If Only Poem
If only I’d known
The strength within
To walk alone
To begin again
If only I’d felt
Just good enough
I’d have had a go
And not beat myself up
If only I had been
Aware of my truth
I’d have done so much more
Way back in my youth
If only I could see
Beyond smoke and mirrors
I’d know in my heart
My truest believers
If only I had heard
The voice of encouragement
I’d have picked myself up
Without so much judgement
If only I’d hoped
With faith not fear
I’d trust my intuition
To make my life clear
If only I’d eaten
More nourishing food
I’d have skipped those addictions
That controlled my mood
If only I’d moved
My body each day
I’d have felt the joy
Of swing and sway
I made various choices
Some good, some bad
But whilst there is still life
I can choose to be rad
To acknowledge my wins
To learn more lessons
To change with the seasons
To contemplate my reasons
As I reflect
Memories abound
Never perfect
Sometimes found
Glimpses of certainty
Appearing right now
To truly be me
I silently bow
For there in grace
If only disappears
I’ve done my best
Over all my years
Onwards I’ll go
With heart and mind
Together at last
Synced in time
This poem was almost a summary of some life lessons that I reflected upon after writing this piece on Career Advice for my Younger Self https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/career-advice-my-younger-self-sue-ellson.
I meet a lot of people who feel as if their life has not been the best, that things went wrong, that they haven’t recovered or that they are still carrying the burden of some bad choices or decisions.
As the years go by, we can choose to grow or to grow old. I choose to grow.
Reflecting on the good is very important. As humans, we are designed to survive, not to be happy. I think this explains why we tend to remember the bad over the good. By surviving those things, we found ourselves. Have you ever noticed how some of the happiest people have overcome great adversity?
But we can all learn. We can do the difficult not dangerous. Reflect not regret.
Ultimately, we can all shine bright.
It is our energy not our wrinkles that people really see and feel. With love, Sue Ellson 🙂
Photo is of a gum leaf that I saw along a footpath next to the train line in Blackburn, Melbourne, Victoria on Thursday 28 April 2022.
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