It’s been a lonely road these last few years
Toiling for months without any gratification
It’s played out how I thought it would, in a way
Working hard for seemingly no reward

That’s always how it was going to be
Results were never going to be immediate
I was wise to temper expectations in this way
But even so I didn’t insulate myself well enough

I wasn’t prepared for the tough road ahead
I didn’t adequately protect myself from the disappointment
But how would I have done that? I didn’t know any better
This whole endeavor was a shot in the dark

Mistakes were paid, lessons were learned
I’m better equipped to move forward
Everything becomes so clear with hindsight
In the moment you’re just doing what you think needs to be done
Only later do you find out the decision made wasn’t the right one

You live and you learn, you move onward
You put one foot in front of the other and you continue on
Life is a long and winding journey
Full of interesting twists and turns

Have you stopped to appreciate the scenery?
Have you taken note of the path you’ve taken?
Do you realize how far you’ve come?
It’s not just about going from the beginning to the end
There’s so much to see along the way

I lose sight of that sometimes
Focus so much on what I lack
That I forget to count my blessings each and every day
When the going was tough I fed my doubts
I let the critical voices in my head win
I let them convince me that I wasn’t good enough

I just needed to take a step back and center myself
Force a mental reset, get back into a confident state of mind
It wasn’t until my darkest day
That I remembered to seek the light that guides my way
I asked for a sign and you gave me one

Never seen an eagle before but I saw one that day
Never heard a hawk cry but I heard one that day
One after another, a fortuitous sign
Too much of a coincidence, so it had to be fate
Sometimes life is stranger than fiction
Hope came alive for me again that day