VICTORY!

You don't have to be the best.

You only have to be yourself.

You only have to be real.
And speak from the heart.
And know that you have the right
to see how you see,
and think how you think,
and feel what you feel,
and desire what you desire.

You don't have to be a success
in the eyes of the world
and you don't have to be an expert.

You only have to offer what you offer,
breathe how you breathe,
make mistakes and fuck up and
learn to love your stumbling and
say the wrong thing and stop
worrying so much about
impressing anyone,
because in the end you
only have to live with yourself,
and joy is not given but found
in the deepest recesses of your being,
so there can be joy in falling
and joy in making mistakes
and joy in making a fool of yourself
and joy in forgetting the joy
and then holding yourself as you crumble
to the ground and weep out
the old dreams.

Joy is closeness
with the one you love:
You.

You don't have to be the best.
You don't have to win.

You only have to remember
this intimacy with
the sky, the nearness of the
mountains and feel the warmth
of the sun on your face
and know that you are alive,
and that you are a success,
and victorious,
without having to prove
a damn
thing.

jf/ps/smoh