When You're Done Trying to Put Your Name in the Sand
Have you ever had one of those days, or years, where it felt like you were trying to write your name in the sand while the tide was coming in at full speed?
You keep smoothing it out, trying to make it stay, but the water just wipes it away again and again.
Although I'm a positive person, I do feel this way at times. I spent a long time thinking that if I could keep everything neat and predictable, I was winning. Not anymore. Life has a way of showing us that some things are out of our control.
I poured these thoughts into a new song called "The Life I Built From Broken Things". It has become my own little anthem, and I wanted to share it with you because we all need the reminder that we are tougher than we give ourselves credit for.
Building Something Real When You Are in a Crunch
When things fall apart, our first instinct is often to worry. We look at the mess and think, "Well, that is it. I am done." I have been there. You look at your life and see the broken floorboards and the leaks, and you feel like the whole thing is coming down.
But we don't have to fix the whole house in a single day. Recovery is often quiet and slow. It is just one band-aid at a time, as I wrote in the song. It's deciding that even though the floor has holes in it, we will still sweep up the sand. There's something beautiful about building a life out of our broken things.
It means the foundation is not just some perfect, sterile thing. It is made of experience. It is made of the times we fell down and got back up anyway.
Why a Little Stubbornness Is Actually a Good Thing
If anyone tells you that you are being too stubborn, take it as a compliment. There is a specific kind of stubbornness that I think is a superpower. It is that quiet, deep-down refusal to let the storm win.
In my song, I wrote, "I'm just too stubborn to know how to fail." People might look at your life and see the rain or the struggle. But they don't see the work you are doing when you hide your wings. They can't see the way you are reinforcing the walls in the dark, preparing for the moment you're ready to fly again.
I've learned that the one thing nobody can take away from me is me.
You're the only person who can decide when you're done. If you haven't decided you're done, then you're not failing. You're still in the middle of the project.
We Don't Have to Be Perfect to Be Strong
It is perfectly okay to have weak days. We're human. It's going to happen. We don't have to be a superhero every single day. It's okay to be tired or frustrated. It's only part of your story, not the whole story.
I believe that every tiny, incremental inch we move forward counts. Even if it is just one nail you hammer in, it's progress. The life you are building might look different than the one you started with, but it is yours.
Thanks for letting me share this with you. I hope that if you are going through a storm right now, these words give you a little bit of shelter. You've got this.
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**I write and produce story-driven lyrics. ** ** ** ** Vocals and music are digitally produced (I am not the singer). I digitally direct and arrange the video and recording. ©2026 DragedaPoemsLyrics (B.T.C) - All Rights Reserved. Licensed Digital Composition (Commercial Rights Held). I wrote, created, and produced this piece on June 21st, 2026 - Member of SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada)**
Very nice. LIfe has handed me lemons at least three times; where you wonder if you can ever squeeze enough out for even one more glass of sweet lemonade. Yet somehow resiliance and determination work a magic no one believed. Starting over from scratch can be difficult, but not impossible. Thank you for putting determination into words, Barbara.
ReplyDeleteBarbara, I have always admired your perseverance in the face of adversity. The only success metrics that really matter are the ones we decide are important. Most people who have done great things were once deemed failures by others but refused to listen and stubbornly persevered in what they wanted and believed in. Your ability to capture simple yet important truths like this one powerfully is an extraordinary gift.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful and insightful, as always! This one certainly speaks to me and is an excellent reminder that we can survive a lot of upsets, changes, and stresses. Thank you!
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