I signed the biggest deal of my career that morning. By evening, I was sitting alone at a restaurant, picking at a steak that went cold. The waiter smiled politely, congratulated me — word travels fast. I smiled back, but inside I was hollow. Success was supposed to feel like champagne, but for me, it felt like loneliness in a suit. I checked my phone, hoping for messages that weren’t there. My inbox was full, but my life was empty.
That was the day I realized I wasn’t chasing success — I was chasing a feeling I couldn’t buy. Recognition, applause, money… none of it tucked me into bed at night. That day didn’t make me quit. But it made me question. And sometimes, questions are the first real step toward change.