I’ve been posting here for a while now. Not for karma. Not for likes. But because I needed to say things out loud that nobody ever said to me. And every time I do, Reddit responds like it’s been holding its breath.

“You’re Not Lazy. You’re Exhausted From Surviving” 🟡 283k views | 2,093 upvotes | 105 comments

“It Was Never Laziness. I Was Just Tired of Surviving” 🔵 161k views | 1,025 upvotes | 76 comments

“Nobody told me healing would feel like grieving the version of me that kept me alive” 🟡 16.9k+ views (on one repost) | 500 upvotes

These aren’t viral soundbites. These are real people quietly saying “same” with an upvote because they don’t know how else to put it into words.

Here’s what I’m learning:

• People aren’t lazy. They’re exhausted • Healing feels like losing yourself • Self-love still feels unnatural to many of us • Validation hits harder than motivation

This isn’t just content. It’s a mirror.

We’re not just surviving. We’re trying to make sense of what we became just to stay alive.

So far, I’ve passed 1.5 million views, 11k upvotes, and 750 comments — all from saying what I used to keep buried.

If you need the reminder. You’re not the only one feeling it.

Say it. Someone’s waiting to breathe out when you do.

When I look back, I realize one thing clearly: growth never comes from comfort.

I’ve failed. I’ve restarted. I’ve struggled. But every step has taught me skills, resilience, and patience.

Whether it was working late nights, handling multiple responsibilities, or learning new tools from scratch — these experiences shaped me into who I am today.

Success is not about never falling — it’s about standing up one more time than you fall.

So here’s my message today:
Don’t fear mistakes.
Don’t fear starting small.
Fear only not trying at all.

I’d love to hear from you:
What was the biggest lesson your career struggles taught you?

It’s been multiple attempts but this is my first time really devoting myself to my sobriety.

I’m grateful today that I can proudly state that I’m sober, an Eagle Scout, and a productive young person looking at colleges.

:D !!!

Nobody told me healing would feel like grief. Grieving the version of me that kept me alive. The one who stayed quiet. Who didn’t complain. Who learned how to stay alert, read the room, and hold everything in. He was solid. He kept me moving. He made sure I got through what should’ve broken me.

But healing means letting that version go. Saying thank you and goodbye. Because now I’m learning how to breathe. How to speak. How to trust that I’m not in danger all the time. That I can stop flinching at peace. It’s hard to walk away from the person who made survival possible. But I’m doing it. Because I want more than survival. I want life.

Read this book during a particularly chaotic period where I felt like I was just putting out fires all day. Here's what stuck with me:

1. Be proactive, not reactive. Stop saying "I have to" and start saying "I choose to." Sounds simple but it's a total mindset shift. You realize you have way more control over your responses than you think.
2. Begin with the end in mind. Before jumping into any project or even your day, ask yourself what success looks like. I started doing this with meetings and it cut my time in half.
3. Put first things first. The urgent/important matrix changed everything. Most "urgent" stuff isn't actually important, and most important stuff isn't urgent. Focus on important but not urgent tasks.
4. Think win-win. Instead of trying to come out on top in every situation, look for solutions where everyone benefits. Made my workplace relationships way less stressful.
5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood. Listen to actually understand, not just to respond. This one improved my relationships more than anything else.
6. Synergize. Two people working together can achieve more than two people working separately. Sounds obvious but I was always trying to do everything myself.
7. Sharpen the saw. Take care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. You can't pour from an empty cup.

The book is pretty dense but these concepts are surprisingly practical once you start applying them. Anyone else read this? Which habit hit you the hardest?

Btw, I'm using Dialogue to listen to podcasts on books which has been a good way to replace my issue with doom scrolling. I used it to listen to the book "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" which turned out to be a good one.

Hope you like this post!

Source | Source 2

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I didn’t grow up. I just survived long enough to fake it. People think healing looks like showing up, paying bills, smiling at work. But the truth is I never really learned how to live. I just learned how to keep going. How to stay quiet. How to pretend I was okay long enough to make it through the day.

Nobody taught me how to process pain or feel safe or ask for help. So I built walls. I adapted. I survived. And for a long time, that’s all I knew how to do. But I’m not faking it anymore. I did the work. I faced the parts of me I used to run from. I tore down the walls and started building something real. Now I’m not just surviving. I’m finally living. For real this time.