I do not get why everyone seem so happy on insta, showing off their perfect moments. I felt secretly everyone is hiding the same messes as the rest of us, like figuring out marriage, paying for a loans, and worrying about job security.

As life started to pile up on me too, I found my little escape. It was all about hitting my daily step goals and keeping track of calories. What began as a half-hearted attempt to stay in shape turned into my daily win. It was simple, really, but hitting those little goals helped me feel like I had some control, something to celebrate every day.

Running and tracking my meals turned out to be more than just physical; they were my break from stressing about money or my job. Every run cleared my head, and hitting those goals was a little personal triumph. It made me realize I could handle things, maybe even more than I thought.

Looking back, I see those happy posts differently now. Maybe those people weren’t just pretending. Maybe they found their own ways to deal with stuff, their own distractions. It made me stop judging so much. We’re all just trying to find something that helps us get through.