Candlelight Wisdom: Burn at Your Own Pace, Not Someone Else’s

When you walk into a store and see shelves of candles, you don’t expect them all to burn the same way. There are tea lights that flicker out in a few hours, elegant tapers for fancy dinners, and giant three-wick monsters that could survive an apocalypse. And yet—when it comes to life—we expect ourselves to burn exactly like everyone else.

Spoiler: you’re not supposed to.

The Candle Metaphor We Need

Life is a lot like candles. Some people burn quick and bright. They peak early, and that’s fine. Others take their sweet time, like the slow, chunky pillar candle—barely making progress at first, but steady, reliable, and lasting. Neither one is “better.” Both bring light, warmth, and atmosphere.

So why do we shame ourselves when we’re not “burning” like the person next to us?

The Instagram Trap

Scrolling through social media is like walking through a candle aisle where every label screams: “World’s Brightest! Longest-Lasting! Limited Edition Glow!” Suddenly, you forget that you have your own wick, your own wax, your own pace.

The truth? Some people flame out early. Some smolder for decades. Some flicker, go out, and get relit. Success isn’t about brightness—it’s about staying lit in the first place.

Don’t Burn at Both Ends

We romanticize the phrase “burning the candle at both ends,” but in reality, that’s just a quick way to have no candle left at all. The lesson? Protect your energy. Your wick is finite. Overwork, hustle, comparison—all of it chews away at your wax.

What’s Your Candle Story?

Ask yourself:

• Am I glowing for me or trying to impress the shelf next to me?
  
  
• Am I preserving my energy or wasting wax on someone else’s expectations?
  
  
• Am I okay with burning differently than my neighbor?
  
  

The world doesn’t need a copy-paste flame. It needs your glow—however long, bright, or quirky it may be.

Takeaway: Stop comparing your candle to others. The room needs all kinds of light. Burn at your own pace.