01/15/25: I took this post down a few days ago because upon rereading it, I was not sure that I had really sent the message I wished to. At the time, I was not completely satisfied with it. I had debated editing or deleting it and starting over again.
To be fair, I have been reading it through the eyes of fatigue. Twice this week I almost fell asleep driving on the highway. After reading it again, I have decided that it stands on its own as is. Apologies for any inconvenience this caused. Now, I am off to bed. Take care and have a great day, all.
The majority of the time, I write a poem when I do an NTT post.
This time, I’m just gonna “talk” to ya.
Thank yous:
First and foremost, I need to once again thank Ernie, Laura, Sarah, Phoebe, Nancy, Kymber, and Willie for the very touching and heartfelt poem they wrote for me, which I have linked below. Even as I type this, I am still blown away by the genuine display of care and friendship they presented to me. I simply cannot thank you enough.
If you have not visited the pages linked above, I highly suggest you do so. They are some of the finest, most creative people I have had the pleasure of meeting in this community.
Thank you all again. 🙏
Second, I want to again thank everyone who supports me and this blog. It has been an absolute pleasure to meet and interact with all of you, and I am beyond grateful that you have honored me with your visits.
My deepest gratitude to all of you!
Battle Tested & Weary:
This is going to loosely dovetail off my post yesterday where I discussed my future plans for NTT.
Sometimes I just sit there, stare at the wall, and think “Damn it, I’m tired.”
And I know I’m not the only one who feels this way. It happens to a lot of us, and probably far more than we care to admit.
You feel it too, don’t you? That crushing weight of yet another task, another problem.
Another hassle.
Your head aches. You have that burning sensation in your gut. That knot in your stomach. That sense of absolute dread.
So, what do you do?
You get the hell back up and you fight again. Because you’re a fighter. Because you have heart. You have soul. And you have courage.
You are battle tested.
Lately, I admit I have been feeling tired, directionless (especially creatively) and frustrated. Mostly due to factors like a rough schedule, work logistics and a less than stellar sleep routine.
And some days I want to throw in the towel. Just chuck it all and start again.
Then I think about some of the other crap I’ve been through:
- A not horrible, but less than stellar, childhood. Others had/have it far worse, of course, but mine did little to help my sense of self-esteem.
- Watched my grandfather slowly pass away from cancer.
- I fought in a war.
- I watched a loved one’s health slowly deteriorate over a 15 year span before ultimately passing away.
And there’s more, but you get the point.
When I look back on those things, I realize there’s quite a bit to unpack there. And then, I try to remind myself that I’ve been through worse and compared to some of that, this is nothing.
Does that mean I necessarily want to get up and fight? Hell no.
But do I get up anyhow? Yes. Why? Because it’s what I do.
And it’s what you do too.
You are battle tested.
You fight because that’s what life is. It’s the battle waiting to be conquered. The battle calling you to vanquish yet another challenge. The battle calling you to strive, thrive and arrive in total, absolute victory.
Right now you might be going through something.
It could be an illness, an employment issue, writer’s block, family problems, or anything relative to your world, really.
But I challenge you right now to think back on a time of extreme adversity in your life.
What did you do? How did you cope? What did you feel? How did it feel when you finally conquered the problem?
Think back to that feeling. That moment when you slayed the dragon.
Maybe there’s a bit of disbelief that you actually made it through, but I bet there’s an even stronger sense of pride.
You survived, you stood up, marched into battle, and ultimately, you won.
Back to now, think about the current issue that’s troubling you.
Now reach down and draw strength from the very core of that battle you so struggled with in the past. Remind yourself that you’ve risen to so many challenges in the past, and this is just another battle on your road to greatness.
No, it may not be easy. And yes, maybe you are tired. But deep down inside you know you are more than capable of rising to the occasion.
Now stand up proudly, soar, and conquer whatever stands before you.
I may not know your specific struggles, but I do know the feeling. I know the sleepless nights, the tears, the overthinking.
And I know I am better than that.
And so are you.
We may not always know or feel it, but we are far more powerful than we even dare realize. But every once in awhile, a surge of pride swells up within us and we glimpse our true potential. It’s a brief glimpse, but enough to show us it’s there.
You are battle tested, and I salute you.
If you made it to the end of this post, I thank you for indulging my philosophical side and reading.
Now, time to prove ourselves in battle. 💪
The Beginning At Last 
Leave a reply to Drops of Ink Cancel reply