You know what? I've been thinking a lot lately about this crazy race we're all supposedly running. The one where we're chasing after fancy titles, magazine covers, and those "30 under 30" lists like they're some kind of holy grail.
But here's the thing - I don't want any of it.
I don't want to be that CEO grinding 80-hour weeks. I don't need to schmooze with the elite at Davos. I don't care about making Forbes' latest list or landing on some glossy magazine cover. And honestly? I couldn't care less about building the next unicorn just to "exit."
The more I scroll through LinkedIn and Twitter (yeah, I still call it that 😉), the more I see everyone playing this exhausting game of "look how successful I am." We're all caught up in this performative dance of achievements, milestones, and #blessed moments.
But let me tell you what I really want:
I want to wake up feeling healthy - both mentally and physically.
I want the freedom to choose how I spend my time.
I want to be genuinely, unapologetically myself.
I want to build real connections, not just grow my follower count.
Social media has created this alternate reality where everyone's life looks like a perfectly curated highlight reel. But we all know that's bullshit, right? Behind every "crushed it" post is probably someone dealing with imposter syndrome. Behind every "grateful for this journey" caption is someone questioning their choices.
You want to know what real success looks like to me?
It's having the courage to admit when you're struggling.
It's sharing your doubts and fears without worrying about "personal branding."
It's being transparent about your failures, not just your wins.
It's choosing authenticity over algorithms.
Listen, I get it. We're all trying to "make it" in this digital age. But maybe we need to redefine what "making it" actually means. Maybe it's not about reaching the top of some arbitrary success ladder, but about being true to ourselves and protecting our mental wellbeing along the way.
So here's my challenge to you (and to myself): Let's bring more realness to our social feeds. Share the messy middle, not just the highlight reel. Talk about your insecurities, your setbacks, your moments of doubt. Because that's what makes us human, and that's what truly connects us.
Remember, it's okay not to want what everyone else seems to be chasing. Define success on your own terms. Choose authenticity over appearance. Choose real over reel.
And if anyone tells you that's not ambitious enough? Well, they probably need to update their definition of success.
Just keeping it real,
Roi 🤘
Read about my healing journey
I read Emma Gannon’s The Success Myth recently and got more from it than I’d bargained for - increased confidence in my wild and out there beliefs being one of them (a new book outline, title and book being another).
Though I’ve always known that the true definition of success comes from being principle based, staying true to vision, aligning with what you want and developing sound habits that will grow you there, I’ve still found myself caught up in the trap of followers and look at me highlight reels (from time to time).
Sharing last years journey on past life healing scared the heebie jeebies out of me! I genuinely feared I would see an exodus of subscribers😆 in the end they continued trickling up in the same way they always (slowly) had.
Disability by illness doesn’t half help you get your priorities in order and gift you the space to really sit with all of this. Though it is my greatest hope for others that they do not wait to find themselves in such dire circumstances before they learn to drown out the noise 🤞