The Pain of Realizing I Wasn't Enough

I stood on the Brooklyn Bridge, the wind ruffling my hair as I watched the sun sink lower in the Manhattan skyline. The city of New York, once my sanctuary, now felt like a cage, trapping me in my own inadequacy.

For years, I had chased perfection. I was the overachiever in the office, the perfect partner at home, always striving to be the best version of myself. But the more I tried to fit into the mold of perfection, the more I lost myself. I was living a life that was not mine, in a city that no longer felt like home.