Do you often feel like an underdog in life?

[Another Fan]

I’ll try and not sound overly whiny but I’ve dealt with anxiety and depression issues most my life and have spent many hours in therapy.  Until I got diagnosed officially with autism so as to give me some idea what I’m working with.  I never had the best social life and have never made over 50k a year in my life.  
 

 

But I thought it was interesting they have some Rocky Balboa day now in Philly.  Stallone was there and he had something along the lines of Yeah even billionaires tell me they feel like underdogs.

 

 

So while I’ll still probably always feel to some extent my issues are painfully unique to only me, other people can think that as well.

 

 

In a weird way there was always something relatable to liking the Bills during the drought seeing them as a parallel for my own stuff.  Not that I’m complaining now about the team 😀.  
 

 

[Joe Ferguson forever]

no

[RkFast]

"One day I feel I'm on top of the world, and the next it's falling in on me" - Neil Peart

 

"Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying" - Andy Dufresne

 

"Stop Whining!!!!!" - Detective John Kimble

 

Sure, some "start life on third base" and all that. Some have better genes, some have better luck. But literally zero people have it great in life all the time. 

Edited January 5 by RkFast

[Fr. Jerk]

Everybody wants to be down with the dude on top of the stairs.

 

Skee Lo feels your pain, ya dig?

 

 

[Augie]

47 minutes ago, RkFast said:

 

Sure, some "start life on third base" and all that. Some have better genes, some have better luck. But literally zero people have it great in life all the time. 

 

One of the first lessons I learned after college was one of the most important. I lived in a resort community with a lot of conspicuous consumption. I looked up to all the beautiful people who “had it made” in life. One guy in particular was a partner in the big law firm in town, lived in a house that I admired every time I passed by with Mercedes and Jags in the driveway and married one of the most beautiful ladies I’ve ever seen in my life. My view of the world changed when the wife comes to the bank where I’m working to beg that we hold off on foreclosure. She is sobbing and offering the jewelry she is wearing if we can just wait another 30 days. 

 

I started paying closer attention, and started to see a pattern. So many of the people who I thought were killing it were in over their heads with maxed out credit cards and past due BMW payments. Not everybody, but far more than you would think. 

 

What I took out of all this is it’s a mistake to compare yourself to how anyone else is doing for several reasons. The first and most obvious reason is that you really have no idea how they are actually doing. You don’t know what keeps them awake at night, but we’ve all got something, be it big or small. Don’t trust the FaceBook version of their life, there is more beneath the surface, and it’s not always pretty. 

 

 

[WhoTom]

18 minutes ago, Augie said:

What I took out of all this is it’s a mistake to compare yourself to how anyone else is doing for several reasons. The first and most obvious reason is that you really have no idea how they are actually doing. You don’t know what keeps them awake at night, but we’ve all got something, be it big or small. Don’t trust the FaceBook version of their life, there is more beneath the surface, and it’s not always pretty. 

 

Agreed. Outward appearances and social media posts tend to be a person's highlight reel. They show us their TDs but don't mention the INTs.

 

 

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

Get them before they get you.

 

 

[Fleezoid]

That's why we need people like this....

 

[Simon]

4 hours ago, Another Fan said:

Do you often feel like an underdog in life?

 

 

Every day.

But that's life.

If you just do your best, then you've done everything you could and you don't have anything to feel bad about.

[RkFast]

2 hours ago, Augie said:

 

One of the first lessons I learned after college was one of the most important. I lived in a resort community with a lot of conspicuous consumption. I looked up to all the beautiful people who “had it made” in life. One guy in particular was a partner in the big law firm in town, lived in a house that I admired every time I passed by with Mercedes and Jags in the driveway and married one of the most beautiful ladies I’ve ever seen in my life. My view of the world changed when the wife comes to the bank where I’m working to beg that we hold off on foreclosure. She is sobbing and offering the jewelry she is wearing if we can just wait another 30 days. 

 

I started paying closer attention, and started to see a pattern. So many of the people who I thought were killing it were in over their heads with maxed out credit cards and past due BMW payments. Not everybody, but far more than you would think. 

 

What I took out of all this is it’s a mistake to compare yourself to how anyone else is doing for several reasons. The first and most obvious reason is that you really have no idea how they are actually doing. You don’t know what keeps them awake at night, but we’ve all got something, be it big or small. Don’t trust the FaceBook version of their life, there is more beneath the surface, and it’s not always pretty. 

 

 

 

I have a similar story to this that I was going to add before but will so now. 

 

I was at a backyard party recently and over the firepit an old friend I havent seen and I started talking. He was telling me about his 35' boat he goes fishing with off Montauk and his 56 chopped custom Lincoln and all kinds of other stuff. Not bragging but just telling me about his life and toys. Then, we changed to discussing "hows the family" and he told me he hasnt seen his daughters from his first marriage for two years through no fault of his own. Wasnt a bad dad or a deadbeat. If anything, all that stuff hes got he worked his butt off for. But the marriage went bad the divorce was worse and his ex moved far away and blocked him from seeing his kids. And he told me its absolutely killing him. 

 

Everyone has their battles and pain. As Simon says above, you just do your best. 

Edited January 5 by RkFast

[Augie]

3 hours ago, WhoTom said:

 

Agreed. Outward appearances and social media posts tend to be a person's highlight reel. They show us their TDs but don't mention the INTs.

 

 

 

My wife went to a sorority reunion at the beach a couple years ago. Her best friend shows up and says “OK, how’s everybody doing? I mean REALLY doing, not the FaceBook version. I’ll go first - I’ve got one in rehab, one in jail and the third one is a doctor. Go figure.” 

[Irv]

I read one time that photographs lie.  Nobody takes pictures at a funeral.  Also - never underestimate how valuable you are.  The greatest minds in the world could never replicate you.  You are special.        

[Behindenemylines]

On 1/5/2024 at 12:23 PM, WhoTom said:

 

Agreed. Outward appearances and social media posts tend to be a person's highlight reel. They show us their TDs but don't mention the INTs.

 

 

Social media is a cancer.   I see why kids get so crazy about it and feel inferior to their “friends “. Well stated it’s a highlight reel.  I don’t know anyone who is always happy like their photos show.  
 

[TailgateChef]

On 1/5/2024 at 2:37 PM, Simon said:

 

Every day.

But that's life.

If you just do your best, then you've done everything you could and you don't have anything to feel bad about.

This is gold.  I face every day with the humility of knowing I will fail a bunch, but I will keep giving it my all.  And I'm never above listening (really listening) to criticism.

But I get you OP about the drought-era Bills.  They gave me joy in a "misery loves company" sort of way.

[BADOLBILZ]

4 hours ago, Irv said:

I read one time that photographs lie.  Nobody takes pictures at a funeral.  Also - never underestimate how valuable you are.  The greatest minds in the world could never replicate you.  You are special.