When I Said Goodbye to Drama

There was a time when I loved drama. I loved the intensity, the chaos—it made life feel vibrant, important, and very “main character.”

These days, life is quieter, simpler, and so much lighter. Just now, I was reminded of my old self, and it struck me. So I asked myself: When did this happen? How did it happen?

Back then, I wholeheartedly believed it was my life purpose to help everyone. I was the self-appointed fixer, problem solver, the one who stepped in to make things better. (Yes, I was arrogant too—I thought I had all the right answers.)

But I’ve come to realize there’s a fine line between helping and interfering with people’s journeys of learning their own lessons. At the time, I thought that if I gave more, pushed harder, or preached louder, the world would become a better place. When it didn’t, I’d feel disheartened, defeated, even resentful.

Looking back, I see how misguided I was. I didn’t understand that stepping in too much not only drained me but also robbed others of their opportunity to grow. I was so eager to help that I forgot one essential truth: their journey is theirs. Their lessons are theirs.

My role isn’t to carry people’s burdens—it’s to see their light and set aside judgment, no matter how messy or complicated it might be. And if they’re not ready yet, that’s okay too. It’s not my job to hurry their progress. Their journey is theirs to walk, at their own pace and in their own way.

Nowadays, life feels uncomplicated without the weight of expectations and judgment—whether mine or anyone else’s. People do figure things out. And if they don’t, life will give them another opportunity to try. The same goes for me and my own lessons.

The answer to the questions I initially asked is this: it all started when I learned to honor my own journey and respect the journeys of those around me.