I believed education would unlock everything—happiness, clarity, purpose. And in some ways, it did. But the hardest part of life wasn’t solved in any classroom. The real challenge is waking up each day and doing the hard, boring, painful things that don’t feel exciting anymore. Managing your own motivation, your aches, your disillusionment—that’s the work no one teaches you.

What’s missing from the story of success isn’t more knowledge. It’s knowing how to get back up when you’re tired, discouraged, or simply numb. It’s understanding that life won’t always feel fresh or inspiring, and doing the work anyway. You don’t need to be a genius to do that—you just need to decide to try. Every day. Even when it hurts.