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