My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

This is a sob story. This is a chance for me to get everything out to a bunch of anonymous poker players. This probably belongs in the OOT forums, but this has as much to do with psychology as anything.

I'm a junior at Penn State University. I made the decision tonight to withdraw from the semester, and to reapply for next semester. When I went home for break, I hinted to my parents that I wasn't getting very good grades. Though upset, she basically told me that I would be paying my tuition from here on out. As I'm out of state, that's about $30K per year.

What I didn't tell her is that I would be most likely failing a class or two, and it was too late to withdraw from them. If I had to guess, I'd say I had 2 F's and 4 C's coming my way. I've had 2 C's in my entire lifetime, and this is what I'm expecting. I'm not sure what happened.

I lost all my will to work this semester. I love my major, but hated the classes I had to take for them. (I'm an actuarial science major. I had to take several business for dummies classes.) The worst part is, one of my Fs is in Insurance, which is based on my major. It's not that it's above me, or that I didn't enjoy it. I just didn't have it in me this semester to do ANYTHING. I basically pissed away $15K to have a good time.

I want to get my life back on track. I want to come back next semester, with the same classes, and ace them. I want to be able to study, and not worry that 2 hours isn't enough time to cram. I want to be able to look towards my future and know that I'll have a job lined up, instead of wondering if some random company will hire Joe Schmo with a 2.0 GPA. Currently, I have a 3.44 GPA. I'm an incredibly, intelligent person. Intelligence only gets you so far though. There's no reason for me not to do well in school, not to have a job/internship lined up for me when I graduate. But, here I am, writing about how I tried to ruin my life.

I'm not sure what I want from this post. I don't really expect any replies. I'll probably get more flames if anything. I needed to express myself though. Hell, if anything, now I know what I can say to my mother tomorrow when she ask "What the [censored] do you mean you're withdrawing."

Thanks for reading. If you feel like replying at all, feel free. My feelings won't be hurt at all by anything you have to say. Even if it's "No one gives a *bleep*"

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

Well, I guess I'm not sure how to answer this question... I am a psychology grad student, and I get the impression that you're looking more to get it all out than anything, but it's pretty obvious that you're looking for someone to talk to also. If you need a faceless ear to just bounce things off for an hour, PM me and we'll work something out.
-If you are just looking to vent, that's fine. I know that you'll get twenty "it's not the end of the worlds" and a baker's dozen "you're overreacting"/"you're still doing fines" but it doesn't really feel that way to you right now, and that's all that matters at the moment.
-A final note, don't play this game to try and release. You're in no state to, and the best cards in the world isn't going to make you any money. Take a break and live vicariously through these other players.
Wishing you the best,
Eric

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

It's not so catastrophic as it sounds. If you are able to learn from this and fix the problem you will be better off because of it. I would assume you can get pretty good financial aid to cover your schooling. If you are planning on becoming an actuary that isn't so bad because it's a very well paying job.

I have had similar problems studying. I'm an economics phd student at Pitt. Last semester I failed a course and I also failed one of my comprehensive exams. Looking back I failed them because I put basically no effort in whatsoever. While others studied probably anywhere from 30-100 hours of studying for the comps I put in probably about 5-10, most of which was the night before each. It's a tough habit to break and to be honest it's not something I have fully mastered. I guess I don't have much advice for that other than to say there are others in the same boat.

Also, for a bit as an undergrad I planned on becoming an actuary. Apparently the job market is absolutely incredible and if you pass your actuarial exams you're golden. If you are taking time off try studying for those. If you can pass the first two (math and economics in case the exam system has changed again) then your job prospects will be much better and you shouldn't have much of a problem finding a job.

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

I'm a psychology grad student as well and I think most people can relate to difficulties with motivation and school or work. Not wanting to diagnose over the internet, but it might be helpful to talk to someone at your student counseling center at Penn. It's likely free if you're a student, they might offer some vocational testing etc. Lack of motivation is a classic sign of depression (not saying you're depressed, don't have enough info obviously) so talking to a professional (or at least a grad student 8) might help. Hang in there and make sure that you lean on the people you're close to for support.

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

Hehe, consider yourself lucky if they want to hire joe schmo with a 3.9gpa! [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] Despite what your parents and university faculty tell you, getting a job is still about who you know and not what you know. If had my last year of college to do over again, I would focus a lot more on making contacts in the "outside world" and preparing a kick-ass resume.

Of course it's also a good idea to study and try harder, you owe it to yourself. Ultimately, however, this episode doesn't really matter and you'll forget about it in a couple years. Chear up. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

Re: My brother\'s success story
 

My brother experienced the same thing you are currently experiencing. He flunked out of college because he spent his whole time partying and playing poker instead of going to class and studying. The university told him he would have to go to community college and get his grades back up before they would readmit him. On top of that, my parents told him that they would not pay for his college unless he was making good grades.

This sounds like the exact same boat you are in. My thought on it is that some people just aren't ready for college. You need time to enjoy life as a single young kid. I have a lot of friends and relatives who didn't go to college until they were in their late 20s because they weren't ready. My advice is to not go back until you are ready to study and be serious. Until then, party and have fun and enjoy life.

Now, my brother decided to go back home to his parents and get a job. He payed his way through 2 semesters of community college and got straight A's. Clearly he wasn't stupid, he just wasn't ready for college before. He just returned to his regular, out of state university this semester, and from what I hear, he's not expecting one C this semester. He's ready to take college seriously now. You need to wait until you are ready to do the same before you go back too.

Re: My brother\'s success story
 

1. My advice is to not go back until you are ready to study and be serious.

This was the first thought that came to my mind. Great advice. Take a semester off, at least. Starting the same classes again in the spring is probably a really bad idea. Take some time to think. What if the same thing happens next semester? Move in another direction that interests you for a while. Go back to school at some point. You gotta get a degree, but don't sabotage the work you have put in so far with another semester in which you aren't ready to work.

2. Paying your own way might help you focus in school. Now the financial burden is on you. That's good incentive to reach your degree and start paying off your debts.

3. Don't let failing a couple classes bring you down. I was never a very good student in college, but got good grades my 3rd and 4th years to get my GPA up above 2.5. I'm a smart guy, but scholl has never kept my interest. Once I graduated, it was harder for me to find a job than my friends with great grades but once I did I excelled. A paycheck every 2 weeks and having other people depend on the work that I do are incentives that make me work hard.

Failing a semester in school doesn't mean you won't find great success in life.

been there, doing that.
 

Kyro,
I wanted to echo what a couple of others have said. It might not be best for you to go back next semester. You may have the tendancy to panic a little, think you are behind and need to catch up, especially as time seems to really fly by during these years of your life. My advice to you would be not to rush going back to school. If you honestly want to return, get your degree and graduate, then do it. But if you feel like you Have to go back and you Have to do it soon i would advise taking a semester off. Get a job and take a community college course and learn spanish, or something both basic and helpfull. Getting back into good habits of studying and working will help immensely in your mental preparation.

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

Cheer up Holden.

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

Some quick thoughts based on a quick reading of your post. Take it all with a grain of salt. All comments meant to help you.

1) Get yourself a job ASAP to earn a few bucks and to learn a bit while out there. Working 40 hrs a week at a short-term job will provide motivation alone for getting your degree.

2) Strongly consider transferring to another school that costs less now that you're paying on your own dime.

3) Don't even think about not getting your degree. Even if you think you can do fine without one, you are pot-committed now with 2 years in. You don't need a degree to be succesful, but you have more outs if you do have one.

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

Howdy.

Just to introduce myself in my first ever post on this site, I consider myself a slightly below average poker player (although net positive in the 5 months of play). I play on pokerroom.com only for now. I also happen to be an actuary (or an actuarial student).

First off, if you plan to become an actuary, you don't need expensive education. 80% of my department comes for CUNY colleges. Those cost $3K a year. You might consider transfering. Of course, there are other factors in play when it comes to choosing colleges, but give it a thought.

Secondly, I failed 4 courses in my college career. I had to change my major because of it, in fact. Graduated with 3.4 GPA out of a no-name college. Reality is, GPA doesn't matter to actuarial employers that much. Demand still exceeds supply. I had two actuarial exams passed and I got my first (and only so far) job while I was finishing my last semester. I didnt have any prior actuarial experience. No internships or anything.

If you end up working as an actuary, you will most likely have to take lots of exams. Tough exams. If you can't study now, you won't make it later. It is much harder to study on your own than in a structured college environment. Maybe you need to reconsider your career plans. Or better yet, try to take an exam while you are out of college to see if you can do it. Next exam is in May, you have plenty of time. It will cost you more than 300$ for fees and books and whatnot, but it's well worth it in the long run. Even if you fail, it won't mean that you can't pass it later. Passing rates are around 40%. But it will give you an idea for what to expect.

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

I'm going to go along with the others.

I was a star student until I hit a motivational wall halfway through my sophomore year. It wasn't partying. I just couldn't find the motivation for it anymore. My otherwise great GPA plummeted in one semester.

So, I took 17 and a half years off to work instead. Work made sense, and fortunately, I could find a job.

The wonderful thing about the US is that you can always go back to college any time you have the money and time. Maybe not the best college, but some college. There are always additional opportunities. I entered college in '73 and finally got my BA in '94. Took me 21 years to graduate, but I eventually made it.

One thing that I did find: after years of toughing it out, making a living for myself, when I did return to college, I found it exceptionally trivial to maintain a 4.0, take a heavy load, and generally get myself the rest of the way through my undergrad degree. I guess I'd just done some growing up, or maybe I needed to get away from the educational system for a while. Also, paying out of one's own pocket does wonders to focus your attention.

I nearly hit a similar wall about half-way to my PhD (like everyone else here, in Psychology). It seemed like I never had enough time to really study or learn. All it seemed like I was doing was last minute crams to just barely tick the requirements off in time.

I talked to my advisor about this, and his response was "What makes you think it's any different for anyone else?"

That actually helped a lot.

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

I practically did the same thing during my second semester of college, but I think to a worse degree...

I went to classes for about a week and a half and stopped going. Too much partying was the culprit, but the problem was that I NEVER withdrew. That's right: 0.0 GPA for that semester. Awesome.

Anyway, obviously I was kicked out for a semester and had to re-apply with letters of recommendation to get back in. I got back in, but the main problem was my GPA was like a 1.1 or something like that as a result of my freshman year follies.

THE ANSWER: ACADEMIC BANKRUPTCY

I'm surprised no one has mentioned this yet, but it is something that university admissions depts. don't throw around freely, for fear of abuse of the system.

What happens is you get full credit for all classes that you have passed in previous semesters, but begin with a total clean slate as far as GPA is concerned. Therefore, upon returning, if you throw down a 4.0 that semester, your total GPA will be a 4.0.

Thanks to academic bankruptcy I graduated with a 3.31, otherwise it would have been much lower. You wouldn't believe how many people I have met who could have benefitted from this but never knew about it.

Hope this helps.

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

I'm sorry, but it sounds like you're lazy and need to get off your ass and do some work. I'm usually a pretty empathetic type, but your story just smacks of "college party boy feels sorry for self after pissing away semester". Get off your ass and fix your life.

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks for reading. If you feel like replying at all, feel free. My feelings won't be hurt at all by anything you have to say. Even if it's "No one gives a *bleep*"

[/ QUOTE ]

The biggest lesson you will learn in college is just this. That noone gives a *bleep*. It is your life now. Time to grow up. See a counselor for help. Good luck to you.

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

[ QUOTE ]

Of course it's also a good idea to study and try harder, you owe it to yourself. Ultimately, however, this episode doesn't really matter and you'll forget about it in a couple years. Chear up. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

My thoughts exactly. You´ll figure things out. Good luck and take care!

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

Dude, I went through the same thing, except it took me 2 extra semesters to get my act together. Here's my assessment of the situation.

1.) Its not a big deal. Getting a bad grade will not change who you are, or what you will be able to do with your life.

2.) How do you know you really want to be an actuary? I ask this because when you know what you want to do, everything else becomes easier. Like when you go to drivers ed cause it will help you get your license 6 months earlier. You were there for a reason, you didn't want to be, but it was getting you something you wanted.

3. If you have to pay your own way, don't go to PSU. Its just way too expensive. Go to a state school in NH. Depending on what you want to do, your degree and GPA are what's important.

4. To the guy who said its not what you know, its who you know... That's a load of crap.

5. Take some time off. Experience working a shitty job, and you'll learn how easy college is, and will want to work to get a better life for yourself.

6. In closing, DO NOT GET DOWN ON YOURSELF. In some aspects this is a very hard time in life. You're confused and aren't sure what you want.

PS. Don't say "I'm incredibly intelligent." People who truly are don't say that kind of stuff.

Now, if you want to discuss this more, PM and I can chat with you. I've been through this myself. (And am doing just fine.)

BeerMoney.

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

[ QUOTE ]
This is a sob story. This is a chance for me to get everything out to a bunch of anonymous poker players. This probably belongs in the OOT forums, but this has as much to do with psychology as anything.

I'm a junior at Penn State University. I made the decision tonight to withdraw from the semester, and to reapply for next semester. When I went home for break, I hinted to my parents that I wasn't getting very good grades. Though upset, she basically told me that I would be paying my tuition from here on out. As I'm out of state, that's about $30K per year.

What I didn't tell her is that I would be most likely failing a class or two, and it was too late to withdraw from them. If I had to guess, I'd say I had 2 F's and 4 C's coming my way. I've had 2 C's in my entire lifetime, and this is what I'm expecting. I'm not sure what happened.

I lost all my will to work this semester. I love my major, but hated the classes I had to take for them. (I'm an actuarial science major. I had to take several business for dummies classes.) The worst part is, one of my Fs is in Insurance, which is based on my major. It's not that it's above me, or that I didn't enjoy it. I just didn't have it in me this semester to do ANYTHING. I basically pissed away $15K to have a good time.

I want to get my life back on track. I want to come back next semester, with the same classes, and ace them. I want to be able to study, and not worry that 2 hours isn't enough time to cram. I want to be able to look towards my future and know that I'll have a job lined up, instead of wondering if some random company will hire Joe Schmo with a 2.0 GPA. Currently, I have a 3.44 GPA. I'm an incredibly, intelligent person. Intelligence only gets you so far though. There's no reason for me not to do well in school, not to have a job/internship lined up for me when I graduate. But, here I am, writing about how I tried to ruin my life.

I'm not sure what I want from this post. I don't really expect any replies. I'll probably get more flames if anything. I needed to express myself though. Hell, if anything, now I know what I can say to my mother tomorrow when she ask "What the [censored] do you mean you're withdrawing."

Thanks for reading. If you feel like replying at all, feel free. My feelings won't be hurt at all by anything you have to say. Even if it's "No one gives a *bleep*"

[/ QUOTE ]


I haven't really read all of the replies. But let's look at me. I go to uni, get a 3.0 first semester (which would've been quite a bit higher had I not written down the wrong date for a specific assignment that was worth 15% of my grade in one class.... ugh)

Next sem, my constant recurring sleep problems got about 20x worse, I lose all my will to work, I miss about a month's worth of classes before I get a medical withdrawl...

Yeah. Anyway, I don't have much advice for you, because I'm still in the "take time off and straighten out my head" phase. Hit me up on AIM if you wanna just shoot the [censored] about it. It's encouraged, because it might help me out too hehe. Snoogins47, if you want. If not, of course, that's cool.

Just in case you're wondering, I worked full time for a couple months, I'm doin some part time stuff now, and I'm headed to a Jr. College type thing next semester, with the intent of taking random classes and getting that GPA back up to snuff.

Lifes a bitch
 

A couple of facts,
It is who you know not what you know.
School sucks and if your bored with it quit.
Find a job ( not poker) and work like everyone else in America.
If later you want to go to school you can.

When ever life starts dragging the bottom of the barrel remember there are people who have it a lot harder than you.

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

First off, sorry to hear about where you are.

I think can offer a couple of relevant notions.

First off, realize you put yourself where you are and have to deal with it. It is going to suck, but like much of life this is going to be something that tests you and eventually makes you stronger. I had a similar situation in my freshman year where I didn't make a 3.0 (got a 2.9) and lost a 1/3 scholarship. My parents in their infinite wisdom said "well you lost it, find a way to pay for it". It hurt at the time, but now I'm glad I did got through it by taking student loans (all paid off now too).

Also, although I am in software development, I did spend 3 years in a reinsurance company. Let me tell you something, if you really like your major, you owe it to yourself to get your act together and graduate. The actuarials in the company I was in (Transamerica) were treated like demigods and were paid astromical salaries. You will have an extremely comfortable lifestyle, will be able to pay your loans off with ease, and you'll have plenty of time/bankroll to play poker! Think about that as you approach your work in the next semester you're in.

About intelligence. Yeah, I never studied a lick all the way through grade school and most of high school and still got all A's and B's. But guess what? College is not about how smart you are - it's about how hard you work. I learned that pretty quickly. I had a friend who didn't. He was one of the brightest guys I knew at the time. Got a 1400 on his SATs and a full ride to NYU. He pissed it all away playing video games and not going to classes and was eventually booted. He's a complete loser now wasting his brains in some ridiculously low level job complaining about life all the time.

It may seem bleak. But you just have to tough it out and get through it. You'll love yourself once it's over, your parents will be thrilled, and you'll be the better man for it.

Good luck!

Re: Lifes a bitch
 

[ QUOTE ]
A couple of facts,
It is who you know not what you know.


[/ QUOTE ]

That's for people who develop no talents and skills and want to depend on someone else putting food on their plate.

Re: Lifes a bitch
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
A couple of facts,
It is who you know not what you know.


[/ QUOTE ]

That's for people who develop no talents and skills and want to depend on someone else putting food on their plate.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, but a wildly successful strategy for the talentless and skill-less, just the same.

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

I had the same reaction and results to college at the beginning. When I ran into classes that were beneath my intellect, or boring, or poorly taught, I did not go. As a result I was put on accademic suspension once or twice. When I finally went back to school, it was fine. I salvaged my GPA, though it certainly wasn't steller. In grad school (several years later, while I was working full time) I did great. I have found this to be a common pattern with bright people, and have several friends who went through the same sort of crash before coming back.

Don't get depressed about it, you will overcome this. You may or may not be able to salvage the F's by talking to the professors, but you should have no trouble graduating with a 3.0+. Grad schools care more about recomendations and tests than grades, if you go that route. (That is to say, you won't have trouble getting into a good grad school with a 3.0 and good rec's, gre's, though you may not be able to go top of the line). Employers don't really care that much about grades, either. A 3.5 may get you slightly more interviews than a 3.0, but if so not many. How you perform in the interview and the fact that you have a degree are what's important here.

Is there a co-op program you can join (this could help on many fronts: You get away from the classroom for a semester, you get used to a more regimented routine (it is easier to go to class for 2-3 hours a day and study for a couple of hours after you have been putting in regular work days), and, since you are basically on your own now for paying for school, it will help you out financially. Also, you may end up with an in to a post college job.)

There is a strong chance that if you go back next semester you will ace it, since this semester likely will serve as a wake up call.

Again, don't get too upset by this. The holliday season can be very stressful, and you are probably putting more emphasis on your accademic situation than you should. In the short term it is a biggish deal. If this semester is a trend that continues, it's a big deal. Otherwise it is a tiny blip in your life, don't beat yourself over it, just learn from the experience and move on, you will get through this.

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

My second son was a skinny little boy who was in all the advanced classes in grade school up until the 8th grade. His older brother was similar in stature and in brainpower. The older brother was quite uncoordinated and was a bit of a loner, preferring to become a computer nerd while the second son shied far away from computers and was more into athletics. One day when he was in 8th grade (I found out years and years later), the second son saw his older brother get beaten up. The second son's grades began to diminish ever so slowly, until by his senior year in high school, every grade (literally EVERY GRADE) was a 'C'. Additionally, beginning in the 8th grade, he began a 2 hour regimen of weight lifting 6 days a week, forcing himself by age 14 to eat a minimum of 6,000 calories a day to insure the proper weight gain for his high metabolic rate.

The older brother grew to be about 6'3" and went to college and followed all the rules as a first child would be expected to do. He landed an outstanding programming job and today is quite successful.

The second son, after high school, preferred the "easy" life. He decided that a bartender's life would appeal to him. So he took a 6 week course and hopped around from bar to bar until he found a fairly decent job. His weighlifting for all those years created an incredible body and his outgoing personality was suited well for his chosen profession.

One day, he finally leveled with me. I told him that I never could understand how his grades had gradually diminished because he was a highly intelligent individual. And I asked him about his 5 years of bartending and whether he planned to continue, being very careful not to sound disappointed in his choice.

He told then about his brother being beaten up years ago and how he had made a decision (at age 12!!) that he would try to be as unlike his brother as possible, mostly because of that single incident! He avoided computers, FORCED his grades down, and did everything he could to create a HULK body. He was even intelligent enough to get all 'C's in his senior year and laughingly told me that that became a challenge for him...to get ALL C's.

He told me that now that he was 26 and living on his own and understanding what a great person his older brother was, that his thinking had changed a great, great deal.

With absolutely no coaxing or cajoling on anyone's part, the second son enrolled at Arizona State University the following semester. He supported himself through his bartending and loaded himself to the max with credit hours and wound up graduating as an electronics engineer THREE YEARS LATER WITH A 3.89 GPA! Two years after graduation, he is in the six figure income category and is doing, of all things, embedded chip programming!

He told me recently that he just wasn't ready for school when everyone else thought he should be. But once he was ready, there was nothing that was going to stop him.

He taught me quite a lesson and I think you will do something similar.

AWESOME STORY
 

Thank you for that.

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

Great story, truly inspirational.

I'm sort of in the same situation you are, except I'm in my first semester of college. I did well the first few weeks but got depressed and lost the motivation to do any work or go to any classes... It looks like i'll be ending this semester with a GPA in the 2.0 range if I'm lucky. I'm considering taking next semester off and getting a job, but there are a lot of factors I need to consider... Anyways if you want to talk hit me up on AIM, my sn is lazyaznguy16. Good luck!

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

Umm . . . yeah . . . I did that 4 times before finally dropping out for good. Just look yourself in the mirror every morning and repeat the following phrase, "I will not be like Scott. I will not be like Scott."

Scott

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

Kyro,

I've been there as well. I was an overachieving, driven student through college and I entered a very, very tough ivy league PhD program. In the space of about two months I went from feeling on top of the world - that I could accomplish anything, to feeling like I didn't give a [censored] about any of it, and once you have that feeling, doing the work for real becomes impossible. Your concentration is shot. I ended up failing out. I knew it was over when I walked into class one day and there was a midterm that I didn't even know about. I hadn't the slightest idea how to even begin to solve any of the problems on the test. I was crushed. I felt like a total screwup who had worked for and was given the world and turned it all to [censored], and for no particularly good reason. I just couldn't get my act together.

By some miracle I got myself readmitted to the program after a year of making myself indispensible to a professor's research program. I passed the qualifying exams after working 12 hour days straight for 5 months. I was on a mission. I graduated with my degree a couple years later, and ended up getting probably the most lucrative job available to me in my research field.

The point being: it's never too late to gather your strength and achieve your goals.

But I think it's important to try to diagnose why you lost interest. Could it be that you didn't really lose interest so much as your interest was consumed by other things? That played a large part in my demise. Once I resolved not to be sidetracked by other things, it helped TREMENDOUSLY in getting the job done.

Best of luck to you.

eastbay

Thank you all
 

Wow, I must say I'm amazed at the amount of replies this has received. I truly appreciate everybody's input on this. Even the ones who told me that it is my fault and if I really care, I need to get off my ass and stop being lazy...because you're right. That's basically what it boils down to.

I have read everyone's replies up to this point, and they are all very important to me. I have felt like [censored] the past 2 weeks, but talking to my advisor, friends, and last but not least reading the responses on here have certainly helped me.

Anyways, thanks again. To those that pm'ed me, I will get back to each one of you hopefully by the end of the weekend to let you know I received your message. I still don't necessarily feel good about myself, but it was beneficial to me to get things out and to read your responses. Thanks again.

Kirk

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

dude, you have some amazing kids for sure. great story, you must be very proud of both of them.

--turnipmonster

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

Some of the self-help stuff out there is pretty good too: Try Anthony Robbins, for example.

Good luck,
OnlinePokerCoach

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

go pro.....


peace


john nickle

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

I prefer Tony Bobbins:

http://www.benstiller.net/ben/images/tbss/bobbins.jpg

Re: Thank you all
 

Couldn't have happened to a nicer person...

Re: Thank you all
 

the good part is you still have the opportunity to fix it. sieze it and get it done.

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

This is one of the best posts I've ever read. Thanks!

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

Might want to look at Aptitude Testing: search johnson o'conner on google.

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

You're all quite welcome. And every word is true!

Re: Lifes a bitch
 

Thanks for your positive remarks and helping the guy out. Is this your typical deal, just getting on here and shooting people down. I make a comment to a guy since he asked my opinion and then you come on with your typical "I still live at home with my parents and since I cant get off my moms tit Ill surf the forum and make fun of people" comments. Why dont you take your negative bullshit and stick it up your ass and focus on helping the kid out with a positive comment. Comin in here like a Barney makes you look like a white collar, can I kiss my bosses ass for some overtime, i hate my life, jackoff. Grade A-1 for real. This zoo needs to make a list of guys like you so we know not to take any of your posts serious. I guess your name says it all. So now that I've giving you some fuel, sleep on it and come back with one of those great comments like we all know you can. Being that Christmas is the number one holiday for suicides maybe we will all get lucky and not here from you. Happy Holidays and thanks for all the good you do around the forum here. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: My life in shambles (not poker related)
 

1. you didn't "ruin your life|"--you F'D UP!
2. you can get back on track
3. don't give up
4. stay away from poker
5. see a psych. in case you need help with depression.
good luck hon--hang tough! [img]/images/graemlins/heart.gif[/img]