Breathe

The goalposts keep moving. I think about all the things I have done to get here. Excellent grades, then becoming a software engineer, then the GRE, then the PhD, then publications. I hit each target thinking it would finally make everything clear, that I would arrive somewhere and be able to rest.

Now AI has changed the rules and I do not know what skill matters anymore. I do not know if I should double down on technical depth or pivot to something else entirely. And that is just work. There is also health, family, immigration, money, relationships. The list does not end, it just keeps growing.

I used to think being first mattered. First mover advantage and all that. But I am starting to realize it was never about being first. It was about showing up consistently even when the path was not clear, even when you could not see what was on the other side.

Right now everything feels uncertain. The skills that got me here might not matter tomorrow. I do not know what to prioritize or what to let go of.

Maybe that is just how it is for everyone. Maybe we are all figuring it out as we go, pretending we have a plan.

So for today, I am just going to breathe.