the chase felt like progress — until i broke in place
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At first, I thought it was just ambition.
I wanted more. To grow. To expand.
So I made the plans. Hit the deadlines. Set the goals.
And for a while, it worked.
Every milestone felt like movement.
Every “next” gave me a small jolt of worth.
But something started to feel… off.
It wasn’t burnout exactly.
It was this slow ache — like I was running in place while everyone cheered me on.
I kept asking:
Why don’t I feel proud?
Why doesn’t this feel like me?
Even when I “won,” it didn’t land.
Even when I rested, I didn’t feel rested.
And that’s when I realized:
I had confused motion with meaning.
Success with alignment.
Pushing forward with feeling alive.
No one talks about this kind of stuck.
When you look accomplished on the outside
but lost and empty on the inside.
Not because you failed —
but because you never stopped to ask if any of this was yours to begin with.
✧ quiet prompt:
When did you last feel successful… and still not feel seen?
🌒 next layer: