What I Learned From Misery

April 14, 2025
12:39 PM

One way I've learned misery in my life was to make everything about myself. For every outcome, I made sure to either celebrate or discipline myself. I believed acknowledging myself for my accomplishments was an equally important part of growing up, like disciplining myself when I wasn't doing my best. However, this pattern of thinking didn't leave a lot of room for me to experience life any other way. I called it focus, but it only kept me stuck in a limited perspective of my goals that kept me questioning whether I was enough to achieve them.

My conversations were about what I could say to make myself seem more interesting to others rather than how I could help others feel heard, understood, and valued. My relationships were about what others meant in my life rather than who I could become to play a more meaningful part in their lives. The communities I joined were about whether I felt like I belonged rather than how I could welcome others to help them feel like they belonged. My work was about how I could be more successful rather than how I could contribute to the lives of others.

As long as I focused on what I wanted from the world, I never had enough, no matter how much I got, because there was always something I wasn't getting. However, when I began to focus on what I could share with the world, I realized I had more than enough, no matter how much I gave, because there was always something more I could give.

If my misery has taught me anything, it's that when you make yourself the center of everything, you shrink the world to the size of your expectations and wonder why it feels so frustrating, unfulfilling, and empty.

If you have ever wondered if you were enough, I want you to know that you have always been enough. Competing with others to feel like you're enough is not a game you'll ever win. Instead, focus on how you can manage yourself to make a difference in the lives of others. You'll find empowerment, joy, and purpose becoming the source of change not only in your life but in the lives of others.

3:26 PM
Chris X