Sometimes, chasing what I cannot have leads me to disappointment and a broken heart.

Life has taught me that lesson in more ways than one. I have known disappointment, hurt, silence and the feeling of hoping for something that never arrived. Eventually, I learned that I could not keep placing my happiness in the hands of things—or people—I could not control.

These days, I try to concentrate on what belongs to me.

I can do the work. I can write the words, create the music, take the photographs and tell the stories. I can prepare carefully and give each creation the best beginning I can. What happens after that is no longer entirely mine to decide.

My first song will begin streaming soon. Some people might expect me to be overflowing with excitement, but I approach it much like I approach money and everyday life. It is something I worked for, something I prepared, and something I will deal with as it comes.

If people listen, that is a bonus.

If they leave kind comments, that is a bonus.

If the music reaches someone who understands the story behind it, that is a beautiful bonus.

But I do not want to chase numbers, attention or promises. I have learned how easily chasing what remains out of reach can disturb my peace.

This does not mean I have stopped hoping or dreaming. It simply means I am learning to create without demanding that the world reward me for it. The value of what I make does not disappear because it receives little attention.

I have learned a great deal in life, much of it through disappointment and hurt. Now those experiences are finding their way into my website, my writing, my photographs and my songs.

The quiet parts of my life are finally speaking.

I will keep creating, keep working and keep living the ordinary life in front of me. Whatever finds its way back—listeners, encouragement, opportunities or unexpected happiness—I will receive with gratitude.

Anything extra is a bonus.

Daisy Jericho