Fiona F.

If you’re reading this, you are more than enough.

I have always been the person who will just say yes to anything. I’ve been like this since elementary school, I joined every club that was offered, signed up for every extracurricular, tried out for every sports team and packed my schedule full of things to do. It’s been a hallmark of my personality, being the one who just tries and does everything. That mentality didn’t change when I came to Syracuse, it only got stronger. I threw myself into every opportunity, every organization, every chance to be involved. Every one of those experiences has brought me so much joy, growth and connection and I’m deeply grateful for them. As a senior now, they truly formed who I am today and made me a more confident version of me. 

But, somewhere along the way, I began to notice a pattern in myself, a constant need to stay busy. I have, for some reason, this need to prove that I can handle everything, to always be doing more, and accomplish a certain standard. I continue week after week to put an intense amount of pressure on myself to be the one who could juggle it all with ease. I convinced myself that my worth was measured by how much I accomplished or how busy I stayed. The stress I felt and the sleepless nights that are a part of my routine as something I thought I had to do, or just came with the goals I set for myself. 

There are days when I feel like I’m constantly racing against a clock that doesn’t even exist, chasing a version of success that I just made up for myself. There was no standard ever defined for me, but somehow and somewhere, I decided I had to prove to others that I am worthy and I can be respected. I fill my schedule until it overflows with classes, work, meetings - all things to just show I am capable. It’s this cycle of doing more, being more, achieving more that has just become unhealthy and anxiety-inducing. At the end of the day, it’s all because deep down, I believed that if I just worked a little harder, maybe I’d finally feel like I was enough. 

For a long time, I thought my value came from how much I could handle, how hard I pushed, and how much I achieved. I thought that the more I accomplished, the more I could prove to others and even to myself that I was worthy of respect. But what I’ve learned is that this mindset never ends. My goals have just become higher, and I have just put more pressure on myself in different ways. No matter how many boxes I check off, there is a feeling I always get telling me that I could be doing more.

Living like this has become exhausting, and chasing approval from a standard that doesn’t even exist is, I’m realizing, completely unnecessary. I’ve realized that my worth isn’t found in how many hours I work or how many roles I take on, but instead in the passion I bring, the heart I pour into the things and people I love. My worth is in how I show up with kindness and presence.

The few times I’ve finally slowed down, I noticed that the world didn’t fall apart. The people who truly care about me didn’t value me any less. In fact, I showed up better and was able to be more me. I began to understand that I don’t have to prove myself through constant motion. I am enough, and no position, class, or work ethic can take that away. The people I love don’t care about how busy I am or how much I achieve; they care about the person I am. 

So if you’ve ever felt like you’re falling behind, like your best will never be enough, please understand that you are not your accomplishments. You are not your grades, your job, or your achievements. You are enough simply because you’re here, because you exist, because you care, because you’re trying.

Keep working hard, yes, but do it out of love and passion, not fear. Let your drive come from passion and purpose, not the pressure to prove yourself. You don’t have to do more to be more. You already are.

Fiona F., Syracuse University

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