For the longest time, the hustle life’s been lionised,
The tireless worker with eyes on the prize, iron will and iron mind,
Good things come to they who work their asses off, the magnitude of achievements only as good as given efforts,
No rest for the weary and sleep is for the dead, slackers can only live in prayer if they wish to get ahead,
No respect for the ones sitting on their hands waiting for the grim reaper,
Out on the pitch and barely scoring, wouldn’t even cut it for second or third-stringers,
Can’t conquer new worlds if you don’t venture out to sea,
But easy to judge, too, from afar without knowing the full story,
Are you familiar with ‘em? Or just judging the cover sitting on the shelf?
Why not pick it up and leaf through a few chapters? Might learn you a little something.
Illnesses of the mind on the rise, been many years now and counting,
Possible aftertaste from society’s definition of true hustling,
On the subject of dreams the masses are wont to dismiss others’ as bulldust,
Is it any wonder why too many are closed books and apprehensive to the concept of trust?
Depression and anxiety spreading like the plague, insecurities and jealousy more than tripled,
Felt by all at some point or another but for many more such symptoms are everlasting,
Chase and conquer’s where it’s at, be it work, play and even relationships,
Staying in’s for losers and the cowards, days are made for seizing,
Dare to stumble and you’re written off and starting again’s a folly, rest and self-care exercises in sloth and vanity, that’s what they be saying on the daily,
Not all plans go accordingly, won’t always reach success in one go,
Multiple attempts might be necessary, just need to go with the flow,
But where there’s passion there’s a way, just gotta find the right one,
But if possibilities yield nada then a fresh start never hurt anyone,
The ones that y’all judging could be such persons, taking new directions after the previous turned out to be failures,
Sitting, planning and plotting, that’s another type of hustling, perceived lack of actions could mask a mind working twenty-four-seven,
Then there are those taking a load off to catch their breath, gather their bearings and their senses before taking the next step,
Others in deep meditation, floundering against the haze in order to gain clarity,
Can’t do that on the move, clearly, bet y’all would sneer and call ‘em lazy,
Then there are those at war within themselves, the assailant unseen and persistent,
Faith in their abilities non-existent, the lingering scars are insurmountable obstacles,
Or maybe they’re on the straight and narrow but choosing to operate within the shadows,
Why does it only count when they’re crowing from rooftops? The silent achievers, too, more than earned their props.
Good on you for thinking that you’re killing it, but who are you to label ‘em?
Who permitted you to sneer at all others? Some might be thriving without your knowledge,
That work ethic sky high, enough to put yours to shame,
There’s always someone better, Friend, regardless of age, gender, background or race,
Hustling harder than you ever could dream about, eating up most of their twenty-fours,
Seeds sowed before the fruit’s grown, the resulting harvest maybe even greater than yours,
So what if they cultivate from their hiding place? Away from shiny tall buildings that you call a working place?
Better check yourself, fast, before what comes to light makes you look a total ass,
Think before you judge, there’s more than meets the eye,
That so-called fool that’s wasting their life could very well be serious hustlers in disguise.