She did everything right. Top schools. Big career. Perfect resume. Then one day she asked herself, “Have I ever made a decision for myself?” Some stories give you chills. Some stop you in your tracks. In this episode of the Ideas Love Community podcast, host Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson invites writer and tech leader Sabra Meretab to share a story you need to hear. Sabra spent her career doing everything "right" as she over-achieved her way to a hugely successful career. When her tendency to overwork at her own expense started having a massive impact on her body, mind, and spirit, she began journaling. In this segment, Sabra shares an essay she wrote on her How to Feed Your Soul Sustack that begins with the dark side of achievement, then turns into a moving meditation on burnout, anxiety, and the simple moments that can bring peace. After sharing her story, Sabra and Jacque have a chat about the cost of high achievement, the healing power of writing, and the small acts that help us come back to ourselves. This is a story about ambition and burnout. It's also a story about joy. And it's a story you need to hear. Because ideas love community. And sometimes the story that changes your life is someone else’s.
Sabra Meretab describes herself as someone who has always worked hard, often too hard. “I work hard in a way that makes my body scream in protest. It’s a double-edged sword I keep enthusiastically sharpening,” she says.
Her story will feel familiar to anyone who’s experienced the dark side of high-achievement, ambition, and success.
The Question That Changed Everything
During a particularly difficult time, she asked herself a simple but life-changing question: “Have I ever made a decision for myself in my entire life?”
That question led her to step away from her job, take time off, and start writing.
In this episode, Sabra describes what it feels like to realize that you’ve been following the path you were “supposed to” follow but not the path that’s right for you.
Writing as a Way Back to Yourself
Sabra didn’t plan to become a writer with a book on the way and a Substack full of her beautiful writing. She first turned to journaling because she was desperate to feel better and she was willing to try anything.
As the words spilled onto the pages of her journals, she quickly craved time with her journal because it helped her understand her life and herself.
If you’re feeling stuck between achievement and meaning, journaling can help you be honest with yourself in ways your mind might avoid.
The Message She Wants You to Take With You
At the end of the episode, Sabra shares the idea she hopes people remember: Optimism is not naive. Optimism is what makes action possible. If you believe things can change, you start making different choices. And those small choices can change everything.
Key Quotes
“Have I ever made a decision for myself in my entire life?”
“I work hard in the way that makes my body scream in protest.”
“The world is filled with so many non-skipping things.”
“I started writing because I was desperate to feel better.”
“If you don’t believe things can be better, you won’t act.”
About Sabra Meretab
Sabra Meretab has spent her career building payments products and leading engineering teams in Fintech. When she's not debugging technical infrastructure, she's debugging her own understanding of the world around her through writing. Sabra writes essays on ambition, burnout, and the achievement complex in her spare time and is currently working on publishing her first book, a memoir. Follow her on Substack: https://snackablegrowth.substack.com/