When Success Felt Empty

Success is addictive.

Once you start tasting it,

you tell yourself to keep going —

a little more, a little faster, a little higher.

At least, that’s what I thought.

I did everything right.

I worked hard.

I delivered results.

I got promoted.

I hit the milestones I thought I wanted.

And for a moment,

it felt good.

But only for a moment.

The Surprise at the Top

Success didn’t feel like I had imagined.

It was quieter.

Lonelier.

And strangely —

emptier.

I looked around.

I looked inside.

And I thought:

"Is this it?"

Three months after my promotion,

the email came.

Company-wide layoffs.

10% of the workforce.

Entire teams disappeared overnight.

Including mine.

One week later,

I was out.

All the things I had stacked up —

the title, the team, the recognition —

vanished.

Just like that.

Not Where I Thought I’d Be

The world assumed I’d be fine.

"You’re talented."
"You have the best education."
"You’ll bounce back in no time."

But inside,

I was adrift.

Not because I didn’t have options,

but because —

I didn’t want any of them.

I didn’t want to move to another company.

I didn’t want another title.

I didn’t even know what I wanted anymore.

A Silence I Had Never Met Before

For the first time in years,

I wasn’t rushing anywhere.

I didn’t have a plan.

I didn’t have a goal.

I didn’t have a next step.

I had silence.

At first, it was terrifying.

Later, it became — strangely — a kind of peace.

And finally, it became a mirror.

Redefining Success

During that stillness,

I realized something:

Success wasn’t about hitting targets. It was about finding resonance.

Resonance with the people I worked with.

Resonance with the problems I wanted to solve.

Resonance with the kind of life I wanted to build.

The best part of my past jobs wasn’t the prestige.

It was the people.

The smart colleagues who challenged me,

the teams that made me better,

the laughter between projects,

the shared moments of growth.

That’s what I had been missing.

Success isn’t a title. It’s the quality of the journey.

Not Empty — Just Ready for Redefinition

I wasn’t empty.

I was just being emptied —

of the wrong definitions.

Today, I no longer chase just a title or a salary figure.

Of course,

I still care about being fairly compensated.

But I’ve learned —

Title and salary are outcomes, not destinations.

What I chase now is resonance —

with the people I work with,

with the problems I solve,

and with the journey I’m building.

And in doing that —

I’ve started to feel full again.

Hop in. Let’s drive — together.

Success might not be what you think it is.

And that’s okay.

Sometimes,

you have to let go of the wrong definition

to find the right road.

Hop in.

Let’s drive — together.