Writers 
LOCK IN
There comes a time when dreams must call,
And we must rise, though tired and small;
When comfort whispers, “Stay awhile,”
And we must choose the harder mile.
There comes a time to shut the door,
To leave the noise outside once more;
To put the restless phone away,
And give our purpose room to stay.
Not when the heart is filled with fire,
Nor when we wake with great desire;
But when we learn, through loss and wait,
That perfect moments come too late.
So lock in, heart, and do the work,
Though doubt may follow like a shadow lurking.
Let every buzzing phone be still,
And let your hands obey your will.
Let distractions knock in vain,
Let passing pleasures call your name;
You have a road you need to tread,
A life that cannot build itself instead.
Some days the work will feel like song,
Your hands will move, your steps be strong;
The pages turn, the hours fly,
And you will wonder why you feared to try.
But other days will test your will,
The page looks long, the room is still;
Your mind will wander, strength will fade,
And every promise will be weighed.
Lock in anyway!
For discipline is not the art
Of never failing from the start.
It is the courage to return,
To face the page, to live and to learn.
You may fall behind today,
You may lose focus on the way;
But do not make one wasted hour,
the reason that you doubt your power.
Page by page and day by day,
Keep putting one small step away.
No trumpet needs to sound your name,
No crowd is needed for the flame.
Just you, the work, the quiet fight,
The little choice to do what’s right;
The unseen hours, the silent strain,
The starting over, once again.
And one day, when the years have passed,
You’ll see what all those moments cast;
The life you spoke of, hoped to see,
Was being built quietly.
Not in applause, nor sudden flight,
But in the hours you chose to fight;
In every moment you could have fled,
But stayed instead.
So lock in now, though no one knows.
Let patience water what you sow.
Let effort have its quiet say;
Let little steps become the way.
Not for applause, nor praise, nor fame,
Not to impress or prove your name;
But give yourself the chance to see how far you’ll go,
when you choose to be fully present, fully faithful
and fully free.