Measure Twice, Cut Once

I come with empty hands and a notebook worn thin No crown on the table, no claim to win I listen before speaking, I measure before I leap A lesson can hide where the loud ones sleep

A stitch in time saves nine, so mend what you can A little steady labor makes a stronger plan Measure twice, cut once, let the careful hand guide A rushed decision leaves a long repair inside Where there's smoke there may be fire, but check before fear A rumor grows legs when nobody gets clear Don't count your chickens before they hatch in the straw Hope is not proof, and desire is not law

Honesty is best, though the truth needs a hand A fact without compassion can cut where you stand Silence is golden, yet silence can be cruel Use quiet for listening, not as a weapon or rule The squeaky wheel gets grease, but noise is not need The quiet one may carry the heaviest deed Words once spoken cannot be taken back from the air Think before you cast them like stones at despair

Every cloud has a silver lining, but rain is still rain Don't paint over sorrow with a borrowed refrain Make lemonade from lemons, but first name the sour You cannot skip grief and pretend it gives power When life gives you stones, build steps with the weight But leave room for mourning, don't decorate fate The darkest hour is just before dawn, they say Carry a small lamp, don't just promise the day

Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, but look at the ground Some never got the boots, and the ladder wasn't found Diamonds are made under pressure, but pressure can crush Give people room to breathe, give gentleness a push What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, maybe, maybe not Some wounds need care; survival is not the whole plot Adversity builds character when support is near Without a hand to hold, adversity is fear

Time is money, but money cannot purchase a year Don't save every coin while your living disappears You cannot pour from an empty cup, fill what you can Rest is part of service, not a failure of plan A rising tide lifts all boats when the harbor is kind No one should have to drown so another can climb Walk a mile in their shoes before you declare The road may have cut them in ways you cannot bear

Don't burn your bridges, you may need that crossing again Leave room for return, leave a door for a friend Don't let perfect be the enemy of good Make the helpful choice when the perfect one never could The more you know, the more you see what you don't A wise person leaves room for the answer they won't The river keeps moving, the currents rearrange A rigid mind will break on the waters of change

I brought no crown, just a pocket of lines Some old, some broken, some sharpened by time If one helps you stand, let it stand on its own If one causes harm, let it be overthrown Wisdom is not owning the answer you quote It's knowing when to listen, when to change, when to let go I leave with empty hands and a notebook worn thin Still learning the road, still beginning again