I’m here now and everything is fine, I don’t look at or expoerence life in those terms, I take care of my family, I work, I play music... sometimes I laugh sometimes I cry, too busy being human to waist my life reaching for what in the end will be meaningless and would have spread myself to thin for the people I love. Be happy now with what you have, life is very short, as I’ve been harshly reminded by reality this week.
I bought house before I was 30 but then fell in love and made a series of mistakes.
Got cancer around 10 years later and lost everything I had except my dog and pick up truck
Just bought another house at age of 50 but still have same soul sucking, empathy killing, gotta get up at 2 or 3am daily so have no life job.
Age 21, dropped out of college(art major) to have a baby. During pregnancy, I became determined to be a nurse, in Labor and Delivery. I applied to school, and got my RN 4 years later. And got a job in Labor and Delivery!
Still searching, I suppose. Published my first stories and poetry in my late twenties.
Recorded a Celtic music album when I was 37. Got my PhD when I was 40; got a tenure track job at 46. Published a book at 44, a short story collection at 48. and novels at 49, 57 and 60. Still working on things. My becoming a college prof was something I'd wanted since my senior year in high school. I thought I be a drama teacher, but I ended up a credentialed historian, with a side trip as a journalist. So I guess I haven't had a calling, and success depends on the definition of success. My goals keep changing, even now. Anything now would be sheer luck.
Found my calling at 51, achieved greatest success between 28 and 32, still working on life long goals they are more an ongoing group of activities rather than something specific. I am doing mostly what I want to be doing on a daily basis, as much as I might bitch and whinge about it.