Got relationship advice from a 20 yo colleague.

A month ago, my girlfriend broke up with me, and I found myself in a mental rut. At 33, with a decent job and a few extra pounds I plan to shed, I felt like everything was spiraling out of control. My work started to suffer, and my anger seemed to latch onto everything and everyone around me. It wasn’t a great look, and honestly, I hated the version of myself I was becoming. One day, it all came crashing down. I must’ve been wearing my frustration like a neon sign because one of my younger teammates—just 20 years old—dragged me out for a smoke break. What she said caught me completely off guard. She told me I needed to rebuild my aura, that confidence and self-assurance would naturally draw people back to me, including women. It wasn’t so much the advice as the level of maturity behind it that stunned me. Here she was, a Gen Z college kid with a decade ahead of her to figure out life and make mistakes, giving me insights that felt wiser than my own self-reflection. Meanwhile, here I am at 33, feeling ancient, especially on apps like Bumble where I seem to have been categorized in the “uncle” section. It made me chuckle—and think. I admired her perspective, that unshakable Gen Z confidence like they’ve already got life figured out. Maybe she’s right, though. Maybe I just need to pull myself together and let life flow again. And, for what it’s worth, I can’t help but dig her maturity.