When you feel unfulfilled, unmotivated, or even lonely, it’s easy to believe that success is the missing piece. Society tells us that once we reach a certain level - make enough money, achieve enough recognition, hit that milestone - everything else will fall into place. Struggles will disappear, doubts will vanish and life will feel complete.
But think about people who seem to have it all yet still struggle with unhappiness. Celebrities, business leaders, people at the peak of their fields; some of them battle depression, anxiety, or a constant feeling of emptiness despite their success. If success were the answer, wouldn’t they be the happiest people alive?
The problem isn’t success itself. It’s the expectation that it will do more than it can. Success can remove obstacles, but it can’t create meaning, purpose, or inner peace. That’s a different kind of work.