There was a time when I believed success would solve more problems than it actually does. Like many people, I had a mental list of things I thought would make me feel accomplished. Reach a goal. Earn more money. Build something meaningful. Gain recognition. Achieve the next milestone. I imagined that once I arrived at…
For a long time, I believed productivity was always a good thing. The more productive I was, the better I felt about myself. A full calendar felt like progress. A long to-do list felt important. Being busy felt meaningful. I measured my days by how much I accomplished and my value by how much I…
For a long time, I thought exhaustion was proof that I was doing something right. If I was tired, I was working hard. If I was stressed, I was ambitious. If I was constantly busy, I was making progress. At least that’s what I told myself. And I wasn’t alone. Modern culture has a strange…
When I was younger, I imagined my thirties would be the decade when everything finally made sense. I thought I’d have a clear direction. A clear purpose. A clear understanding of who I was and where I was going. In many ways, that’s what we’re taught to expect. By the time you reach your thirties,…
There is something strange about the modern world. We have never been more connected. We can message people instantly. We can video call friends on the other side of the world. We can join communities based on almost any interest imaginable. We can spend hours every day interacting online. Yet despite all of this connection,…
For a long time, I thought strength was all about endurance. The ability to push through. To work harder. To ignore discomfort. To keep going no matter what. In many ways, those qualities still matter. Life requires perseverance. Responsibility requires discipline. Challenges require resilience. But the older I get, the more I’ve come to believe…
