Maybe we’re not designed to be happy? Maybe we’re designed to chase – status, validation, achievement. Our brains keep moving the finish line. even when I know none of it really matters, i still feel the urge to push forward, to be seen.

For years, I’ve wrestled with the idea that the only way to win the game is to stop playing. Just live on a hill, detach from it all, and you’ll be fine, right? But maybe it’s not that simple. We are social creatures. We need validation. We need to feel like we’re enough.

Sometimes I think I have to escape this cycle entirely. Other times, I see it differently. Chasing something – progress, recognition, impact – isn’t the answer, but it can be a “strategy” A way to keep going. A way to stay engaged. The key is knowing it’s fuel, not fulfillment.

And when I look at those who’ve reached the top, I don’t envy them. I don’t even wonder what drove them so high. Most aren’t chasing greatness – they’re running from the fear of not being enough.

I get that fear. I feel it. And I use it. But I remind myself: the chase is a tool, not the truth.