The 3 Things I Stopped Chasing.

For a long time, my life felt like a race I didn’t remember signing up for.

I was always chasing something—approval, success, happiness—convinced that once I caught it, everything would finally feel right.

But no matter how fast I ran, peace stayed just out of reach.

It wasn’t until I slowed down and asked myself an honest question that things changed:

“What am I chasing that’s costing me more than it’s giving?”

The answers didn’t come all at once. They showed up quietly, through exhaustion, disappointment, and moments of deep reflection. And eventually, I realized there were three things I needed to stop chasing—not because they were bad, but because they were never meant to be chased in the first place.

1. I Stopped Chasing Other People’s Approval

This one took me the longest to admit.

I wanted to be liked. I wanted to be understood. I wanted to be seen as “enough.” So I adjusted myself—my words, my choices, my boundaries—to fit into what I thought others expected of me.

I said yes when I wanted to say no.

I stayed quiet when I wanted to speak.

I bent myself into shapes that felt familiar but uncomfortable.

The problem wasn’t that I cared—it was that I cared at the cost of myself.

One day, after feeling drained from yet another situation where I prioritized someone else’s comfort over my own, it hit me: no amount of approval would ever fill the space created by self-betrayal.

So I stopped chasing it.

Not everyone understood the change. Some people drifted away. But the ones who stayed? They met the real me. And for the first time, I felt lighter—not because I was liked by everyone, but because I finally liked myself.

2. I Stopped Chasing a Perfect Version of Life

I used to believe life was supposed to look a certain way by a certain age.

There was an invisible checklist in my head:

Career figured out.

Relationships sorted.

Confidence unlocked.

Happiness achieved.

Every time my life didn’t match that imagined timeline, I felt like I was falling behind. I rushed decisions. I compared myself constantly. I treated my own journey like a problem that needed fixing.

But perfection is a moving target. The more you chase it, the further away it gets.

One evening, while scrolling through images of “perfect” lives online, I felt a quiet sadness rise up. I realized I was measuring my real, complex life against curated moments—and losing every time.

So I stopped chasing perfection and started choosing presence.

I allowed my life to be messy.

I allowed myself to learn as I went.

I allowed growth to be slow and uneven.

And strangely enough, when I stopped demanding perfection, my life felt more meaningful than it ever had.

3. I Stopped Chasing Happiness

This one surprised me the most.

For years, I treated happiness like a destination. I believed that once I reached a certain goal, bought a certain thing, or fixed a certain part of myself, happiness would arrive and stay.

But happiness doesn’t work like that.

The more I chased it, the more pressure I put on myself to feel good all the time. And when I didn’t, I felt like I was failing at life.

One day, during a quiet walk, I realized something simple and freeing: happiness isn’t something you chase—it’s something you notice.

It shows up in small moments.

In laughter that catches you off guard.

In calm mornings.

In meaningful conversations.

In resting without guilt.

When I stopped chasing happiness and started allowing all emotions to exist, happiness found me more often—without force.

What Letting Go Gave Me

Stopping these chases didn’t make my life perfect. But it made it honest.

I gained peace where pressure used to live.

I gained clarity where comparison once ruled.

I gained freedom where fear had settled in.

Letting go wasn’t giving up—it was choosing what truly mattered.

I stopped running after things that were never meant to be caught and started walking toward things that felt real, grounded, and nourishing.

A Quiet Reminder

If you’re feeling tired, overwhelmed, or constantly behind, maybe it’s not because you’re doing too little. Maybe it’s because you’re chasing the wrong things.

You don’t have to earn your worth.

You don’t have to perfect your life.

You don’t have to force happiness.

Sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is stop chasing—and start living.

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Thank you for reading...

Regards: Fazal Hadi