The Fear of Not Being Successful Enough to Justify the Sacrifice
What If It Wasn’t Worth It?
Nobody says it out loud,
but every international student, every immigrant, every dream-chaser abroad knows this fear:
"What if I fail?"
"What if it wasn’t worth it?"
"What if I sacrificed everything... and still couldn’t make it?"
You think about the loans. The debt.
The money your parents wired across the oceans.
The silent prayers they whispered.
The pride they stitched into every goodbye.
You think about the neighbours back home, asking,
"So, what is he doing now?"
You think about all the Facebook posts, the LinkedIn updates, the expectations.
And you wonder -
"Will I ever be enough?"
It keeps you awake.
It eats your confidence.
It makes every small setback feel catastrophic.
Nobody talks about it.
But everyone feels it.
You are not a sum of your achievements.
You are not a walking ROI.
You are brave.
You are resilient.
You are trying in a world that wasn’t made easy for you.
Success isn’t owed, it’s earned, yes.
But your worth was never conditional.
You’re already worth it.
You’ve already honoured the sacrifice by fighting this hard.
Keep going.
You’re closer than you think.
“Study to be accomplished, not affluent.”
- Akshet Patel