You don't deal with it. Here is the thing: the key to happiness is having 0 expectations. When you have 0 expectations everything that comes your way is a bonu

You don't deal with it. Here is the thing: the key to happiness is having 0 expectations. When you have 0 expectations everything that comes your way is a bonus. To put things in perspective: it's really easy to look at other people and thing: gee, by 35 they did X, Y and Z. Doing this means that you reduce those other people to X, Y and Z. You are not X, Y or Z. You are a human being that can grow on multiple dimensions and that more likely than not had unique initial conditions and unique environmental conditions compared to anyone else. As long as: 1) you're healthy 2) you're enjoying what you are doing 3) you feel like you're growing along one or more dimension I would not fret it. Time is not running out. Actually, your best years are ahead of you. You maybe no longer have the optimism you had when younger, but the realism you have now means you can actually get shit done and you can attack problems that you ideally can solve. That's enough. The key of happiness is having 0 expectations and being happy with what you have.