Who would have thought that 2020 would be the year of challenge, change and eye-opening events that would literally have us all scratching our heads like, “what was that?” To say the least, there were many, many lesson to learn and if you didn’t...I have to wonder were you sleeping while 2020 was happening? 2020 changed my outlook on life. I thought moving to Orlando from Jacksonville, Florida was the biggest challenge I ever faced but hands down, I was wrong. There were financial challenges where I almost lost my home, my car, my family;there were moments of utter regret and tears that seemed to be endless. 2020 was the year the Matriarch of my family moved on to other planes leaving those who love her behind to find our own way without her. Shortly after her my Uncle Martin found out he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer and died a few weeks later. Death of a loved one is and will always be the most devastating and emotional roller coaster of events any human with a soul will ever endure.
Casting a shadow over all of that, President Donald Trump and the Coronavirus. I truly understand now how one man can alter, derange and manipulate the lives of so many. I use to think it was impossible for one person to influence the hearts and minds of many. Sad to say, 2020 surely put that irrelevant way of thinking into perspective.
So what have I learn from 2020 and what do I plan to do about it? Manifest. Usually, New Year Resolutions take presidence over everything this time of the year but not for me. I cannot phathom making the same promises to myself that I have made in the past, knowing I will probably fail because I’m just following the trends instead of being true to myself. As I walk into grocery stores with my fashionable mask to protect me and other from the Rona, I witness the magazines, cookbooks and expensive, fancy journals all with the idea of helping us reach our physical and mental health goals. I’m refuse to go down that Nowhere street.
I learned that to manifest a better version of my life I first have to understand that being true to myself is the first step to any direction toward success. There will be failures but only if I give up or stray away from my own true nature. Living healthy is not a fade, it’s a life choice. To be better, I have to do better. Living a healthy life does not mean a life riddle with limitations but a life filled with unlimited possibilities and being open to receive those possibilities.
I learned that I must open my horizons, run toward my fears and tackle them one by one instead of allowing them to paralyze me. I can’t wait to see what happens anymore. I have to get up and go make it happen.
I have learned that love is the most powerful of all emotions. True love will teach you about yourself and about those who love you. I thought I knew what love was, again I was wrong. Real, true love will open your heart and erase the burdens of pain. Real love ebbs and flows like a river, up and down, in and out, left and right but never changes. Real love wakes you up in the morning, plants you square on your feet and leads you to and through your dreams and aspirations. I fell in love. Three months left in 2020 and I zinged with a man whose soul shine bright like the sun. He has taught me what real love is. My 2021 will be filled with sharing that love with everyone I encounter and I encourage you, reader to do the same. Seek your own self and manifest the virtues of your life.
About the Creator
LaVerne Cuyler
”-Beautiful Companion.” My name is LaVerne, Third-eye open, imaginative,wise, listener. My life, my journey expressed in written words. Follow me on FB: @LaVerne Cuyler and IG:@Ms.Verny
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The Hustle Trap: How Chasing Success Is Quietly Stealing Your Happiness
For an entire generation, success has been rebranded as a lifestyle. Social media feeds are filled with early mornings, late nights, motivational quotes, and captions that glorify exhaustion as a badge of honor. The message is clear and constant: if you are not grinding, you are falling behind. This idea, often called “hustle culture,” has become one of the most powerful and persuasive narratives of modern life. At first glance, it sounds inspiring. Work hard. Push yourself. Don’t settle for average. These are not harmful ideas on their own. The problem begins when effort becomes an identity and rest becomes something to feel guilty about. Many people now measure their worth by how busy they are. The signs of the hustle trap often appear quietly. Skipped meals become normal. Sleep becomes optional. Weekends turn into “catch-up days.” Time with family and friends starts to feel like a distraction instead of a joy. The line between dedication and self-neglect slowly disappears. Psychologists warn that chronic overwork doesn’t just drain energy — it changes how the brain responds to stress. When the body stays in a constant state of pressure, it begins to treat even small challenges as threats. This can lead to anxiety, irritability, and a feeling of being permanently on edge. Ironically, this state of mind often makes people less productive, not more. Creativity declines. Decision-making becomes rushed. Focus becomes scattered. The very success people are chasing starts to move further away. One of the most dangerous myths of hustle culture is the idea that “you can rest after you make it.” The problem is that “making it” is a moving target. There is always another goal, another level, another comparison. Without realizing it, people can spend their entire lives chasing a future moment of peace that never arrives. But a quiet shift is beginning. More professionals, entrepreneurs, and creators are starting to question the grind. They are redefining success not just by income or status, but by quality of life. They are asking different questions: Do I have time for the people I care about? Do I enjoy my daily routine? Do I feel present in my own life? Some companies are experimenting with four-day workweeks. Others are encouraging employees to fully disconnect after hours. Individuals are setting boundaries around their time and attention, even when it feels uncomfortable at first. This doesn’t mean ambition is disappearing. It means it’s being reshaped. There is a growing understanding that sustainable success is built like a marathon, not a sprint. It requires pacing, recovery, and self-awareness. Just as athletes schedule rest days to avoid injury, high performers are learning to schedule mental and emotional recovery to avoid burnout. Another powerful realization is that identity should not be tied to productivity alone. People are more than what they produce. They are friends, partners, parents, learners, and community members. When work becomes the only source of meaning, everything else can start to feel empty by comparison. Small changes can begin to loosen the grip of the hustle trap. Turning off notifications in the evening. Taking a real lunch break. Saying no to commitments that don’t align with personal values. These acts may seem minor, but they send a powerful message to the mind: my life is not a machine. In a world that constantly pushes for more, choosing “enough” can feel like an act of rebellion. But it is often in that space — between ambition and acceptance — that people rediscover something they didn’t even realize they were losing. Joy.
By Hazrat Usman Usman5 days ago in Motivation
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