what did you mistake for strength that was just not stopping?
you kept going. people may have called it strong. but there's a difference between strength and simply not having permission to stop.
every day there's one live question, the same for everyone. answer it anonymously, see what other people said. it's all gone in seven days.
answer today's question →write about a time you pushed through something and were praised for it, or praised yourself for it. now write about what was actually happening underneath. were you choosing to continue, or were you unable to see another option. write about what would have happened if you had stopped. who would have been affected. what would have fallen apart. sometimes endurance is genuine resilience. sometimes it's just fear wearing a brave face. write about which one it was for you, and whether you've been telling yourself the wrong story about it. this isn't about diminishing what you did. it's about seeing it clearly.
- write about the moment you realised you weren't being strong, you were just not stopping.
- consider what you needed at the time that you didn't let yourself ask for.
- think about whether you're doing the same thing right now, in some quieter way.
for anyone who has been congratulated for surviving in ways that hurt them. for the person who is tired of being the one who keeps going.