12 years & over many

IDK what this post will be. I am beside myself really, This game I once loved, feels so bad to me now. There was a time I thought I was good. Many years ago I ran with Willywonka, Greendude and havoc. A time where we played HC only. Until we didn't. Yea life happens. Some of us found other things to do, some become Twitch famous, while some, well.
(Mind you this is only in game. IRL for me is Fricken amazing.)
Stuck in this never ending cycle of what is starting to feel like pure torcher. No matter how hard I try to get better. No matter what I try to build, craft or grind, I feel like I am beating my head into a solid brick wall.
Now listen, I have gotten a char to 100, many into the late 90s before hitting that wall. I have completed all league challenges a couple times. I have spent an unreal amount of time and IRL money into this game. I have taken breaks, played many other games, and spent plenty of time away from POE. Tho I always come back. There might of been one league I missed, maybe one. Just to be here 12 year later?
So what's changed? POE, of course it has. Me? Yea, I would think so, I am 50 this year. (Crap I am getting up there). Why is it so bloody hard to get anywhere in this game? Hours and hours of trying and grinding. Death after horrible death, which are mostly caused by one shots. I do not go looking for builds, I do not trade, Cause F trading. I give so much, just to feel stuck? But why am I so bad? After 12 years and thousands of hours played, Why? What Am I missing that makes me so terrible at POE? A game I love and I have dedicated so much to? Is it Age, lac of understanding, am I just stupid? What could I do to get good again? What can I do to refresh that amazing feeling I once had? What had become of that game I once got so stoked to play?

Where are you in your POE journey? How long have you been on it and is it good or are you on the same "Path" I am?

Sincerely:
Krin

Survival of the fittest.
If you not fit in the meta, you struggle.

That's it.

55 here, created my first account in open Beta.
Missed 2 seasons because I did not like the theme. Actually, I am still fine playing PoE. Don't feel as "addicted" to it as in earlier days, but still having fun. Sessions just got way shorter ;)
As for "being good".. no, that's not me ;)
I only beat Sirus twice I guess. Uber Maven? No way.
Hand-Eye Coordination getting worse and worse with age ;)

So I set different goas for me, or played with guides that are presumably OP. ^^
Well, I felt that they are stronger, but still no walk in the park. :)

Never was able to accumulate enough wealth for the uber endgame variations of the builds I played.
Never had a Headhunter, no Mirror of cause.. but found a close-to-perfect Mageblood once.
A few lvl 100 Characters, some 40/40s.

Not a bad thing, though. I am afraid I might lose all my interest for PoE, which is still one of my favorite pastimes, once I cleared all possible content and maybe find or buy a mirror one day.
So here's hope that there will always be some (new) content I have yet to beat. :)

Coming up on 13 years, I still play my way.
I am coming up on 55.