Somewhere between Instagram reels of someone’s third vacation this month and the latest LinkedIn humblebrag about their new “Head of Global Something” title, you’ve probably felt it: that creeping insecurity that maybe you’re not doing enough. Not achieving enough. Not collecting enough shiny things to prove yourself to the world, and so on.

But here’s the inconvenient truth: none of it matters.
Not your job title. Not your high-rise apartment. Not your stock options or your painfully curated “I vacation here” photo dump. None of that makes you a better person. None of it makes you a more meaningful one either.

And you can’t take a damn ounce of it with you when you die.

Whether you believe in heaven, hell, reincarnation, or just an eternal dirt nap, your stuff stays here. You? You’re becoming maggot food. Or ashes in a $200 “eco-friendly” urn your niece picked off Etsy. Either way, your bank balance isn’t coming with you.

Insecurity: The Great Motivator (and the Great Lie)

Most of us are performing. Not living, but performing. Performing success. Performing happiness. Performing meaning. All because we feel we’re not enough without the props.

We hustle hard, not because we love it, but because we think if we just get that next promotion or car or degree, we’ll finally feel worthy. Because that need doesn’t come from a lack of success. It comes from a lack of self-acceptance.

You’re not insecure because you don’t have enough.
You’re insecure because you don’t think you are enough.

Enjoy the Finer Things, but Don’t Be a Hollow Douche Canoe

This isn’t an anti-success rant. There’s nothing wrong with enjoying the finer things. Have the steak. Rock the designer bag. Buy the car you’ve always dreamed of. That stuff can bring joy.

But too many people are using their luxury as a substitute for personality or depth. As if their possessions can stand in for the presence they never bothered to develop. A Gucci outfit won’t make you interesting. A private jet won’t make you generous. An expensive watch doesn’t make you timeless.

Because once you take away those things, what’s actually left?

Are you someone people want to sit next to during a hard time?
Or just another status-chasing ghost in a cocktail bar, mistaking lifestyle for identity?

Achievement Is Not the Same As Fulfillment

There’s a huge difference between building a life that looks good and building a life that feels good.

Do your thing. Make money. Hit goals. But do it with intention, not just to slap a golden bandage over your existential void. Real success isn’t just what you accumulate, it’s what you contribute. It’s who you become in the process.

Create a Legacy That Means Something

You don’t have forever. And nobody’s gonna care about your follower count in the long run.

What will matter? That you meant something. That you left people, places, and moments better than you found them. That you weren’t just consuming oxygen and collecting status symbols…you were actually doing something that made someone else’s life brighter, lighter, or less lonely.

So be kind.
Be generous with your time, your attention, your empathy.
Because at the end of the day, we’re all human: beautiful, messy, flawed, fragile little mortals trying to make sense of this weird ride.

Make your life count for more than a highlight reel.

TL;DR: You Die. Your Stuff Doesn’t Follow.

Go ahead, work hard. Build your empire. Enjoy the pleasures of life. But don’t confuse your net worth with your soul’s worth. Don’t confuse your lifestyle with your legacy.

Because when it’s over? You’re not bringing your Tesla to the afterlife.
You’re leaving it behind. Just like everyone else.

So live like you know that.
And for the love of everything, make it mean something.