Another Ex-Gamer

[WishINever]

Henlo friends,

I found this site while searching information about ex-gamers and gaming regret. I'm more or less out of the fog already and I've accepted that I'll never have (or want) the time to complete all of the 'to-do' list when it comes to trying new games or "achieving" things in-game. There are more hours of media out there to consume than you have hours in your life. I'm over it. Even recent attempts at playing have left me feeling empty and I just don't get any joy out of it anymore. The other night some friends of mine were on TF2 and I decided to join them. I couldn't stand more than 30 minutes of it and I went right back to my boat safety course that I need for my boater's license. 

I think I can be of help to someone out there. My life has basically been a showcase of what not to do and how not to live. I've actually started writing a book about it. I was your typical unemployable overeducated millennial before I decided to become entrepreneurial when confronted with the reality that I will never have a job that pays more than minimum wage. I also wasted a lot of time with partying and being hedonistic which of course includes gaming. I can't believe I actually thought things in the virtual world were so important once. I even believed that online friends were my real friends. Spoiler alert: you get about the same percentage that stick with you through the years as you did in high school. During this maturing process I've become something of a boring old man - and I am a lot happier that way. I've cut out a lot of deadweight relationships and I'm happy being alone and productive. I have taken up pursuits that are far more valuable than gaming (the aforementioned boating being one of them) and I feel like I've been missing out on so much of life. I'm learning how to live little by little and while I'm still a turbo-doomer (realist), sometimes I see little flickers of what might be the light at the end of the tunnel. 

If there is any way I can get involved with this program and let my experience help others, I will gladly jump right in. I have psychology credentials that have served me absolutely nothing thus far, but maybe that matters here. I think a good first step for any alcoholic or gamaholic or any-holic to become a workaholic. But there's more to life than just the grindset. I was raised with and for a long time held the false notion that youth should be fun. Youth is the time when you should be on that grindset so that you can set yourself up to enjoy the meaningful things. It's never too late to begin the progression, but the party always ends eventually, often with disastrous consequences. Set yourself apart from your peers and make something of yourself! We all have a different path to follow because we are all individuals. You must decide for yourself what trail to blaze, but once you get started I can assure you that you will get more fulfillment from that than from gaming or whatever other idle consumerist distractions you are currently indulging in. 

Hope we're all having a fine day here. Will be in touch. 

Edited August 20, 2023 by WishINever