28 Comments
User's avatar
Dawnithic's avatar

Josh, your poem beautifully captures the irony of overthinking. We wander and build ladders, yet the answer waits quietly all along. I love the moment of release when struggle gives way to simplicity. Just knock...Such a small act, yet it holds the world of discovery. Josh, if you want, I’ve already written a funny piece on this very theme.

Josh's avatar

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. So glad you like it 💙 Feel free to link your piece here!

Sehar Insights's avatar

great stuff

Josh's avatar

Thank you so much 🙏❤️

Priya Hinduja's avatar

Beautifully written! Loved it ❤️❤️

Josh's avatar

Thank you, Priya! 🙏♥️

AsukaHotaru's avatar

Ha. “I built elaborate ladders just to climb” is so painfully me. And that last bit..? “the door was never locked”... yeah, okay, rude in the best way.

Josh's avatar

Thank you so much, friend 💛✨

Marwa Mabrouk's avatar

Loved it Josh 🫶🫶🫶

Josh's avatar

Thank you so much, Marwa ♥️

Daniela Grothe's avatar

I could not leave a like first technically because it’s on another domain. Now that I subscribed, I can, from here. (Still learning substackish, guess I’m A2 level or something :D)

But hey, this is brilliant!

Sometimes, me too, yeah — we keep searching around the world and in every shoe box for the answer of a question which is already written in our brains. Waiting to come back in silence.

Josh's avatar

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts, Daniela. 💙 Totally agree with you - the answers are usually much closer than we like to think.

Phoeby's avatar

Just brilliant!

Josh's avatar

Thanks so much, Phoeby 🙏💙

Phoeby's avatar

I love your poem!

Josh's avatar

Right back at you - love yours too ♥️🌹

imi's avatar

This was truly fascinating. I read your last lines several times and kept smiling when I reached “all I needed to knock. Brilliant Josh, truly.

Josh's avatar

I truly appreciate you 💙🙏😊

Gary L Taylor's avatar

I really enjoyed that, I liked the rhyme and that look into how often we sit and overthink and plan, often to the point of not actually getting the thing done that we are planning. Some real truth in that.

Josh's avatar

Absolutely, Gary. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your thoughts. 💙

Hina Gondal's avatar

That's it? love it ❤️

Josh's avatar

Thank you, Hina 💙😊

Shelby Skubic's avatar

This captures something so real about the way we overwork our own becoming. All that striving, all those maps, and then the quiet realization that presence was enough. Thank you for naming that so gently.

Josh's avatar

Aw, thanks so much, Shelby ♥️✨

Kristina Ray's avatar

Oh, I love this. It's so true! 💛

Josh's avatar

Thank you! So glad you like it ♥️

Jerry's avatar

Good stuff. Thanks

Josh's avatar

Thank you, Jerry! 💙