By pri nasieku

The Guilt of Not Being Enough Yet

One of the quietest heartbreaks of adulthood is looking at the people who raised you and realising they are human. Tired. Aging. Carrying burdens. Trying. And if you are not where you thought you would be in life yet, guilt can begin to eat at you slowly. Especially when they are still helping you. There …

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By pri nasieku

You Became Easy to Love… And Hard to Find

  There wasn’t a single moment where you decided to lose yourself. It didn’t happen all at once. It happened slowly. Quietly. In ways that made sense at the time. You noticed what people responded to. What made things easier. What kept the peace. What earned approval. So you adjusted. A little here. A little …

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By pri nasieku

When Your Mind Shows You Something You Didn’t Choose

There are some dreams you forget before your feet touch the ground. And then there are the ones that follow you into the day. The ones you don’t say out loud. The ones that sit quietly in the back of your mind and wait for a moment of silence. The ones that make you pause …

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By pri nasieku

You Don’t Know When You’re Allowed to Stop

There’s a kind of exhaustion that doesn’t come from doing too much. It comes from not knowing when you’re allowed to stop. You finish one thing… and instead of feeling relief, your mind moves the line. “There’s still more.” “You could do better.” “You’re not done yet.” So you keep going. Not because someone asked …

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By pri nasieku

You Can See the Pattern… But You Can’t Make Them Leave It

You can see it so clearly. The pattern. The cycle. The way this is going to end. You’ve watched it before. Maybe not exactly like this… but close enough to recognize the shape of it. The same kind of hurt. The same kind of disappointment. The same kind of outcome waiting at the end. And …

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By pri nasieku

You Learned Not to Be Needy

There’s a reason people don’t show up for you the way you wish they would. It’s not always because they don’t care. Sometimes… it’s because you never let them see the part of you that needs it. You let them see the composed version. The capable version. The one who has things handled. The one …

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By pri nasieku

The Violence You Turn Inward

There’s a version of yourself you don’t talk about. The one who appears when you feel exposed. When you make a mistake. When you disappoint someone. When you fall short of what you believe you should be. That version doesn’t comfort you. It attacks. Not with kindness. Not with perspective. Not with “you tried your …

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By pri nasieku

The Violence of the Inner Voice

There’s a particular kind of shame that only capable people understand. It’s the shame of failing when everyone believed you wouldn’t. Failing while they expect more. Because when someone who is “still figuring it out” fails, people nod. They say things like, “Keep going.” “You’re learning.” “That’s part of the process.” But when someone who …

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By pri nasieku

The Art of Making Yourself Smaller Than You Are

You learn how to do it so well, it almost looks like humility. Someone praises you and you laugh. “It’s not a big deal.” “Anyone could’ve done it.” “You should see what they did.” Deflect. Redirect. Minimize. You do it quickly, almost automatically. Like you’re swatting away something dangerous. Because letting it land would mean …

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By pri nasieku

Why Calm Can Feel Unsafe At First

There’s something most people don’t expect. Sometimes peace doesn’t feel peaceful. Sometimes calm feels… exposed. Like you forgot to check something. Like you missed a threat. Like something is about to go wrong. And it can be confusing — because you wanted this calm. You prayed for it. You worked for it. You were tired …

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