It’s a hot summer day in Dubai, with temperatures soaring close to 40°C. We’re stepping out of the car in the basement parking of a shopping mall,  short walk to the entrance, but I can barely handle the heat. I glance around and see a few men washing cars in this sweltering basement. I can’t imagine how they endure such extreme temperatures all day long.

We often celebrate people for their grand achievements, business tycoons, Nobel laureates, Olympic athletes, Miss Universes, bestselling authors. Their success is visible, celebrated, and measured. But a question rises in my mind: who are the real achievers?

Is success only about titles, trophies, and fame? What about those who wake up every day and fight battles no one sees, who strive for their dreams, fail, fall, and still rise again? Or those who give up their dreams entirely, just to support their families?

It takes unimaginable strength for a mother to rise early every morning, complete her chores, and support her family, physically, mentally, emotionally, even when she’s utterly exhausted, day after day, year after year. Or a father who puts aside his own dreams to fulfill his children’s. Or a single parent managing both roles. Or children who sacrifice their education to keep their families afloat.

And what about the man I saw washing cars in that suffocating heat, far away from his loved ones, sending every possible dirham home?

Their strength can’t always be measured in numbers or accolades. But the endurance, sacrifice, and love they pour into every day, those are the marks of true achievement.

If you’re one of them, pushing through despite the odds, I want you to pause, appreciate yourself, and hold your head high.

You are a true achiever. I see you, I respect you, and I honor your strength.

Have you acknowledged your own efforts and sacrifices lately, or are you too busy chasing someone else’s definition of success?