Journal Entry: “Keeping Up”

Welcome to today’s Journal Entry inside The Art of Becoming.

This entry is a raw, honest reflection about the years I spent trying to keep up — with expectations, with timelines, with everything life demanded from me, even when I was running on empty.

For so long, I lived in a silent race that no one saw but me.
A race to stay strong.
A race to stay productive.
A race to stay available.
A race to meet standards that were never mine to carry.

But keeping up came with a cost, my peace. My presence. My joy.
And somewhere in the middle of the noise and the pressure,
I realized I wasn’t living…
I was performing.

In this Journal Entry, I reflect on:
The emotional weight of always trying to keep up
How comparison and expectations quietly drain us
What it feels like to live disconnected from your true self
The moment I decided to stop running
Why slowing down is not failure, it’s self-return
The beginning of choosing a life by design: slow, intentional, meaningful

This isn’t just a story .. it’s a release.
A reminder that you are allowed to step off the treadmill of expectations.
You are allowed to redefine your pace.
You are allowed to choose yourself.

If you’ve been tired, overwhelmed, or feeling like you’re always a few steps behind, this Journal Entry is for you.