“How much longer do I have to wait?”
I remember sitting in my car, gripping the steering wheel so tight my knuckles turned white. I was tired. And I don’t just mean “I-need-a-nap” tired. I mean soul tired. The kind of tired that makes you want to scream.
I had done everything right. I worked hard. I followed the rules. I stayed out of trouble. I was a good woman. And wasn’t that supposed to count for something?
Because I was looking around at my life—after decades of sacrifice—and asking myself:
Where is my reward? Where is my happily ever after?
Because baby, I was tired of waiting.
The Lie They Told Us
I don’t know about you, but I grew up in church. Bible stories weren’t just bedtime stories—they were blueprints for how to live. And even though nobody came right out and said it, the message was clear:
➡ If you suffer enough, God will bless you.
➡ If you work hard enough, success will come.
➡ If you sacrifice enough, one day you’ll be happy.
And we believed it. Whewwww, did we believe it.
Because look at the stories we were raised on:
Job? A good man who lost EVERYTHING—his family, his wealth, his health—just for God to “bless him” later.
The Prodigal Son? The one who stayed home and did the right thing got NOTHING, while the wild child who ran the streets got the feast and the celebration.
And we were told to be the obedient one.
Be the good girl.
Be the hardworking one.
Be the woman who waits.
Wait for the reward.
Wait for the blessing.
Wait for the life you actually want.
And I did. For 40 years.
And then I had to ask myself: How much longer am I supposed to wait?
The “Work Hard & Sacrifice” Scam
Because let me tell you something nobody told us—the good girls, the hard workers, the ones who always do what’s right:
Suffering doesn’t make you special. It just makes you suffer.
Let that sink in.
All that time I spent grinding, sacrificing, giving up my joy—what did it actually get me?
More exhaustion.
More responsibility.
More people expecting me to pour into them while my own cup ran dry.
And let’s talk about the real betrayal—because while we were out here being good women, playing by the rules, and waiting for the universe to reward us, we watched people who broke every rule get what they wanted with ease.
The corporate climber who got ahead by networking instead of overworking.
The woman who chose joy first instead of waiting for permission.
The ones who put themselves first and got rewarded for it.
And we? We’re still out here waiting.
The Moment It Clicked
I had one of those slap-you-in-the-face realizations one day.
I was talking to my best friend, and she said something that shook me to my core:
“You’re waiting for somebody to tell you it’s okay to be happy. But that permission slip isn’t coming.”
Whew.
Because she was right. Nobody was coming to hand me my joy.
Nobody was going to show up and say, “Alright, girl, you’ve suffered enough. Here’s your happiness, your soft life, and your millionaire status.”
If I wanted happiness, I had to choose it.
Not after suffering.
Not after sacrifice.
Not after working myself into the ground.
Now. Right now.
So I did.
I stopped waiting.
I stopped proving.
I stopped working overtime for a reward that wasn’t coming.
And you know what happened?
I got everything I had been waiting for—because I finally let myself have it.
What This Means for You
So sis, I have to ask you:
How much longer are you willing to wait?
How much more do you have to sacrifice before you feel like you deserve happiness?
Because let me tell you something:
✅ You don’t have to be exhausted to be worthy.
✅ You don’t have to struggle to deserve ease.
✅ You don’t have to prove yourself before you can enjoy your life.
And if nobody has told you this yet, let me be the first:
Go be happy NOW.
Not later. Not when it’s “deserved.” NOW.
How to Break Free from the Lie
🛑 Stop Waiting for Permission – The validation you’re waiting for? It’s not coming. Take it.
🔥 Reprogram Your Mindset – You’ve been trained to equate struggle with success. Unlearn that.
💰 Make “Soft Wealth” Your Goal – More money, more joy, and more peace WITHOUT the burnout.
⏳ Stop Over-Explaining Yourself – Some people won’t get it. Be happy anyway.
💖 Do ONE Thing This Week That Brings You Joy – Not because you “earned” it. Just because you can.
Final Word
If you don’t remember anything else from this, remember this:
Happiness is not the reward for suffering.
You don’t have to earn it.
You don’t have to struggle for it.
You don’t have to wait for it.
You get to be happy right now—just because you’re alive.
So what are you waiting for?
Let’s Talk About It
💬 Have you ever felt like you had to “earn” happiness? Drop a comment below or join the conversation inside Wealthy Women Conversations on Facebook. Let’s unlearn this lie together.
Slower, Wealthier, Happier 
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