The Light That Found Me

I didn’t always have words for it.

That quiet ache in the pit of your stomach.

That heavy silence that lingers even when the world around you is loud.

That question you keep asking in your head: Why does it feel like everyone else is moving forward… except me?

There was a season in my life where everything felt like static.

Not pain, exactly at least not the kind that makes you cry.

Not depression, not clinically.

Just… weight.

A kind of invisible pressure that made even the smallest tasks feel like uphill climbs.

Get out of bed. Smile. Pretend I’m okay.

Repeat.

The Slow Disappearance

It doesn’t happen all at once.

You don’t wake up one day and say, “I feel left behind.”

It creeps in slowly.

The friend who stops calling. The promotion that doesn’t come.

The relationship that fizzles out without closure.

The projects you believed in that no longer spark anything inside you.

You begin to shrink not physically, but spiritually.

Your hope gets quieter. Your dreams get softer.

And eventually, you start to believe maybe the light just isn’t meant for you.

You scroll past people posting wins, milestones, love stories, relocations, launches…

And you don’t even feel jealousy anymore.

You feel invisible.

And that might be the worst part.

But Let Me Tell You What I Learned in the Dark

There’s something sacred about silence.

Something holy about stillness.

When life strips away the noise, the speed, the illusion of control, you’re left with only one question:

What is still true when nothing is working?

That’s where I found the light.

Not in victory.

Not in the applause.

Not in someone finally saying “you matter.”

I found it in a whisper.

A small, almost imperceptible voice inside me that said:

"Even here, even now, you are not broken."

Not too late.

Not forgotten.

Not lost.

Just becoming.

The Myth of Falling Behind

Let me say this with all the love in my heart:

You are not behind.

You’re not late.

You’re not a failure.

You’re not some cosmic afterthought who missed the train.

You are on a path that doesn’t look like anyone else’s because it’s not supposed to.

The people you admire?

They’re figuring it out too.

And the people who seem to “have it all together”?

They carry their own invisible weights, their own aching questions.

Comparison is a thief, yes.

But more than that it’s a lie.

A lie that says your life must match someone else’s highlight reel to be valid.

The truth?

Your becoming might be quiet… but it’s still becoming.

If You’re In That Place Right Now

Maybe today you’re sitting in your room, lights dimmed, scrolling through your feed, wondering if this is all there is.

Maybe your inbox is empty.

Your bank account low.

Your sense of purpose flickering like a candle in the wind.

And maybe, like Danielle who commented on one of my stories, you’ve been sitting in bed at night asking the question:

“What’s the point?”

Let me answer that:

The point is you.

Still here.

Still waking up.

Still trying.

Still holding on to that tiny flicker of belief that things can change.

That’s not weakness.

That’s strength most people will never understand.

What I Know Now

Pain doesn’t disqualify you.

Delay doesn’t define you.

And darkness doesn’t get the final say.

There is still a place for you.

Still a table with your name on it.

Still a future where you are not just surviving but shining.

It’s not too late.

You haven’t missed it.

And you don’t need to earn the right to matter.

You already do.

And If You’ve Forgotten, Let Me Remind You

You are allowed to rest.

You are allowed to rebuild.

You are allowed to say, “I’m not okay,” and still be worth loving.

You don’t have to be perfect to be powerful.

You don’t have to be productive to be precious.

And just because your light feels dim right now doesn’t mean it’s gone.

Sometimes, the brightest lights are the ones that flicker for a while before they ignite.

What Helped Me

In case you’re wondering what made the difference for me…

It wasn’t some big moment.

It wasn’t a miracle.

It was small choices.

• Taking walks in the morning even when I didn’t feel like it.

• Journaling my thoughts instead of bottling them.

• Writing stories that reminded me what was still good.

• Talking to people who listened not to fix, but to understand.

And most importantly, it was learning to give myself grace.

Over and over.

Even when I failed.

Especially when I failed.

To the Ones Who Feel Left Behind

You’re not the problem.

The world is loud and fast and often built for people who never had to learn patience in the dark.

But your path matters.

Your process is valid.

And your presence in this world is not a mistake.

There are still people who will find healing in your words.

Still lives you will touch just by existing.

Still purpose in your breath.

And yes there is still a future waiting for you.

One where you’ll look back on this moment and say:

“That was the chapter where I almost gave up… but didn’t.”

You’ve Made It This Far

Which means you’re already doing better than you think.

So keep going.

Keep breathing.

Keep trusting that the light will find you because it will.

It always does.

And sometimes, it’s been inside you the whole time.

Thank you for reading.

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– Prince Esien

Founder, VeriEdit