You think you're not as good.

You're less attractive, less charismatic. You're slower, shier, less interesting. You think you're either too young and inexperienced or too old and unexciting. You've always had to work harder than others to achieve the same, or even less. Or maybe you’ve been a bit lazy, falling short of the dreams you dared to dream. Financially, you're holding your own, but always earning a tad less, owning less extravagant stuff, and somehow, you just can't claw your way to the wealth you aspire to. You drift through life unsure of who you are or what you truly want, feeling anxious because maybe you once had clarity—or because you never did. Meanwhile, others seem to effortlessly know their path. You long to do good, even great things, be liked by others, but so often, you feel exhausted, fearful, and devoid of the courage to act.

And then, there's social media. It amplifies every insecurity, yet quitting feels impossible.

I won't pretend that I completely understand how you feel. Perhaps I never will.

But in all the years I've known you, I’ve always believed you are far more capable than you realize.

Especially in the moment of struggle and confusion, I'm probably more convinced than ever.

I've been a terrible friend, dispensing advice without always knowing what I'm talking about. Yet here I am, offering one more piece of advice—this one not for its intellectual allure, but because it has profoundly helped me.

To become more capable, to matter more in this world, we must bear more responsibility. We have to shoulder more burdens.

When you commit to taking on more responsibility—whether for yourself, your immediate surroundings, your colleagues, or even strangers suffering from misfortune and ignorance—you’ll discover your capacity to bring goodness into the world is far greater than you’ve ever imagined.

If you’re lost, unsure of who you are or how you matter, don't waste your energy trying to "find yourself", or at least waste a bit less than you used to. Instead, just do the work. Do good work. Do great work. Your identity and the meaning of your life will take care of themselves.

We have limited time on this earth, finite waking hours each day. Stop pondering and dwelling so much. Redirect your time and energy to the responsibilities already on your shoulders, or those you've recently taken up.

Focus on the truly important aspects of life: your health, relationships, family, friends, hobbies, work, education. Pour your heart into these, so there’s less time for comparing yourself to others or resisting what you don’t want and don't like. Concentrate instead on what you really want and like, or at least on discovering those things. They aren’t hard to find; the vital things in life are generally universal.

Coco Chanel once said, "The best things in life are free. The second best things are very, very expensive." Before we chase the second best—and I admit, they can of course be desirable —let’s ensure we’ve embraced the best, free things. Achieving that, too, requires hard work and taking on responsibility.

So, go ahead. Shoulder more. You’re more capable than you know.