I know it’s a at best a useless mindset, as nothing will make me somehow magically get a new chance at those years. But it’s still a strong feeling and it’s still there.
I’m doing my best to push through it, I’m out there talking to people, but there’s usually a point where we are sharing personal anecdotes and I just feel my stomach tightening, as I barely have any of those. I have no experiences which means I have no identity which means I am uninteresting.
I’ve heard people talk confidently and dynamically about the most boring shit. My boss will tell elaborate stories about his morning commute or why he buys the energy drink he buys. Then I try to tell a story about like… shooting a movie and trespassing in a busy train station to get the shot we needed and I can’t hold anyone’s attention.
I’m not convinced you need any life experiences to have an identity or share a story. This of unfortunately not a solution.
I took a storytelling class at one point that helped with this. Oration is a whole skill for sure, independent of content.