Last week, I finally got my GED, after 9 years of dropping out of HS.

For years, I let it hang over me like a weight, but never moved a finger to do anything about it. Meanwhile, I’ve been working as a business admin for a big-name sporting goods company, making $120k a year, without a GED or high school diploma. No one ever checked. Everyone assumed I had the credentials. I did my work well and kept my head down. But deep down, I always felt like it could all fall apart any second. It all hanging upon an assumption that could easily be investigated. I cannot emphasize how much of an illegitimate fraud I felt discussing what major and fake classes I was in.

The money was good, but it never made up for the stability or confidence I really needed. I knew that had to come from somewhere real like school, expertise, and some direction.

Once I figured out what I really wanted to pursue, everything clicked. And boy did it take a while. I had myself figured out but couldn’t figure out what to do with myself. I just sat down and did the GED exams with barely any prep and passed. Now I’m knocking out my college prerequisites online, and I’m aiming to compete for a spot in a medical program alongside 4.0 students.

I finally finished something that was holding me back for years, something I made more daunting in my mind than it truly was in reality and it feels like a reset. I’m proud, motivated, and more grounded than I’ve felt in a long time.

Here’s to new beginnings. No one found out. Success in the dark is something new to me but I like it here.

I used to masturbate 2–3 times a day, mostly out of habit and boredom, and porn was always part of it. I never really questioned it, it was just what I did.

But over the past 15 days, I haven’t watched porn once. I’ve only masturbated 3–4 times total. And honestly, it’s all because of my girlfriend.

We’re long-distance. She’s not forcing me to stop or anything like that, she’s just… emotionally safe. I love her. Like, deeply. I’ve already married her in my mind, if that makes sense. And lately, the kind of intimacy we’ve been sharing, vulnerable conversations, her trusting me with some sensual pics, even one moment on video where she opened up completely, it made me feel something I never felt with porn: connection.

It didn’t feel like lust. It felt like presence. And for the first time, I just didn’t want porn anymore. Not because I suddenly have incredible discipline, but because my brain’s starting to link desire with something real, human, and meaningful.

I still slip up a bit, old habits don’t break overnight, but I’m proud of these 15 days. And more than that, I’m grateful. Grateful for her, and for the fact that this change didn’t come from shame or fear… it came from love.

That’s all. Just wanted to get it off my chest.

After a long time processing what I went through, I’ve come to see narcissism in a new way—not just as ego or manipulation, but as a deep collapse of reality. I’m sharing this here in case it helps anyone else who’s still untangling what happened to them.

Narcissism is a psychological defense rooted in fear, specifically, the fear of shame, accountability, and even nonexistence. To cope, a narcissist builds a distorted version of reality that protects their ego at all costs. But they don’t stop at rewriting events - they rewrite people, too.

They create a filtered version of you - who they need you to be - & then act like that’s who you are. If you push back, they respond with blame, gaslighting, or emotional punishment. That’s how narcissism becomes abusive: it replaces your truth with theirs and expects you to live inside it.

At its core, narcissism isn’t confidence. It’s control through distortion.

The most important thing I’ve learned is healing means reclaiming authorship of your own reality.

The damage doesn’t stop when the relationship ends - because sometimes, the narcissist’s version of you lingers in your head. You start second-guessing your thoughts, your memories, your feelings. And when you meet new people, you might even carry that self-doubt into those interactions without realizing it.

That’s what narcissistic abuse does: it doesn’t just silence you - it tries to replace you. But every time you trust your perception, speak your truth, and define your experience for yourself, you take a piece of yourself back. You stop living through their filter and start living in your own frame again.

Not looking for advice - just leaving this here in case it helps someone else realize: You are not who they said you were. You are who you’ve always been - before the distortion.

edit: P.S.: Empathy isn’t just feeling what someone else feels— It’s your ability to intuit, predict, and respond to another person’s emotional state—even if it’s different from your own. Empathy is what narcissistic lack.

Feeling pretty lost and behind so could some positive stories from strangers.

said thank you to the universe before i even got out of bed.

i’m not rushing. i’m not stressing. i’m trusting. i’m glowing.

i’m choosing joy on purpose.

i don’t need a reason to celebrate

being me is enough.

Sometimes, the only way is THROUGH. There’s no going around, above or below your destiny. There’s no cheating your way out of it. There’s no “doing the bare minimum”. There’s no “giving it a try”. If it really means everything to you that you see what you’re really made of, then the only way is “Through”. If you really want to fulfill your potential in this world, then the only way is “Through”. Through the “doubt” and uncertainty. Wondering whether you made the right decision. Through the early mornings and late nights. Through the silent battles that nobody sees. Through the loneliness, when nobody understands what you’re going through. Through the hard work and dedication, that seemingly bears little fruit. On this journey to self discovery, the only way is through it. It will demand more out of you than you ever thought you were capable of. It will force you to purge all limitations that have ever been imposed on you (Whether by yourself or others). It will command you to put your heart and soul into it. Shedding Blood, Sweat and tears for a seemingly indefinite amount of time, without any guarantee of making it out the other side. You will lose sleep. You will make endless sacrifices, all while being misunderstood in the process. But eventually, when you make it out the other side, you will realize that it was all worth it. Emerging from your cocoon like a butterfly ready to conquer a new world. And you will bear testament, becoming living proof that Nothing IS IMPOSSIBLE, if you have God on your side.

Nothing good in life ever came easily.

"When you like a flower, you just pluck it, but when you love a flower you water it daily." -Gautama Buddha.

Your desires have been planted in your mind for your growth, development, and personal transformation.

Live as if your wishes have already been fulfilled and act accordingly, just as a seed is nurtured for what it will eventually become.

Fall in love with your ideal circumstance as if it is your current life, and "water it daily."

The foundation upon which your new identity will sit cannot be seen because it's taking root beneath the surface.

So avoid the temptation to withdraw your attention from a practice that has yet to show visible signs of growth.

It’s happening now, stay persistent.

Are your goals this year something you like the thought of, or do you desire them deeply enough to wait for your breakthrough?

It used to make me lazy, like I couldn't focus or get anything done. As soon as I quit, my whole life shifted. I became clear, driven, and way more successful. I'm not saying successful people don't smoke weed... but I know there are people out here stuck because they're addicted and don't know how to overcome it.

After almost 2 months of staying at home, doing nothing, on my gaming PC, smoking weed eating takeaways. Today, i got the urge to change. I immediately went on Amazon and bought: Gym clothes, Shoes, water bottle, protein powder, creatine. Everything. I also decided to go get a job with a good work/life balance so i can really concentrate on Gym and developing that routine.

When i woke up today. I had no plans to change my life. But i did.

If i can do it, so can you.

Wont go into too much details, but i just wanted to say: you can do it.

I was lost for many years, nothing worked, until i decided to go with the nuclear option for everything - zero tolerance bridge burning and habit ending.

If friends x and y are triggers, lose friends x and y.

If your phone is a trigger, lose the phone.

If the cute lights at the bar on your way home are a trigger, never walk that route again.

Stay strong, stay vigilant - the feeling will pass, and you will get better.

I’m serious. Whether you’re a designer, software dev, mechanic, teacher, student, artist, policy nerd, or just very online. Drop your skillset or background below, and I’ll give you one specific, overlooked, high-impact way to use it to help others.

No vague advice. I’ll reply with the most effective, scalable use of your skill I can find. Something that genuinely saves lives, reduces suffering, or changes outcomes (like how a web designer could massively increase donations by redesigning the Against Malaria Foundation's outdated site, or how someone fluent in Spanish could help low-income families fill out Medicaid and SNAP forms that they otherwise miss out on because no one translated them clearly).

Why? Because I think most people want to do good, they just don’t know how to start, or assume they need money. But sometimes the best leverage is knowing where to aim.

So tell me what you're good at, or even what you're trying to get good at, and I’ll research the best possible place to apply it.

Let’s make doing good...efficient. Even beautiful.

so if you are close to throwing in the towel, remember this.

you don't need to figure it all out right now.

give yourself time.

it's better, and far more sustainable

doing one thing every day, than doing everything in one day.

remember the hare and the tortoise?

be the tortoise.

It’s not flashy, but it’s something. I usually spiral by noon, but today I felt a little more grounded. If anyone else is trying, even a little—I see you. You’re doing better than you think.

I believed that significant lifestyle adjustments were necessary for self-improvement Making my bed every morning however was the most helpful thing for me. What minor adjustment have you made that has had a bigger effect than you anticipated?

I start with a warm glass of water, then spend a few quiet minutes chanting with my tulsi maala. No phone, no rush—just stillness. I step outside, walk barefoot on the grass (seriously underrated), and let the Narasimha Aarti play softly in the background. It feels grounding, peaceful… sacred even.

Then I move into small acts of care—filling up bowls of water for the birds, watering the plants, stretching my body a little, breathing it all in. It’s simple stuff, but it connects me—to the day, to nature, to something greater. I genuinely feel lighter and more focused throughout the day.

What’s one thing in your morning routine that changed how you feel?

I see so many posts on here from young people worrying about their lives to come. Can they handle the pressures of adulting? Can they find their purpose? What can they do if they haven’t developed any skills?

It’s all understandable concerns, life is moving so fast these days and there seems to be this expectation to have figured it all out by now, no wonder they feel like failures.

The truth is however that you haven’t failed if you’re still breathing.

It all feels so uncertain because we’re actually in a period of incredible opportunity. In past decades the routes of life were so mapped out, but the internet has opened up many unexpected doors, I mean you can now earn hundreds of thousands of pounds playing video games online! So give yourself a break, how are you expected to have figured everything out when we’re now effectively in the Wild West, with new opportunities being discovered constantly.

I would keep it simple, think about what really makes you happy in life, go deeper than the surface level pleasures and look into the fundamental themes. Do you enjoy movement? Creating things? Uncovering mysteries?

It’s the answers to these type of questions that will show you where you need to be putting your attention on, what you need to be researching, discovering the new opportunity for yourself.

So take a breath and reengage with the puzzle, you’ve got this!

I've struggled with depression and loneliness for half of my life. Struggled with finding irl friends, consistently going through friendship breakups, I've asked pretty much on every platform anonymously just to know if I was the problem, or if it's the society around me?

I changed my phone number, blocked out some people, and im just now waiting for college. And honestly? im still scared. What if I still fail to find proper friends? What if Im destined to only be by myself?

So, I picked up a new hobby. My interest has always been drawing, and I've been a digital illustrator for almost 7 years now, and I've met amazing friends through art. But recently, I was also into succulents and cactus. Why did I say it was the most expensive gift? It was expensive because of how impactful it is.

I visit my local plant nursery more often now. Back then, I didn't even bother to do so. We have a few aloe veras and other plants, but I was never particularly interested it them. That is until, my dad's workspace had a family day, and there were a few workstations. One of them was called 'Plant Adaptation'.

At this time, i was barely familiar with succulents. I brought one before, but it died because of overwatering. But after 'adopting' my first (or second) succulent, it's thriving and alive, until now. I'm very happy to see new babies growing, so I brought more succulents at the local nursery. And honestly? This is the most cheap (in terms of money) and 'healthiest' hobbies that I've ever had, since legos are expensive and drawing in front of a laptop for too long hurts my eyes.

But it really made me feel happy when I see my plants outside. I did a lot of research, and I hope to place them in my dorm in college soon.

Sorry for the long post, but I hope my story will hopefully inspire others as well. Maybe it's still not resolving my friendship issues, but I know I'm doing what's making me happy, and that's all that matters. It's gonna get hard, and maybe you'll be bullied, and lonely for a while. But as long as you love yourself, you'll get through it. Stay strong everyone :)

Like many out there, I was addicted to tiktok. I’ve had it since high school, and it became so bad that I, on average, spent about 3-4 hours on it daily. When I’d wake up, I’d scroll for at least 10 minutes. As soon as I’d sit down. As soon as I got home from class. At night in bed. Just always on it, constantly looking for dopamine or reacting to things my friend sent me. Anytime I didn’t have anything going on I’d automatically reach for my phone and open the app. It was poison.

Now, I deleted the app because of the ban. I know people got it back, but I don’t want it back. Since I’ve deleted it, my screen time has been cut drastically. I’ve found other ways to entertain myself like kanoodle, sudoku, video games, and studying. I’m in college and I’m an accounting major, and last semester was the first time I realized that my awful study habits with distractions are really kicking my ass. But yesterday, I thought “I’m gonna study, I have nothing else better to do and I wanna do better”. I studied for 6 hours and am ahead of the class and actually am very knowledgeable on the chapter now. No tiktok breaks. I was able to focus the whole time with a few breaks for health.

I know that I could have stopped a while ago, but that app is purely rotten. I didn’t realize how far gone I was. It will mess you up and make you become so dependent on it for boredom and satisfaction. It’s not healthy to spend hours doomscrolling like that. I’m so glad I don’t have that app anymore. I’m way more present, I don’t have brain fog, and I want to be more social for entertainment.

I quit weed this morning just 5 weeks after turning 30-years-old. Before my life was often a lot like goodbye cruel world after all the bullying and trauma that I experienced from being addicted to weed on social media.

Or I can even remember controversial or unpopular posts that highly motivated me to get another break going and it was awful.

CHS is an awful condition that affects a very small percentage of not only the general population but also rare amongst daily users and I got dealt a terrible hand.

Now I must quit so I never have to deal with another episode again and I've had 33 of them.

I've always been a huge procrastinator. My appartment was an organized chaos where I'd put everything off til tomorrow, whether it was the dishes, the laundry, the bills.

One day my grandma gives me a plant. A beautiful green plant that's supposed to be super easy to take care of. my grandma said "Even you can't kill this one" . Challenge accepted, granny.

I put it in a corner of the living room and I lo-ved it! Only for two days, though. Then I started telling myself, "I'll water it tomorrow."

Tomorrow turned into a week, then two. The poor plant started to look sad. Its leaves went from green to yellow, then to brown.

One morning, I wake up and see it completly dry, dead. And for some reason, that really got to me. I killed an unkillable plant just because I was lazy.

When you think about it, that plant was a symboll of everything I was putting off.

I looked at my apartment: the dirty laundry overflowing, yesterday's breakfast plate still on the table, a bowl with milk still in it on the floor, crusty socks under the bed. It was my own life that was drying up.

Something just clicked. I threw away the dead plant, and then I did the dishes. I started a load of laundry. I tidied up the living room.

Nothing crazy, but for the first time in months, I felt good.

The next day, I bought a new plant. Another "unkillable" one. This time, I'm watering it. It's the first thing I do every morning. It takes me thirty seconds.

But this little ritual changed everything. Seeing this plant looking all healthy motivates me. It's my little daily victory against lazyness. And I tell myself that it's a representation of me, in the end.

My apartment is clean now. I pay my bills on time. I even started working out.

All that becuase a plant made the ultimate sacrifice to show me I was an idiot.

So yeah, thanks little plant. You didn't die for nothin.

you don’t have to accept it. You don’t have to take on a basket of yucky feelings you don’t deserve. If you’ve cheated, stolen, injured yourself, “failed”, been promiscuous… that is your brain and body working their hardest to find anything at all to bring you a solution. Anything at all to feel connected, loved, seen, understood, alive and important. Every human wants to feel these things, regardless of whether or not their brain is seemingly betraying them.

Your relationship with yourself is the most valuable by far.

If you are already cruel to yourself and you try to punish yourself constantly, you won’t be able to understand when you’re being treated with disrespect. You’ll secretly welcome the shame and abuse coming from another person who is screaming from deep within themselves for care and understanding. You will find this person who hurts you constantly alluring. You will want to align with them, because the hurt they impart upon you is attention, and it can never, ever be worse than the hurt you impart upon yourself.

If you let yourself struggle and fuck up and live in your bed or mind or game or personal sanctuary, you should not feel ashamed.

If your parents shame you, wait. You will leave. If your friends shame you, find new ones. Or just be with yourself, your best friend. If your partner shames you, laugh in their face. They are so much weaker than you are. And then leave.

Read about a cabin in the woods. Create your own.

Be the love of your life.

If you can ignore the shame and just exist as you are, everything becomes a little softer.

No matter what.

Progress can be impeded by negative thoughts. How do you deal with them and swap them out for constructive ones?

Sometimes while I'm on this journey I think to myself that a little bit of fun cant hurt anyone. I think about seens I saw or experiences I've had before deciding to cut porn out.

I have the strength to keep ok fighting because I remind myself how worth it it is to stop consuming porn.

I want to hear for people who recovered tho who don't consume porn anymore and only participate in healthy forms of sexual activitie. What difference did you notice how did it change you and how long did it take ? Id love to hear from you in the comments or dm me privately if you dont want to share publicly.

I will keep fighting the good fight!

Thanks for reading

To anyone going through heartbreak, betrayal, or the pain of being cheated on:

You’re probably asking yourself: Why did she do this? How could she? Did she ever really love me? How long had this been going on?

You might think the answers lie with her, but they don’t. The answer is in the action—the cheating itself. That’s all you really need to know.

Right now, you’re likely torn between two things: rebuilding yourself or rebuilding the relationship. But let me gently ask you—are your plans honoring yourself? Are they kind to your dignity?

Relationships aren’t perfect. They’re messy. They require work—so much of it. But healing a relationship takes two people. And if your partner has lied, betrayed, and cheated… they’ve already stepped away from the commitment. No apology, no tearful message, no letter or act of love can undo what’s been done. No words can erase betrayal.

So please—choose to respect yourself.

But what if there are kids? Your kids deserve to grow up in a space where love is honest, not one where betrayal is normalized. If they truly respected you—and your children—they wouldn’t have crossed that line.

But what about the money, the sacrifices, the years I’ve poured into them? Let what you gave be just that—a gift. Your kindness is your power. Let it haunt them, not you. Money? You can earn it again. But rebuilding your self-worth after being broken? That takes everything.

But what if they still love me? Maybe they do. Maybe they love the memory of you, or the comfort of what once was. But love isn’t just a feeling. It’s a choice. A commitment. And they chose someone else.

But what if I wasn’t enough? No. Please, don’t go down that road. You might’ve made mistakes. You might not have been perfect. But no one deserves to be cheated on. If they truly loved you, they would’ve chosen conversation over infidelity. Growth over escape. They didn’t.

But what if they change? I’ve been there. I gave chance after chance. I forgave lies, excuses, and even the “small” betrayals. I believed people could change. And maybe they can. But sometimes, they change for the worse. And sometimes, loving them means losing yourself.

But what if I’m overreacting? It wasn’t physical… it was just emotional cheating. Don’t minimize your pain. Don’t let them or anyone else do that. Cheating is cheating. Secrets are secrets. No “friend” is worth hiding if you truly respect your partner. Ask yourself: Would you have done the same to them?

Right now, you might be sitting in sadness, like I am. Or maybe you’re months down the line and still feel the sting. That’s okay. I’d rather be sad and healing than pretending to be happy while trying to patch up something shattered by betrayal.

I know words might feel empty right now. You’re wondering how someone who said “I love you” could hide something so cruel. How they could kiss your kids goodnight and still lie through their teeth. I wonder too.

But maybe… their actions are the answers.

So for now, take a deep breath. Be still. Feel it all. You loved. You forgave. You believed in the good. You gave what most people aren’t even capable of giving.

Now, take all that love—the loyalty, the kindness, the belief in better—and give it to the one person who has always deserved it: you.

Sleep in peace tonight knowing this—your heart is still good. You can love deeply. You just cannot make someone receive that love, or be worthy of it.

Let the truth settle. Let the lies go. And sleep well.

The universe sees you. Karma sees you.

And one day, all the good you gave will find its way back to you.

Hey there! If you've been feeling lonely, stressed, or just need someone to listen without judging - I'm here for you. I'm a patient listener and also give honest, thoughtful advice when you want it. You can talk to me about anything - life struggles, relationships, goals, random thoughts — literally anything that's on your mind. Everything stays 100% confidential. I do this as a side hustle, so there's a small nominal fee - but my main aim is to make sure you feel heard and understood. If this sounds like something you need, DM me and we can chat. You deserve to be heard.🫶🏻