Many people dream of landing a high paying job abroad, earning a six figure salary, and building a comfortable life. For one woman from Nigeria, that dream became a reality. She had a prestigious tech job in the United States, a degree, a nice apartment, and the ability to support her family back home.
Yet behind the success, she was struggling. In a post that has resonated with thousands online, she opened up about the pressure, anxiety, and burnout that eventually pushed her to leave it all behind.
The post was shared on X by user Primzy, who reflected on her journey from a successful engineer to a professional photographer.
The high paying job that left her unhappy
In the caption, she wrote, “I was making $180K a year in America and crying almost every night because I hated my life.”
She explained that she had moved from Nigeria in search of a better future and achieved everything society often associates with success. “I got everything they said I should want: an engineering degree, a good tech job, a nice apartment in Dallas, and the ability to send money home every month.”
Despite these achievements, she said she felt deeply unhappy. “To everyone back home, I was the one who made it. My parents were so proud. But inside, I was drowning.”
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According to her post, she was working 70 hour weeks while battling anxiety and a constant sense of emptiness. When she told her mother that she wanted to leave her job and start a photography business, the reaction was far from encouraging.
“After everything we sacrificed? Don’t be stupid,” her mother told her.
She stayed in the job for another year before eventually reaching a breaking point. “I had a breakdown. I couldn’t get out of bed. That was when I made the scary decision.”
Starting over and finding happiness
The woman said she resigned without a backup plan, a move that initially disappointed her family.
“My parents were disappointed and stopped calling for months,” she wrote.
However, things slowly began to change as her photography business gained momentum through weddings, portraits, and brand campaigns. A year later, she flew her parents to the US for her first solo exhibition.
Recalling the moment, she wrote, “When my dad saw strangers praising my work and buying prints, he stood quietly for a long time. Then he hugged me and said, ‘I thought success was only money and titles. I was wrong.’”
The post struck a chord with social media users. One person commented, “Money can upgrade your life, but it doesn’t automatically improve your mental health. If you’re surviving on the outside but breaking on the inside, something has to change.”
Another wrote, “Walking away from the success everyone else wanted for you takes real courage. I’m glad you chose peace and found your thing.”
A third added, “I think a lot of people will relate to this, especially those carrying the weight of family expectations. It’s easy to chase success, but it’s much harder to be honest about what success actually means to you.”
Not everyone agreed. One user remarked, “Happiness over $180K? Bold. But when the photography money dries up, those proud posts may quickly turn into questions about when you’re sending money again.”
