Member-only story
What It Means to Live Life Unscripted
Are you acting, or being who you truly are?
I’m speed-walking up Sixth Avenue, wiping sweat off my forehead and fighting the urge to throw my blister-bursting heels off. I spilled coffee dribbles all over my perfectly tailored pantsuit because I’m always rushing to the office, which was the result of my usual struggle to get out of bed in the morning.
The struggle was real because I never woke up energized. Instead, I woke up feeling completely uninspired and depleted.
There I am: playing the corporate career woman part perfectly (A+), yet feeling internally miserable. I felt like I was stuck playing a character that didn’t align with who I was deep down, but I had to continue playing the part to prove my worth. I was “supposed” to be here, being someone I thought I had to be, following the perfectly carved out path to success.
I followed the “supposed to do” path for a long time because of an engrained image of success I adopted from a very young age. I grew up thinking that there was one single way my life was supposed to unravel:
- Graduate from a top university
- Secure a corporate job
- Maybe bounce around a bit for pay increases
- Keep climbing the ladder to the top
