They told us to suffer and strive for the prize,
To bury our joy and pretend to be wise.
But two simple truths, when seen clear and bright,
Can flip the whole world from the dark into light.

Loving the path and owning your care—
This is the ethic that's strong and so rare.
Not for the glory nor for the role—
But for the joy from knowing you’re whole.

 

If you grind for results and the end doesn’t come,
The pain of the process leaves your soul numb.
And even when triumph arrives at the gate,
With no joy in the journey, was it worth the wait?

 

Design what you do so the doing delights,
Let passion, not pressure, give wings to your flights.
You’ll move with more power, more grace, and more ease,
Than all those who suffer to try and appease.

 

They shame us for caring for joy on the way,
With language that relies on guilt to obey.
But lust, sloth, gluttony—called mortal sins—
Contain seeds of joy where pleasure begins.

Loving the path and owning your care—
This is the ethic that's strong and so rare.
Not for the glory nor for the role—
But for the joy from knowing you’re whole.

 

"Be generous," they say—"Give till you're dry."
Give others your mask, say you’re happy to die.
True giving flows best from a self that is full—
Not from a life drained following rules.

 

When you choose your path and claim your own voice,
You turn from obeying and make your own choice.
The power you gain when you dare to decide
Beats moral illusions that others provide.

 

So flip the old frame, let those old scripts fall—
The journey with joy is the richest of all.
And caring for self is not wicked or vain,
But the root of all good, it’s your job to sustain.

Loving the path and owning your care—
This is the ethic that's strong and so rare.
Not for the glory nor for the role—
But for the joy from knowing you’re whole.