Women Who Grew Up With Wasted Potential Share Their Stories On Reddit And How They Cope With The Fact That Life Didn't Go The Way They Wanted It To Be

There is truly no guarantee that your version of success will be the same as it was when you were a kid now that you have faced obstacles while growing into adulthood.

Sophia

• Published in Interesting
• December 13, 2021

Life is a gamble, and we can never be sure of how the future will look like because as much as the world is full of patterns and histories, it also thrives on small inconsistencies. A lot of us grew up with sparkles in our eyes, hoping to make a difference in the world with our brilliant minds and generous hearts.

However, things don't always go the way we want them to be. For some of us who excelled when we were young, life took a somewhat unexpected turn as we faced newer and harder challenges while coming of age, causing us to fall into a downward spiral where our potential also went down the drain as we entered adulthood.

There's even a term for this, invented by people on the Internet, and it's called the "Gifted Kid Burnout" or the "Gifted Kid Syndrome". If you used to be a gifted child that excelled a lot, you are most likely familiar with this one, especially if you are at a stage of your life where you seem to question what happened to you to end up in a state of sluggishness.

It's inevitable to question our own self-worth as we face a lot of problems each day and each year. There are a lot of factors that may have caused us to suffer from burnout, including mental health problems, societal and family pressure, competitions, and our own criticism.

That being said, women in Reddit share their stories and experiences regarding this particular topic. In a thread with the question "Ladies who excelled when you were young, but then ran into a hurdle such as mental illness (or other confounding factors) and fell behind, how do you reconcile with the fact that you had so much wasted potential?", the comment section was filled up with women sharing how they coped up with this turn of events.

Check out the highlights of the thread below!

"The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it."

"Everyone gets their lottery draw of advantages and disadvantages. This was mine."

"Now that my life fell of the path, it's been kind of freeing."

Picking up the pieces left because there is still hope.

Your version of "best" can vary depending on the situation you are currently facing.

"I did the best I could then, and have to do the best I can now."

"Focusing on what you don't want is a sure fire way to get stuck where you don't want to be."

Indeed, there is truly more to life than personal achievement.

It was all just a symptom of trauma.

"Having potential doesn't mean I'm obligated to grind it out 24/7." This needs to be said louder for the people in the back.

Let go of predetermined timelines that society has imposed on us.

Just postponed potential.

"It's a setback, not a life sentence!"

Just keep moving and trying, despite it all.

"Life can change very quickly for the better."

"Being afraid isn't a good enough reason for me."

Yes! Exactly.

"The only way to go is forward, whatever it might bring."

Actually, same.

"I'd sometimes rather not have the trauma that got me here."

Well said.

No one's perfectly normal, anyway!

While it's truly tragic and disappointing not to end up reaching our dreams in life in accordance with the milestones and timelines that we set ourselves, it is also important to realize that life is not and never was a race. If you're feeling a little burned out lately, take a step back—the world is still there for you.

Comment down your thoughts, or share this thread for all your family and friends to see!

Sophia