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Occasionally my youngest child asks me to send her a poem. It can be for any number of reasons. Typically, it is a quick text poem to hopefully brighten her day.
In this case, she was challenged in a new role while working with colleagues who were 30 years her senior and feeling like she needed to know all the answers. So, I took a bit more time to write this poem.
After reading it, I felt that it likely applied to a lot of people, certainly a lot of our clients. So, I wanted to share with you (with my daughter’s permission)….
You reach for goals with all your heart,
And that’s been true right from the start.
You work, you learn, you give your best,
Consistently more than the rest.
But life was never meant to be
A flawless climb from A to Z.
The strongest people that you’ll meet
Have stumbled often on their feet.
Mistakes are not a sign you’ve failed,
They’re proof you’ve ventured, tried, and sailed.
Each wrong turn holds a lesson there,
A gift that’s wrapped in challenge and care.
So trade perfection for something true:
The daily work of becoming you.
Not perfect but growing. Not flawless but wise.
Still reaching upward toward new highs.
Give yourself grace along the way.
Speak to yourself as friends would say:
“You’re learning, growing, doing well.”
That’s a better story to tell.
Excellence isn’t never falling down.
It’s rising stronger from the ground.
And if you keep that truth in view,
There’s nothing you cannot do.