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25 and Disappointed: Can’t we choose simple life?

 There’s something strange about the way we live now.

It’s not enough to do your job.
You have to grow.
Climb.
Upskill.
Network.
Earn more.
Spend more.
Repeat.

People areound you - even the ones who seem tired - still say, “Keep pushing.”
The ones ahead keep reaching higher.
The ones behind are told to catch up.
And if you stand still for even a moment, they say you’re wasting time.

But no one explains why.

Why is a peace a problem?
Why is being satisfied with what you have seen as a failure?

This idea of “simple life” - it used to be normal.
Work. Come home. Cook. Be with the people you love. Rest.
Now it’s rare. Or romanticized. Or quietly looked down on.

We’re told that success means constant movement. That we need to hustle, or we’ll be left behind. 

But behind what, really?

We’ve normalized the rat race, without asking who started it. And the truth is - only a few can actuallly win it.

Most people burn out trying. 
Others fake their way through it, smiling through stress. And many wonder if it’s even worth chasing.

But we keep running. 
Because the system is built that way.

The corporate world isn’t just about work. It’s about shaping people into tools - efficient, replaceable, ambitious. You’re rewarded not for living well, but for performing endlessly. You don’t just need to do your job. You have to sell your potential. Be available. Be impressive. Be more.

And if you choose a slower path - you’re not seen as content. You’re seen as underachieving.
That’s the worst part. Not just the pressure - but the way it steals your ability to dream differently. 
Even if you want a quiet life, you start to feel ashamed of it.

But one need be ashamed of it.

One does not need to run if there is no reason.
One does not need to be measured in LinkedIn updates.
One does not need to climb, if the price paid is peace.

Some people want big things - that’s fine.
But some want small things.
A life that makes sense.
A job that ends at a sane hour.
A home filled with calm, not clutter.
A heart that does not feel like it’s left behind.

Maybe people are not tired because they’re lazy.
Maybe they are tired because the pace wasn’t meant to be humane enough.

Some of us don’t want more.
They want enough, and want to be good with it.


P.S. Thanks to ChatGPT.
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