If I could go back and speak to myself in 2019, the version of me that was burning out,
I’d say this:
You do not have to prove your worth through your exhaustion.
I thought my value was in the hustle:
- Two flights a week
- Raising millions
- Building a big team
I wore it like a badge of honor.
Like that’s what made me worthy of respect, attention, care.
But it didn’t.
It never did.
And I’d say this too:
You do not have to do it alone. Let people in.
Everyone around me would have helped,
if I had just let them know.
But I didn’t.
Because I didn’t even realize I needed help.
Burnout is like the frog in the pot.
The heat rises slowly.
You don’t notice it—until it’s boiling.
Until you’re boiling.
If you’re reading this and seeing yourself in it, please hear me:
You don’t need to earn your worth through pain.
You don’t need to carry it all on your own.
What would you go back and tell your past self?
