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.
Most people stop learning in whatever thing they're interested in after about a year. You're not 10 years behind other people, you're closer to 2-3 years. I used to think that I was hopelessly behind other people when it came to dating but most people only learn how to date for a year or so. Then they just glide on what they know for the rest of their lives. It's the same for pretty much anything else. Once people stop learning passively, they usually stop learning.
It's the same for you. You're not 10 years behind, you're only 2-3 from being just as experienced as the average person.
This is the most helpful life advise in general.