“Small” is a poem about celebrating victories even when they feel insignificant. This is a struggle for me, so this poem serves as a reminder to recognize those steps that lead into something greater.
It is important to encourage ourselves. By cheering ourselves on, we enable ourselves to take more of those small steps toward the lofty goals we wish to achieve. The most difficult part of this for me is to find ways to reward myself when I don’t necessarily feel as though what I’ve done is worth a reward, no matter how big it may actually be.
To help myself, I keep a large, decorated jar on my desk, and every day, I add one accomplishment from the day before. This can be as big as “finished writing my trilogy” or as small as “got out of bed.” Different days function on different levels, and it is vital to keep that in mind. And as the year goes by, I watch the jar fill with folded little slips of paper, and I think to myself, “look at how much I’ve done already.”
By acknowledging the work already done, it is easier to remind myself to keep going. Every step takes us closer to where we are going, so celebrate those small victories, both for the sake of right now, and for the sake of tomorrow.
Stay tuned for more “Behind the Poem” entries throughout the month of April, and if you want a sneak peek at tomorrow’s poem, check my Patreon. (It’s free!)
Happy reading,
Sibyl