Not a Cautionary tale

I’m just tryna keep my focus. And my composure. I’m precautious I know, I didn’t sign the disclosure I don't want them to use me as an example of burn out. Maybe it’s just the change of the seasons. It’s hitting me harder than I thought. 

And even though winter turning into spring usually gives people a little more bounce in their steps. It doesn’t with me.

I’ve been carrying the weight of my own expectations. Dragging them like old luggage through every rotation of the sun. They say longer days mean lighter hearts, but mine's still heavy, still cautious, still on the run. 

I don’t want to be the cautionary tale. The one they whisper about in boardrooms and break rooms "See what happens when you push too hard?" But no one ever asks if I had a choice. If slowing down was even on the table. 

Maybe I just need a minute. A pause, a breath, a moment to reset. But the world keeps moving. Like a train with no stops, no rest, no reset. And I wonder: Will I ever catch up? Or was I never meant to keep pace at all?

So yeah, I’m just tryna keep my focus And my composure I’m precautious But maybe I should be bolder Because if I burn out trying to meet expectations What’s the point of the fire in me at all?

---

I hear you. I see the weight you carry, Heavy like expectations wrapped in steel, like the pressure to bloom when you barely feel rooted. But listen, you were never meant to be a cautionary tale. A warning sign on the road to success. A footnote in someone else's lesson learned. 

You are the story, the voice, the movement. And you don’t owe the world your breaking point. Seasons shift, and so do we. Not every spring has to feel like rebirth. Not every sunrise has to bring motivation. Some days, the victory is just standing, Just breathing, Just saying, "I am still here." 

And that is enough.

Let them keep their timelines. Their checklists, their impossible standards. Your pace is your own. And if the world moves too fast, Then let it race ahead.

You are not behind. You are not lost. You are becoming. In your own way, in your own time.

So take the breath. Take the pause. Take the space you need. 

Because you were never meant to burn out. You were meant to burn bright. And if this train is speeding past your limits, Then get off. Find your own path, your own road, your own way forward.

Reviews

[michelle buckley]

Well developed writing, wonderfully composed, the rhythm and flow of your voice in words is lovely, like a lullaby.

[blazetunwizyna]

Awesome story idea! Have you thought about adding line art illustrations, an eye catching book cover, or even turning it into an animation? It could make it more exciting. Your story deserves a wider audience I’ve helped many authors make their work stand out and thrive online. Let’s chat! Discord: @book_blaze, Telegram: @book_blaze, WhatsApp: [phone]