As a woman I can say definitely I should have leveled up way more by now. I am a small black immigrant to boot and the amount of shit I have to take is ridiculous. But compared to the shit my grandmothers had to deal with, its really nothing. That doesn't mean that it doesn't grind my gears. I hate to say this, but I think Western society is not about competence or even about working hard. It's 100% about self-aggrandizement and self-promotion. I know people who are click bait, as in there's nothing there beyond a pretty face and sometimes even that is not there, but they fumble through corporate America, taking credit for the work of others and succeeding. Thats why so many get away with being complete criminals for so long. Look at all the rapists that have been dethroned recently? Seriously no one knew? However I have found the cheat codes. You can either play the sociopathic game- take credit for others work, backstab, and suck dicks or.... 1. Get away from those types of people and places. Toxic places where you are not appreciated seriously do not deserve you. Use them as a means to an end only and give them no loyalty. You are not a tree, move. 2. If you are in a leadership position, destroy and purge sociopaths and people who hurt others to get ahead. You may not be able to change the system above you, but at least you can change the system you lead. I have been a charge nurse and any time I sense that a nurse on my team is mean, or engaging in lateral violence they are out. If I can't fire them, I'll open door for them to transition onto another floor. they can be someone else problem. 3. This should have been the first one, invest in yourself. Get an education, go to speech therapy (stuttering/lisp can be managed), go to regular therapy, eat properly, exercise, stop smoking, read good books, travel, expand your mind, lay off the drugs, get good friends (just 1 0r 2). Make yourself a better person, not for someone else, just for yourself. Safeguard your piece of mind like it is gold. dont let the bastards rub you down. There a perfect balance there where the universe will open its doors to you. 4. Find your passion. I think the biggest bamboozle I've ever pulled is getting paid to do what I love. I sincerely feel that if I wasn't paid, I would still be a nurse to my patients coz I love it so much. Yes its exhausting and thankless and dangerous, but its what I love. I come home hyped usually. Same with school, I make more money going to school than not. 5. This is the last one- do not take any shit unless you are getting paid for it. I don't deal with abuse, lack of recognition, racism, misogyny or personality clashes well. If I feel slighted, I address it, find out what Im doing wrong, and fix it. If I discover that I am dealing with an idiot, I go above their head up the chain of command. If I feel unheard or unappreciated, I just leave. It's not worth it at all. get your experience, make friends with the person who will give you a recommendation, and find a better spot to spend your life. So those are my cheat codes. I hope they are helpful.