Azmat Roman ✨
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I’m Not Young Anymore—And That’s a Strange Kind of Freedom
I used to think that youth was freedom. The late nights, the endless possibilities, the sense that life was still unwritten—it all felt intoxicating. But with it came a weight I didn’t recognize at the time: the constant pressure to prove myself, to chase after the next milestone, to look the part, to stay relevant.
By Azmat Roman ✨4 months ago in Humans
The Person I Pretended to Be Almost Erased Who I Truly Was
There’s a strange danger in pretending for too long. At first, it feels harmless—like slipping on a mask just to fit the occasion, adjusting your voice or your mannerisms to blend in, smoothing over your sharp edges so no one notices they’re there. But the longer you wear the mask, the harder it becomes to remember where the mask ends and where you begin.
By Azmat Roman ✨4 months ago in Psyche
I Forgave Everyone Who Hurt Me—Except Myself
Forgiveness is something people talk about like it’s simple. Just let it go, they say. Free yourself from the weight of anger, resentment, and pain. I tried to live by that advice. I gave forgiveness freely to those who betrayed me, left me, lied to me, and broke me in ways I didn’t think I could recover from. And in many ways, it worked. The bitterness I once carried toward others loosened its grip on me.
By Azmat Roman ✨4 months ago in Humans
The Story I Was Never Supposed to Tell
I was raised to believe that silence was safer than honesty. In my family, words were currency, and the wrong ones could bankrupt you. The rule was simple: never say too much, never reveal what happens behind closed doors, and never—under any circumstances—tell anyone the truth if it might embarrass the family. For years, I carried those rules like invisible weights, moving through life careful not to drop them.
By Azmat Roman ✨4 months ago in Confessions
I Swallowed My Truth for Years—Until It Nearly Destroyed Me
For most of my life, I was a master of silence. I smiled when I was breaking inside. I nodded when I disagreed. I said “I’m fine” when I was anything but. I believed that swallowing my truth was the only way to survive. It felt safer to hide behind politeness and people-pleasing than to risk the rejection, judgment, or disappointment that might come if I dared to speak up.
By Azmat Roman ✨4 months ago in Confessions
The Homeless Man Who Taught Me the True Meaning of Family
I used to think I understood what family meant. I thought it was about blood, about the people who shared your last name, the ones who were “supposed” to be there no matter what. But it wasn’t until I met a man who had lost almost everything—his home, his possessions, his stability—that I realized family is less about who you’re born to and more about who shows up when the world turns cold.
By Azmat Roman ✨5 months ago in Humans
The House I Grew Up In Doesn’t Remember Me
The porch steps creaked under my weight, though not out of familiarity. It was the kind of groan that old wood gives to strangers, not to long-lost children coming home. I hadn’t stood on this porch in over twelve years. And yet, every crack in the concrete walkway, every wind chime clinking in the dry summer air, every flake of peeling paint on the door had been preserved in my memory.
By Azmat Roman ✨5 months ago in Confessions
When Normal Isn’t Safe: Unpacking the Childhood I Thought Was Fine
I used to think every house had rules that changed depending on someone’s mood. I thought it was normal to tiptoe through your own home, careful not to breathe too loudly, careful not to laugh too hard. I thought everyone’s parents went silent for days after a fight, punishing with absence instead of words. I thought love looked like tension. Like guessing games. Like fear you couldn’t quite name.
By Azmat Roman ✨5 months ago in Confessions
The Dopamine Trap: Why You’re Addicted to Stimulation—and How to Break Free
In a world overflowing with instant gratification—likes, notifications, fast food, endless scrolling—it's no wonder our brains are overwhelmed. The culprit behind this overstimulation is dopamine, a chemical messenger in the brain that plays a crucial role in motivation, pleasure, and reward. While dopamine itself isn’t the enemy, our modern habits have hijacked its natural function, pushing us into a cycle of compulsive behaviors and fractured focus.
By Azmat Roman ✨5 months ago in Longevity
