Living Beyond the Noise: A Reminder to Live, Not Impress

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Close Your Eyes and Take a Moment to Feel Your Surrounding

By Nasarah Peter Dashe

Close your eyes for a moment and truly feel your surrounding. What can you sense around you? What do you hear, smell, or feel?

You’ll realize that even if you’re in a crowd, the only presence you are completely aware of — the one you can feel deeply — is your own. You can hear the noise of others, sense their movement, but the presence that is real and undeniable is yours.

The Reflection on Real Life

Life itself mirrors this truth. Though we live among millions, each of us walks through life alone in our own consciousness. You are the only you in existence — the only version of your thoughts, feelings, and dreams that will ever live on this earth.

So, who are you really trying to impress?
Once you understand that your life is yours alone to live, the need to please others begins to fade. You stop chasing approval and start doing what truly matters.

Think about it — there are days when you wear your old clothes at home and feel completely fine. You don’t worry if the shirt looks faded or if your shoes have worn edges. But the moment you step outside, surrounded by others, you start feeling self-conscious. Why? Because suddenly, the fear of judgment appears.

Often, the pressure we feel doesn’t come from others — it comes from ourselves. We create invisible competitions in our minds, trying to match standards that were never meant for us. Many young people, especially today, want to live like the “big boys and girls” they see online, but they forget that not everyone’s story begins at the same chapter. Some have parents who provide everything they flaunt, while others must build their lives from scratch.

When you try to live at someone else’s pace, you set yourself up for oppression, and soon after, depression. Instead, live your life according to your own standard.

Patience in Growth

It breaks my heart to hear young people — 18, 20, 22 — complain that life is unfair because they haven’t “made it” yet. My friend, you’re just beginning! You may still be in school, still learning a trade, or still figuring out your path — so why the rush?

Technology has given our generation a shortcut mindset — everyone wants instant success. But remember, even those who made it young had their seasons of struggle and doubt.

Take Mark Zuckerberg, for example. People often say he “became a billionaire in his twenties,” but what they forget is that he had been building and experimenting long before that. Facebook wasn’t born overnight — it was the result of years of dreaming, failing, and refining an idea.

Or think of Elon Musk — one of the richest men in the world. He didn’t just wake up to success; he paid the price. Sleepless nights, countless rejections, and unshakable belief carried him to where he is today.

Even Africa’s own Aliko Dangote didn’t achieve his wealth at 20 or 30. His rise began in his forties — after years of planning, working, and learning.

So why are you rushing? What’s meant for you won’t pass you by. When you chase success too fast, it may also rush to leave you.

Have a Plan, and Trust the Process

Instead of comparing your chapter one to someone else’s chapter twenty, make a plan. What do you truly want to do with your life? How do you intend to achieve it? When you set your direction and work faithfully, the blessings will find you in due time.

Be patient. Focus. Water your dreams daily. Because success that comes slowly, built with discipline and purpose, is the kind that lasts forever.

Part Two: Living Beyond the Noise

Every day, we are surrounded by distractions — notifications, opinions, expectations. The world wants to shape who you are, but peace begins when you learn to mute the noise and listen to your own spirit.

Don’t let the applause of others define your worth. Don’t let their silence define your failure. The same people who laugh at you today may one day quote your words or work under your vision.

When you feel lost, pause and remind yourself: You are not behind. You are growing. Life isn’t a race; it’s a journey with unique timing for everyone.

The seed that grows today isn’t better than the one that sprouts next season — both fulfill their purpose at the right time.

Final Thoughts

You are the presence that matters most in your world. Nurture it. Protect it. Believe in it. Don’t waste your energy proving yourself to people who are still figuring out who they are.

Instead, invest that energy into becoming who you are meant to be. Your time will come — not too early, not too late — but exactly when you’re ready to handle it.

So, take another deep breath. Close your eyes again. Feel your presence.
Now open them — and go live your truth.

Written by Nasarah Peter Dashe
@Peternasarah / Peternasarah1 on all social media
© Bilongspan, 2025
Don’t forget to share to bless others.


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