From Where I Stand

Or: “I really admire you for what you’ve accomplished.”

So, here is an unexpected insider’s secret:

From where I stand, it doesn’t really feel like I have accomplished anything.

It doesn’t really feel like I have “reached” any form of success.

Every day, I go through more doubts than most of you.

Every day, I need to take more decisions,
that I have never taken before.

From where I stand, it seems like I have no idea what I am doing, but I do it anyway.

And I love it.

Every day, I do more mistakes,
than everybody reading this right now.

And I need to learn, from each of them.
So tomorrow, I can fail better.

From where I stand, I don’t think people would admire any of me,

if they could see my brain from the inside.

When I work, it’s sometimes messy,
When I think, it’s sometimes noisy,

But I know this mess,
I understand this noise.

I’m not always wise,
I’m not always sharp,
I’m not always confident.

But I take action anyway,

because that’s how I learn, by doing.

Sometimes, I hit a wall, and it hurts.

But I don’t often blame,
or dwell, or complain,
for too long.

I mean, I try not to.

Because it doesn’t help.

From where I stand, I can see the highest mountain I have ever tried to climb.

And it feels like I can’t walk,
more than a few steps per day.

When am I going to get there,
and being successful?

Never.

There is no “there”.

I know it,
It’s only here and now.

You don’t reach success.

Success is about what you do,
right now.

It’s about the process of going somewhere you love and care.

From where I stand, it’s not easy.

But I wake up driven, passionate,
and on a mission.

Yes, sometimes, it’s painful,
But I’m lucky enough, I chose my pains.

Yes, often, it’s hard,
But I’m lucky enough, I chose my challenges.

I don’t know for you, who say you admire me, as if you wanted to be me.

This is just a bit of what I feel, and what I see,

This is just a bit of me,

In a few words,

From where I stand.