Before the move...
I lived in a expensive neighborhood in a wealthy Northern Virginia County. I had a roommate whom at the time was a government employee, a bachelor that made 90k a year. What about Me? I had changed jobs a bit. At the time I believe I worked at a warehouse for 8 hrs picked my son up from his current day care went home for a hour to sleep and then went back to work for 5 hrs at night to valet peoples garbage from big apartment complexes.
Now mind you this was after a rather rough patch for myself and my family. I was pushing to get us out of debt and moving towards the goal of owning our own home. Something we had been wanting when we found out we were going to become parents. I met an old friend of my husbands back from the day when he used to party heavily. At first I liked and fell for her charms.
She was positive and bubbly and at the time we had met. She was in the process of moving back in with her folks after leaving her abusive husband. Man was that story ever so wrong. Eventually she had to drive back across the country to go to court over custody of their 2 kids. She kept us posted on her situation and after a very abrasive ordeal with our current roommate I decided why not and offered to move out to help her with the kids and paying rent. I can get a job out there easy I thought.
Things were not very smooth sailing as I had hoped.
My mother in law offered to ride with my on my cross country drive. So I left Virginia about the 3rd week of December to change my life. I stayed with family in Ohio my first night on the road. We exchanged gifts because we wouldn't be able to see them for Christmas that year. My son was spoiled with goodies. I wasn't really sure where they were going to fit in my full loaded Prius to be honest but I made it work.
Now I had bought a used Prius got the HV battery redone after weeks of driving on a bad battery. My troubles with my car didn't end there. Little did I know that my Prius was burning oil very quickly. The car engine stalled out on a major highway stretch just outside of Laramie Wyoming. Stranded for 3 days. My mother in law footed the bill for a rental car and we continued onward.
It took me much longer to find work then I was expecting. I eventually took a job as a mobile masseur which definitely had awkward moments of being propositioned by the clients. It isn't really worth the money if you don't live close to the city. 45 days passed and finally I had my family back together. The personalities between my new roommate and I didn't mesh well. I secured my CDL and was driving for the local Bus in this small town I moved to.
Things calmed down a little. That was until roomie decided to hop back on the party wagon. So began the cycle of fighting and making back up. I tired to convince my husband for us to get our own place as the lease was ending for our roomies divorce agreement. I lost that battle hard. We moved into the big city Our families having to share a 3 bed 2 bath apt for about $1600 a month.
I kept pushing and looking for work that paid more than what I was making at the time of driving the bus. I knew that I was not going to continue putting my family through someone else's crap. Roomie couldn't hold down a job and constantly took her custody agreement frustrations out on us. The kids couldn't get along. The whole situation was just a huge toxic mess. Cue the new boyfriend. Eventually they wanted him to move in so he could help pay rent. Sure why not take the money? But it just didn't sit well with me.
I said to ask me again in two weeks. I had started a brand new job and the hours and people just added to my stress. I think I've switched between overnights and day shift jobs a handful of times now that i think about it. Once they both started to openly do cocaine out in the living room I put my foot down. Things were just a shit show.
They eventually moved all their things out of their bed room and went out to the boonies to live with the boyfriends family. Good riddance I say! I think if things has continued someone would have gotten shot. Life for my family begins to return to normal. Well that was until the COVID-19 outbreak.
Life currently feels like its on a hard pause.
Even though I feel like this year and last has been horrible. I'm staying optimistic that things will continue to drive in a positive force. We are slowly becoming apart of our little community. We slowly keep meeting our goals quietly moving towards that place we can call our home. My advice for you?
Dont give up push until the pain becomes numb
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“He Kept Going When No One Was Watching — And That Changed Everything”
No one ever noticed the days he almost gave up. There were no messages asking if he was okay. No one wondered why he became quieter. No one asked how much effort it took just to keep going. To the world, he was just another ordinary man. His name was Ayaan. Ayaan’s life didn’t collapse in one dramatic moment. It slowly faded. Missed opportunities. Rejected ideas. Silent disappointments. Every failure was small, but together they became heavy. He had dreams once. Big ones. Dreams that kept him awake at night, imagining a future where his hard work would finally matter. But over time, those dreams began to feel unrealistic—almost embarrassing. People around him seemed to move forward effortlessly. They celebrated promotions, achievements, and milestones. Ayaan watched from the side, smiling politely while feeling invisible. At work, his efforts were ignored. Among friends, his voice faded. At home, expectations weighed heavily on him. Slowly, a dangerous thought settled into his mind: “Maybe I’m not good enough.” That thought followed him everywhere. It followed him on crowded buses. It followed him into sleepless nights. It followed him every time he tried again and failed. One night, after scrolling through endless success stories online, Ayaan closed his phone and stared at the dark ceiling. His chest felt tight, not because of pain—but because of exhaustion. He whispered quietly, “How long do I keep trying?” There was no answer. But that night, Ayaan made a decision—not a loud one, not a confident one. A tired decision. He decided to keep going, even if nothing changed. The next morning felt the same. The same routine. The same doubts. The same fear of wasting his life. But Ayaan showed up anyway. He worked when no one praised him. He studied when no one guided him. He practiced when no one believed in him. Some days, motivation disappeared completely. On those days, discipline took over. He reminded himself: “I don’t need applause. I need progress.” Weeks passed. Nothing dramatic happened. No sudden success. No recognition. No miracle. But something subtle began to shift. Ayaan became calmer under pressure. He learned to sit with discomfort instead of running from it. He stopped comparing his journey to others. The silence that once scared him now became his training ground. Months later, a serious problem appeared at his workplace. It was complicated, risky, and easy to blame on someone else. Most people avoided it. Some pretended it wasn’t their responsibility. Ayaan didn’t announce himself. He didn’t seek attention. He simply started working. Late nights. Mistakes. Corrections. Learning. There were moments he wanted to quit. Moments when fear whispered, “You’re not ready.” But he answered back, “I’ll learn.” Slowly, the problem began to disappear. Not perfectly—but steadily. People noticed, quietly. One afternoon, his manager called him into the office. Ayaan expected criticism. Instead, he heard a question that stunned him: “Where did you learn all this?” Ayaan paused. How could he explain years of silent effort? How could he explain working when no one cared? He simply replied, “I kept going.” That moment didn’t change his life overnight. He didn’t become famous. He didn’t suddenly become successful. But it changed something far more important. His belief in himself. For the first time, Ayaan understood that life doesn’t always reward effort immediately. Sometimes, it watches. It watches who continues without praise. Who improves without recognition. Who grows in silence. Years later, Ayaan looked back at the version of himself who almost quit. The man who felt invisible. The man who thought no one was watching. And he smiled. Because he finally understood the truth: Life was always watching. Not to judge. Not to rush. But to see if he would keep going when it was hardest. The world doesn’t reward those who only work when they’re seen. It rewards those who build strength in silence. And sometimes, the moment that changes everything doesn’t come with applause. It comes quietly. After patience. After effort. After consistency. That is when everything finally begins to change. Final Message Keep going—even when no one is watching. Especially then.
By Inayat khan4 days ago in Motivation
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