What I Wish I Could Tell Myself Before I Burned Out

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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