When Showing Up Feels Like Losing — But You Still Do It Anyway

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This isn’t the highlight reel.

This is the part nobody posts — the days when you wake up feeling like the weight of everything is crushing you, and you question why you’re even trying to keep moving forward.


Yesterday, I went to bed feeling terrible — the kind of terrible that’s heavy in your chest, that won’t let you breathe right, that messes with your mind.


I woke up this morning, and those feelings didn’t just disappear. They were still there — the same dark cloud, hanging over me, making it hard to face the day.
I asked myself: What’s the point of all this grind?


The hustle, the sacrifices, the sleepless nights — what’s it all really for?
I know, deep down, that the things we’re chasing — the money, the success, the trophies — won’t bring the kind of happiness we expect.


But somehow, even knowing that, we still have to keep going.
We still have to show up.

Have you ever bought a new phone, or a car, or a thing you thought would change your life — and after a few days, the excitement just fades away?


That feeling that you thought would bring you happiness, suddenly feels empty, like it never really mattered?
That’s what success feels like sometimes.
The shine fades. The thrill dulls.
And then, the real test begins.

There are days when I want to stay in bed.
Eat, sleep, repeat.
Be lazy. Be average. Be normal for just a little while.


Because the truth is — being consistent when your soul is tired, when your heart is broken, when you feel like you’re fighting a battle no one else sees…
That’s the hardest part.

I promised myself I’d post every day — no matter what.
From last year to the end of this year.
No filters, no fancy hooks, no pretending to be okay.


Just me. Raw. Vulnerable. Showing up even when I don’t want to.

Sometimes, the grind feels like losing.
Like you’re stuck on a treadmill, running but not moving forward.
Like every step forward is met with two steps back.


But giving up? That’s never an option.
Because there’s something about the act of showing up, day after day, that builds strength — even if you can’t see it yet.

If you’re fighting your own battle — whether it’s heartbreak, loss, depression, or just the weight of trying to keep going — I see you.
You’re not alone.


We all carry wounds no one talks about.
Even if our pain isn’t the same, we share this: the hardest part is showing up when you don’t want to.

So if this post hits you anywhere near your soul, let me know.
Tell me how you keep going on days when everything feels pointless.
Because real success isn’t in trophies or money — it’s in the scars we earn by not giving up.


For Empress, always.

— Jaes

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