Why does some goal completions feel, hollow?

 From what I experience with the environment, with everything I do when it comes to coding my project; having another person come in and make something where I failed to, it should've been a slam dunk, a, "oh hey I got someone to do the boring parts for me but for money" where I start to realize, am I really finding success? Is this my success or only because I got someone else to climb me over that mountain?

One must not take shortcuts or it begets shortcuts, having it where I can flex on people/ show off how fast I beat a game playing on a faster speed felt amazing but on a slower speed? Nah. With the cheating aspect of cheating and slowing down the game being a, "meh" factor on my part.

I start to realize; I cheated, I cheated myself and at first you don't care but you slowly start to come to the realization that you do care when it comes to your own personal goals and life.