Life never is finished.
It’s not a burger flipped.
It’s not an 8 to 5—
Punch in and out.
There always will be more—
Another dish to wash,
Another floor to mop,
Another meal to cook,
Another conversation to have,
Another person who needs the time
(Certainly more than you do).
Another people with
Different thoughts, ideas, whims.
It will always be a tug of war
When you are near strong people
—Fascinating people—
You need to realize
That your vision is valuable too.
Don’t get trampled
Or pushed off the edge.

Someone else will always say
You’re doing the wrong thing.
You could do it differently—better!
People will always imply that
Their needs are more important now—
They’ll only take a few minutes.
But minutes turn to hours
Turn to days and months.
The years spin by, faster and faster.
Soon they’re swimming out of control
And you’re dizzy with panic—
Pushing and squeezing,
Throbbing—thunk, thunk, thunk—
Inside your skull.
You can’t turn time back,
But you can stop the pattern—
Right now.
You can stop and say:
I need time.
I need a fair share.
I need to step back
And focus on this for now.
I’ve focused on you;
I’m sure you’ll understand.

Many won’t see the importance,
Or comprehend
Why you want this route.
They may try to sink your ship
Or nudge you towards
A different course—
More interesting,
More profitable—
More closely connected to their own success.
They have it all planned out,
And explain it all
In most eloquent words
Or stab you with a
Fine!-Dig-Your-Own-Grave eye roll
Just as you’re feeling unsure of yourself
And you’ll feel pressure to agree,
To help for a while,
It might even be welcome
To have guidance—
Someone else to take the wheel
Just for a stretch—
But are you prepared for the exchange?
Life will be easier,
But mean less.
You’ll end up somewhere,
But not on your map.
That can be good,
But ultimately, it’s your choice.
When you know where you need to go,
Be mindful as you buy your ticket.