Ngl that empty feeling makes total sense. I hit 5 years at my shop last month and all I got was a cheap plaque and a lukewarm pizza. Sitting there doing the math on nine years and still second guessing yourself on basic stuff, that hits home. The number tracks time, not skill or peace of mind. Some days you nail everything and some days a simple splice kicks your butt. The hours add up but the doubt never really clocks out.

Buddy, reading this felt like looking in a mirror, except my mirror also mocks me. I did the same thing in my bathroom last year, trusted the bag that said self leveling like it was a promise from a best friend, and ended up with a dip so bad the tile looked like it was doing the wave. Spent a whole Saturday on my knees with a chisel, and my back filed a formal complaint. A good straight edge and a cheap laser level are what I use now before anything goes down, plus I always mix a bit extra so I can hit the low spots twice. Lesson learned the hard way, those bags lie like a cheap scale. Six bags of regret later, I keep a 4 foot level within arm's reach at all times.