I found a life purpose in college, but because I hadn't made the internal space or found the leading to discover who I really was or what my true path was, it wasn't where I wanted to be. I went off in other directions later to try to find it. The feelings of being lost and purposeless are something that no amount of external validation can relieve (at least for me). My story of the ongoing search and the ensuing misery is something most don't want to hear, so I won't go into it.
You can have career and friends at 25 and have it all fall away from you at 35. Unless you find a way to anchor your identity within your own self, you will always be looking for stability, and likely trying to get it from affirmations of others or external events. This is a losing game and will lead to misery and feelings of discouragement. It's your choice whether to play that way or not.
I'm unfortunately learning this at a later time than I'd like, but there's more potential now than ever, because I have found tools to access info about why I'm here and can work on setting up an internal control structure so I'm not constantly looking for or needing affirmation from others or events to bolster my confidence. As long as your perception of yourself rises or falls with praise or criticism, you will be at the mercy of the reaction of others. It is preferable to find a means of creating acceptance within yourself so praise or criticism are dealt with as external factors and they don't have to impact the internal space of your own identity.
If you're here on earth, there's a reason you're here. Others will often try to tell you that isn't true, because their own ego needs lifting, and they feel they can do that by belittling others. Just saying not to listen to them isn't helpful. You have to find grounding apart from the ongoing perceptions others reflect back to you.
If nothing else, your reason for being here is to find your reason for being here, and for most, 20-30 years isn't enough time to find that because our society has rocketed off in directions that are meaningless as far as finding true contentment. I'm starting to rant. Here's the thing: It may be hard at times, otherwise you'd stay where you are. And you're not meant to stay where you are, or you'd like it there and stay there.
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"This is first-class reality. The human affair is half real, part myth, part art-work..." -Robinson Jeffers
"I'm not shy? I just can't think of anything to say."