To be fair, I have kids, wife and at 50 it’s exactly the thoughts same as you. Forget about what you’re missing and enjoy what you can while you can. Before you know it health will be a factor.

The sad truth is,
"Life is what happens while your planning to do something else"

Feel you man, 44 here. I kept chasing different goals and none of them panned out, and I find myself in a dead end job as well. I think social media has infected all of us to feel like we missed the boat, most of us are doing ok. Contentment and gratitude I have found to be invaluable in today's day and age. Best of luck to you man!

Hey bro! I'm 48, no kids, no girlfriend. I used to feel down and beat myself up about it too! But now, after doing some thinking, I don't regret it at all, because everything in this life has two sides. Everything has two sides. And every time you're on one side, you regret not being on the other :)
No kids? You're free from that responsibility. You could have had a child with severe disabilities and spent your life filled with regret, watching them suffer.
Are you feeling lonely, and has the routine completely drained you? Other people would write to you saying, 'Man, I just want a stable job and some peace and quiet to be alone with my thoughts!'
Plus, when we're young, everything is ahead of us, just over the horizon. We think there's something incredibly special waiting for us out there, and that's where life truly begins. But when we hit 40, we finally cross that horizon only to find out there’s actually nothing there :) It's completely normal, don't sweat it!

48 here.  No kids and never married.  In my 20s or 30s the idea of marriage was more entertained... but now that I’m older and after several failed relationships.. I don’t want marriage or kids.  Enjoy your peace and freedom!

What is your day job? You don't have to talk to anyone, you never see your boss, you just do your job and are left alone? That sounds like a miracle position!

I am 44 and do not have kids... I do not want them at all.

53yo here. Dead-end job, no wife, no kids, no friends.

I am 41. No kids.  Decent work situation but missing a family of my own.

no marriage and no kids means you don't have any chains. 5 miles ahead then everyone else. you are able to do whatever you want. look at the neighborhood you are walking, i have to drive for a long while for similar place in my country. you are really underestimating what you have currently

Hey man. I'm only 24, so we're at pretty different points in life, but somehow YouTube recommended this to me and I watched the whole thing. I just wanted you to know somebody heard you.

I've felt a lot of what you're describing—the anxiety, watching time pass, getting into the routine of work/home/work/home, having a million thoughts but struggling to actually say them out loud. I don't think you're “rambling.” You actually put words to something a lot of people probably feel but don't talk about.

You aren't alone in this.

And for what it's worth, you don't need to have kids or follow the same timeline as your friends for your life to mean something. Forty isn't the end of your story either. You sound like somebody who has spent a long time doing what you're supposed to do and maybe hasn't had much room to figure out what you actually want.

I hope you keep making these videos. You don't need to be good at YouTube. Walking around on a rainy day, noticing squirrels and rabbits and talking about life was enough. It honestly felt like taking a walk with somebody.

Most importantly, I hope you're doing okay. If things are heavier than you let on in this video, I hope you've got somebody you can talk to. You deserve more than just getting through work, paying the bills, and repeating it all again.

Anyway, random 24-year-old checking in. You aren't talking into the void. At least one person listened. Take care of yourself, man.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and a Christian religious community are two things that have made a major difference to my life.

I’m 45 and in a dead end job. I never took control or actively built a career, just had a series of jobs. I have a six year old. An unplanned pregnancy while in an unhealthy relationship. Kids can make life so much harder if you don’t have a stable foundation - both materially and emotionally. I totally relate to your point about sleep. I have so much shame about my career that sleep is super difficult now.

No kids -> blessing

Most 40 y/o guys I know who are married and have kids are depressed and miserable. One guy in my old job used to hang around the smoking shelter for a whole hour after clocking out just so he could have some time to himself before going home to "the drama" as he called it. Almost every single married guy I've ever met has told me how lucky I am to be single and to never get married. I myself am suffering with some pretty bad loneliness lately and want nothing more than to meet a nice girl but I just can't stand the whole idea of all that relationship crap. I honestly kinda see why they have Rent-A-Girlfriend for a day in Japan. I'd be lucky to see my married friends once a year nowadays because the old ball and chain won't let them go out, even if it's just a supermarket run. There doesn't seem to be any middle ground. We're either single without kids and miserable or married with kids and miserable. How do we win?

Turning 40 soon. What you're describing is similar to my life. Appreciated hearing your experience. Subbed

Just turned 51. No kids, no siblings, two dead parents. It seems oddly the same as it ever has. Everything is up for grabs. Everything in life is just a construct.

Every job is a dead end.  Life is a dead end.

I applaud you for putting yourself out there. I just want to give you a perspective from another man in your position. I’m 45 and no kids, won’t be having them. I’m married to a good woman and that has been a life saver. I spend time with friends and family and invest my time in their lives. I’m very lucky that I’m able to make a living from YouTube (I make camping videos). I think the things that get me through at the age with no kids are a good relationship, spending time with friends/family and having a passion. Just one of those would probably be a huge boost for your mood and mental health. I wish the best, I subscribed and I hope you keep making videos bud.

Your depressed bro. Staying in your comfort zone for all these years is a  dangerous place to be. With zero new challenges. Putting yourself out there on YouTube is a great start at new challenges. Keep going! Keep doing things that make you feel uncomfortable man. We all need that.