Burned by the Fire I Once Lit: Letting Go of a Fading Dream

As children, we all have that one dream—something that lights up our hearts and fuels our every step. It’s the dream of what we hope to become, what we strive for, and what we picture in our minds as we grow older. It’s innocent, pure, and full of possibility. But life, as it tends to do, has a way of humbling us in unexpected, quiet moments. You may not realize it at first, but one day you’ll wake up to find that you’re no longer chasing the same things you once did. And that’s okay.

There’s something oddly freeing about this shift. We don’t always get to choose what stays or what leaves from our lives. Some things slip away before we’re ready to let them go. Other things arrive when we’re too tired or too worn down to grasp them tightly. It feels unfair, it stings, and sometimes, it leaves a hollow feeling in your chest. But if you take a step back, you begin to see that it’s all part of the quiet evolution we go through as we journey through life.

And yet, sometimes, we do get what we’ve always wanted. The dream we held onto for years finally lands in our hands, and for a moment, there’s this rush of excitement, this feeling of accomplishment. But then, reality settles in. The thing we longed for doesn’t always bring the happiness we thought it would. We expected freedom, fulfillment, and joy, but instead, we find ourselves lonelier than before. The weight of expectations, the pressure of keeping up, the realization that dreams don’t always feel the way we imagined—they all creep in, leaving us questioning if this was ever truly what we wanted.

It’s okay to wish for more—to wish you could be more, do more, achieve more. We all have our moments of doubt. We wonder if we’re on the right path, if we should have pushed harder, if there’s more out there for us to grab. It’s human nature to want to accomplish big things, to leave our mark on the world. But in the midst of that desire for more, it’s important to redefine what success really looks like.

Success isn’t just about big milestones or fancy achievements. True success, the kind that sticks with you and nurtures your soul, looks like a regulated nervous system. It’s about having the peace of mind to move through the chaos without crumbling. It’s not about comparing yourself to others, but rather about embracing who you are and where you are. Success is being able to show up for yourself and for the people who matter, day in and day out.

But perhaps the most important part of success is learning to let go. Letting go of old dreams that no longer serve you, of people who aren’t meant to stay, of expectations that weigh you down. And with that, comes the practice of having strong boundaries—knowing what to accept, what to tolerate, and what to protect your energy from.

And so, I stand here now, staring at the ashes of what once was—the dream I poured my heart into, the fire I lit with so much hope. It burned bright, fierce, and beautiful, but in the end, it consumed more than it created. And maybe that’s okay.

So, I take one last look, inhale deeply, and step forward. The past may have burned, but the future? It’s wide open.

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