>> This isn’t bitterness. At 50, I am where I want to be. But if you had asked the 35 year old me - divorced, negative net worth, shitty job with out of date skillset, etc. I wouldn’t have put on a happy face and say I’m not a failure.
The GP didn't say they thought it was a success at the time; quite the opposite. Aren't you basically saying the same thing, only with a different timeline?
> I grew a lot. And I think my current happiness stems mainly from the fact that I like the person I've become, someone who can fail again and again and again and again and still find a way, for the most part, to be happy.
He didn’t say that his current happiness and success comes from the lessons he learned. It’s more like the lady who lost five kids and kept her faith because it was that God was good to save one not thinking if that were the case was he good for letting the other five die? (see also the biblical story of Job)
Without going into details (again look at my favorited comments if interested, I’m not trying to hide the details), what I learned from my failures is why I think I’m not a failure now - ie I achieved the goals I wanted to achieve - was a direct result of learning from my previous marriage and divorce, doing what is needed to not be an expert beginner - I got my first only and hopefully last job at BigTech at 46 (no longer there) - and was much smarter about my finances.
The GP didn't say they thought it was a success at the time; quite the opposite. Aren't you basically saying the same thing, only with a different timeline?