“Look Back, Stand Up”

Some days you wake up feeling broken,

Like every step is just a fight.

You’re staring down your own reflection,

Thinking “Why can’t I get anything right?”

But take a breath and pull the lens back,

Let the years roll like a reel.

There’s a story in your footsteps

That proves the strength you didn’t feel.

You made it through the storms that tried to drown you,

You carried scars that no one ever knew.

You’re not the same as who you were back then —

You’re standing here, and that’s the proof.

So look back at the last year,

Five years, ten years, twenty-five.

Every heartbreak, every victory

Is the reason you’re still alive.

You may not be on the mountain,

But you’re not down in the dirt.

It’s okay to stop and tremble,

Just don’t let the trembling make you hurt.

Take a minute, breathe it in —

But never let it stop you from moving again.

You’ve lost people you loved deeply,

You’ve watched dreams fall through your hands.

You’ve rebuilt from ashes quietly

When no one else could understand.

But every time you thought you’d crumble,

You found a way to rise instead.

You’re living proof that broken pieces

Still make something strong when they’re rethread.

You don’t have to be the hero every moment,

You don’t have to wear a fearless face.

Just honor every mile behind you —

There’s power in the steps you’ve traced.

So look back at the last year,

Five years, ten years, twenty-five.

Every heartbreak, every victory

Is the reason you’re still alive.

You may not be on the mountain,

But you’re not down in the dirt.

It’s okay to stop and tremble,

Just don’t let the trembling make you hurt.

Take a minute, breathe it in —

But never let it stop you from moving again.

You’re not worthless — you’re becoming.

You’re not broken — you’re refined.

Every chapter that felt heavy

Built the steel inside your spine.

So when the darkness starts to whisper

That you’ll never rise above —

Remember every time you made it

When you thought you’d had enough.

Look back at the last year,

Five years, ten years, twenty-five.

You’ve walked through fire after fire

And somehow you’re still alive.

You may not be at the summit,

But you’re climbing, step by step.

It’s okay to pause and gather strength —

Just don’t forget the strength you’ve kept.

Take a minute, breathe it in —

But never let it stop you from moving again.

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