[Camellia S]

I've never really been focusing on it, but recently I feel like I have no talents and it makes me feel quite downhearted. I spent most of my life reading, writing and drawing, browsing the internet, watching Youtube videos and listening to music. I'm going to be 17 in nine days time and I'm not happy that my teenage years are almost finished. I don't want to turn 17, because I feel as if I have nothing to show for it at all. I really want to start learning a language and start sewing and baking cakes regularly, my mum once did sewing for her job, but she just doesn't have the time or the money to teach me and provide everything for me. Plus, alongside my studies, Iam totually unable to get a job for myself to earn money. How can I even learn to do the hobbies I dream of doing? One of my biggest problems is that I always compare myself to other people and admire them for the wonderful gifts they have and I feel like Iam so behind my fellow human beings and that its too late to be talented at something. I am fully aware that my confidence is low and that my problem isn't huge and that there are people out in the world who are much worser off than me. But I feel like I need some advice. Thank you for reading

[smoothy]

Just so you know... MOST 16 year olds have very little developed talent that's of real value (except to other 16 year olds). Most people will find their own talents and develop them at some point in early adulthood or later. They aren't always what you want them to be and sometimes aren't what you ever expected them to be.

You only concern now is your studies... and since you have little free time for anything else, focus on that... in a few more years (which pass VERY quickly) when you have graduated and have a job, you can worry about hobbies etc then. And pay for the ones you can afford yourself.

Most things you love at 16 aren't going to be things you have an interest in at 26. A few maybe... but not most and certainly not all.

[Jake2008]

I agree with you in a way, that you had opportunities with school, but never tried what was available to you.

Many do learn about their own talent by joining activities.

But you are not limited, or defined by what you do not have now.

The only way to see what talent you have, and where it lies, is by becoming involved. It is too easy to sit back and say you have no talent for this or that, but truly if you haven't tried something you've never done before, you have no idea if you are right or wrong.

Only you can change your circumstances. How? By getting out there and trying new things. Any community offers sports, music, community service opportunities to name a few. Your talent may not be in sports or music, but perhaps you will find you have a talent for working with the poor an disadvantaged through volunteer positions at local food banks for example.

If you were to put 'I have no talents' down on a resume to get a job, you would have no consideration coming your way for any position. Even if you could work as a volunteer a few hours a week in any capacity, you could at least show that you are capable of giving a part of yourself, to your own community. That says much about a person.

And there is nothing wrong with solitary goals either. Challenge yourself to ride your bike, or enter a race as a runner. Set your own goals- riding 10 miles a week for example. Set your mind to learn to cook something new- no excuses for a lack of ideas online- and see if you don't enjoy cooking, and sharing what you've created.

Let me challenge you.

List 5 things that you've never done before, that you would be willing to try. Sign up for something, or volunteer, and stick to it long enough to know if you have any interest in what you've tried.

Unless you get up and out there, the world will pass you by, and you'll be in the same boat you are in now, and miss out on so much opportunity to enrich your life.

[Fr_Chuck]

OMG 17, your life is like almost over. Soon you may be old age of 20.
It is not like people 30 learn to do new things like ski, or scuba. It is not like people 40 go back to university, it is not like people 50 start new lives, or learn tennis.

Most 17 year old's do not have many skills and few have jobs.

You said you do drawing and writing, I would love to draw, all of mine seem like 4 year old does it.

But people, few people actually have talent, they just spend years of study and practice to learn something

[talaniman]

It's normal to be a bit afraid of coming adulthood and wonder if you're ready or not or if you can leave your comfort zone. I think we all go through that at 16/17. You can get over some of that fear, and anxiety by preparing for after high school with good grades and healthy study habits and be ready for college or vocational training for a good job to be independent.

Some know what they want to do, some take years of exploring and experimenting before they find a career/life path. TRY different things and see what you like. You probably have more skills than you think, or can learn more than you know. It doesn't have to be gloom and doom either, as finding your own path in life can be an enjoyable experience.

Well most of the time anyway.

[CravenMorhead]

I've never really been focusing on it, but recently I feel like I have no talents and it makes me feel quite downhearted. I spent most of my life reading, writing and drawing, browsing the internet, watching Youtube videos and listening to music. I'm going to be 17 in nine days time and I'm not happy that my teenage years are almost finished. I don't want to turn 17, because I feel as if I have nothing to show for it at all. I really want to start learning a language and start sewing and baking cakes regularly, my mum once did sewing for her job, but she just doesn't have the time or the money to teach me and provide everything for me. Plus, alongside my studies, Iam totually unable to get a job for myself to earn money. How can I even learn to do the hobbies I dream of doing? One of my biggest problems is that I always compare myself to other people and admire them for the wonderful gifts they have and I feel like Iam so behind my fellow human beings and that its too late to be talented at something. I am fully aware that my confidence is low and that my problem isn't huge and that there are people out in the world who are much worser off than me. But I feel like I need some advice. Thank you for reading

You have talents, you just ignore them because you don't think they're useful.

This is a question and problem that people battle with until the day they die. My talent is technology. I had known that for a long time and yet I tried to be a microbiologist for many, many years. Your writing and drawing is a step into design and marketing. Your skills with computers open up a lot of doors.

The joke from the movie "Office Space" (Watch it if you haven't already), is the question, "If you had enough money to not worry about working, what would you do?" Which is how you figure out what you were meant to do.

What you should figure out is what you want to do. You want to bake and sew but do you want to do that because you should or because you want to? There is a bunch of things I saw I want to do but it is more of a should do. I think you need to do some thinking and distill down your talents, and ignore NONE, and what you want to improve upon. Also realize that you're in the part of your life where you've got almost limitless choices. Take a year off after high school. Do some college. Figure yourself out.