The Peace That Came When I Finally Stopped Competing

There’s a kind of exhaustion that comes from always trying to keep up, not with your own goals, but with the pace of other people’s lives. You scroll, you compare, you start rushing things you once loved. For years, I didn’t realize that the anxiety I felt wasn’t from failure, it was from competing in a race I never signed up for.

Not every win is yours to chase, and not every delay means you’re behind.

Yahaha D.

🎢 I Didn’t Know I Was Competing, Until I Burned Out

At first, it was innocent: “Wow, she got the job.” Then it became: “He already bought a car?”
Then: “They’re married now?”
Then: “What am I doing with my life?”

I’d open Instagram and close it with a headache. I was measuring my life with someone else’s ruler, and then wondering why I never felt enough.

Every time someone else moved forward, I shrunk.

🧘🏾‍♀️ Slowing Down Wasn’t Laziness, It Was Survival

I stopped posting for a while. I muted a few people. I took a break from LinkedIn. I let myself be still, no plans, no pressure, no performance.

And in that stillness, I heard my own voice again.

It said:

• You’re not late

• You’re not lazy

• You’re allowed to want different things

• You don’t need to win for people to respect you

• And most importantly, you’re not in a competition

🌱 What I’ve Gained Since Letting Go

• I enjoy my work more, because I’m not rushing it for applause

• I sleep better, because I’m no longer chasing someone else’s timeline

• I reconnect more deeply, because I’m not hiding behind achievements

• I’ve started living, not just updating

When I stopped competing, I didn’t lose ambition, I just reclaimed peace. And that’s the kind of wealth I didn’t know I needed.

💬 Have You Stepped Back from the Noise?

Tell us what changed when you slowed down.
Tag @abujamailonline or email editor@abujamail.com with #Voices