ruben Blades, "Adan Garcia"

[iluvtofly 0]

UPDATE!!!!

Well, I retook the test today. Got the same exact score I got last time. The big difference was on the first test I had given up half way through. This time I actually felt confident about it. I felt that I knew more of the questions. That is until I saw the score.

So, since I didn't pass the test I won't be able to do the training next week. They only do training the last week of every month so that job is pretty much a no go. By time I had taken my test everyone was out of the office for the day. I'm hoping to talk to someone tomorrow and see if there is anyway what-so-ever that I can still do the training and attempt to take the test again next week. Though I'm not counting on it based on what they've said previously about having to pass the test first.

As for my current job. Since I had to put in 2 weeks notice about going down to part time I officially become part-time this Sunday. Considering they've been getting pissed off at people for going back and forth between part and full time and my boss has already been indirectly punishing me for going part time, I don't think they'll be letting me go back to full time.

So I'm stuck. I'm broke, have a part-time job that seems to be getting worse by the day and the bills have already been piling up prior to all this craziness.

Do I bother looking for a new job here? Or do I put my tail between my legs and let my brothers help me move to FL now and I stay at my brothers place until I get a job?

I'm very independent so I really don't like the idea of mooching off my brother and staying with him and his family. But I don't see myself having many other choices.

I hate feeling like a failure.

[gearless_chris 1]

I would take it as a sign that it's time to move to Florida. The weather's better there now anyway. Weren't you planning on moving in a couple months anyway?

"If it wasn't easy stupid people couldn't do it", Duane.

My momma said I could be anything I wanted when I grew up, so I became an a$$hole.

[iluvtofly 0]

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I would take it as a sign that it's time to move to Florida. The weather's better there now anyway. Weren't you planning on moving in a couple months anyway?

Yes I was. The biggest reason for waiting was because of when my lease is up. The 2nd reason is because I have zero savings and was hoping that with the new job i'd be able to save up enough money for a deposit on a new apartment and not have to live with my brother at all.

[skybytch 259]

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I hate feeling like a failure.

Then why are you feeling that way? Reframe it!!!

You didn't FAIL. Not passing the test could very well be a sign that job was not going to be a good fit for you. Perhaps all of this is the universe is telling you that it is time to move on.

Keep your tail out and wagging and let your family help you move to where they are. It's not mooching if they've offered!

And quit beating yourself up dammit! You are NOT a failure!!!

[Nightingale 0]

Stay with your brother until you get on your feet, but don't mooch. Help around the house, help with the kids if there are any, do your best to be useful and a good guest. Family is there to help in your time of need, and you'd do the same for them if you could, just be as good a guest as you can, and repay them by staying motivated to get on your feet as soon as you can and don't forget their kindness.

[quade 3]

I'm sorry. How old are you?

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[iluvtofly 0]

I'm 24. Yes I know that's still young. But at the tender age of 24 I'm almost 50k in debt thanks to some poor decisions. (Granted half of that debt is school loans...but still.) It's just very frustrating for me because at my age both of my brothers were already successfull. And here I am struggling to find the money to eat some days.

[kbordson 8]

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It's just very frustrating for me because at my age both of my brothers were already successfull. .

This sentence got my attention.

What does "successful" mean to you?

Why are they successful? Why aren't you?

So they might be making better money, but I would HIGHLY caution you against using money as your mark of "success."

Instead use happiness with yourself as the term of "success." Right now, I understand you're not happy with the result of the exam. And the plans that you had for a career aren't working out as they were "supposed to." But take some time to look at YOU. As a PERSON.

As mentioned above, reframe this situation. Maybe there's something bigger for you out there.

edit to add: and quit comparing yourself to others!! My dad once told me "there will always be someone better and always be someone worse off; just be yourself and let them be theirs"

[cocheese 0]

There hasn't been someone better than you yet.

[MrFreefall383 0]

kbordson made some good points there. For many years now I've been of the opinion that everything happens for a reason. I firmly believe that's the case, and if things don't work out, it still happened for a reason.

I failed out of flight school for a reason. I didn't have my head in the game. I got a degree in Political Science because of it, and spent a semester in Washington working a block away from the White House, among the best experiences of my life.

I couldn't seem to land a job in the civilian world because my degree was almost useless and I had no marketable skills. It happened for a reason. Because of it I decided fuck it all and joined the Coast Guard. Best decision I ever made with my life, I couldn't be happier. It all worked out this way because I was meant to be a Coastie. I truly enjoy what I do, have pride in it, and the only thing missing now is a wife and kids. But if that doesn't happen, it's because I was meant for bigger things. I try not to let life's consequences get to me. Everything happens because it was meant to happen that way.

So here's my prediction. This didn't work out because you were meant for something better. Maybe it's not obvious right now what that is, but this is one of those lightly veiled chances to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and come back into the game swinging for the fences. It's either that or it's the beginning of your slide into personal chaos. I don't know though, I'd like to think it's the other way around.

"If at first you don't succeed... well, so much for skydiving." - aviation cliche

[Icon134 0]

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kbordson made some good points there. For many years now I've been of the opinion that everything happens for a reason. I firmly believe that's the case, and if things don't work out, it still happened for a reason.

I failed out of flight school for a reason. I didn't have my head in the game. I got a degree in Political Science because of it, and spent a semester in Washington working a block away from the White House, among the best experiences of my life.

I couldn't seem to land a job in the civilian world because my degree was almost useless and I had no marketable skills. It happened for a reason. Because of it I decided fuck it all and joined the Coast Guard. Best decision I ever made with my life, I couldn't be happier. It all worked out this way because I was meant to be a Coastie. I truly enjoy what I do, have pride in it, and the only thing missing now is a wife and kids. But if that doesn't happen, it's because I was meant for bigger things. I try not to let life's consequences get to me. Everything happens because it was meant to happen that way.

So here's my prediction. This didn't work out because you were meant for something better. Maybe it's not obvious right now what that is, but this is one of those lightly veiled chances to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and come back into the game swinging for the fences. It's either that or it's the beginning of your slide into personal chaos. I don't know though, I'd like to think it's the other way around.

I couldn't have said it better myself... I've had my ups and downs in my life... but if things hadn't of happened the way they have then I wouldn't be where I am today... wouldn't be who I am today.

I remember after failing out of graduate school the first time (which was a tough pill to swallow) I found myself cooking (part time) at a small resturant near my parents house (at the time I was 27-28 and living with my parents again...)

I was looking for work in corporate America but after interviewing with several companies. None of them seemed very appealing... I recall one interview in particular with a division of Emerson manufacturing brake parts for motorcycles. The company was located a good distance from Cincinnati, OH in the middle of no where on the border of Ohio and Kentuky. In between, speaking to the interviewers I struck up a conversation with one of the admin people and brought up that I had worked for a japanese company as an undergraduate (which is another interesting story all together... and a testament to how important attitude and enthuiasium is in a job interview) and enjoyed the time I spent over in Japan as a Co-op student.

She went on to regail me with some stories about how when some of the engineers went over to Japan on business they felt compelled to bring peanut butter and jelly sandwiches so they didn't have to eat the local food.

So after a year of working as a line cook I finally decided to try and join the Air Force and that was the best thing that could have ever happened in my life... all because I failed out of graduate school.

btw: I did end up finishing my graduate degree later... and it's not like I didn't learn anything as a graduate student... (I mean above and beyond learning things about myself...)

Livin' on the Edge... sleeping with my rigger's wife...

[skymama 35]

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Do I bother looking for a new job here? Or do I put my tail between my legs and let my brothers help me move to FL now and I stay at my brothers place until I get a job?

That's what family is for. If the offer is out there, take it! Is anything else keeping you where you're at besides the lease? If not, break it and move!

She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon