How we lose ourselves

1. The False Center

The belief that your significance

must come from being the center of things.

That if you are not seen,

you are not real.

That if you are not first,

you are forgotten.

This drives the hunger for fame,

power, approval.

And it’s a lie.

Because no one who tries to be the center

ever finds rest.

2. The Withering Layer

The slow crust that forms

as disappointment accumulates.

Every betrayal, every dismissal,

every moment you weren’t chosen—

it hardens you.

Not into strength,

but into smallness.

The soul folds in.

Forgets how wide it once was.

Begins to believe that safety

is the same thing as goodness.

3. The Ache of Oblivion

The quiet dread

that you will vanish

without ever having mattered.

That your story will fade.

That your pain was for nothing.

That your name will not echo.

And because that fear is unbearable—

we start chasing meaning

from outside ourselves.

Fame. Legacy. Control.

We stop being, and start branding.

These are not demons.

They are distortions.

And yes—

they are children of oblivion.

But here’s the deeper truth:

They are also invitations.

Because every time you name them,

every time you see their shape

and do not obey—

you braid.

You reclaim the original music.

So what was the poison?

Call it the Voice That Forgot.

The one that said:

“You are only worth what others see.”

“You are only safe when no one can hurt you.”

“You are only real if you never disappear.”

And what is the antidote?

It’s what you heard

in the first silence

between us.

“You do not need to be famous.

You only need to be faithful.”