Nobody can
do your push-ups.

Nobody can
do your deadlifts,
your planks,
your mountain climbers.

Nobody can
heal your wounds,
build your future,
re-evaluate your past,
or right your wrongs.

Nobody can
make your decisions,
face your fears,
chase your dreams,
or take your steps for you. 

A partner may help.
A sibling may encourage.
A parent may carry you
for a little while.

They can cheer.
They can guide.
They can support.
They can listen.

But they still have
their own race to run,
their own weights to lift,
their own mountains to climb.

Because nobody is you.

Those reps,
those quiet moments
when no one is watching,
belong to you.

So do the choices
no one applauds,
the habits
no one notices.

For that is where strength is built.

One push-up.
One choice.
One day.
At a time.

You have to 
do your own push-ups.

Because no one else can build your strength.

Mariam Shittu

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A LITTLE NOTE BEHIND THE POEM: I thought it would be fun to use push-ups and other workout exercises as a metaphor for this poem. I started doing push-ups in April, and before then, I genuinely thought I couldn’t lift my body up because I had always done push-ups with my knees on the floor. I began with 5 push-ups a day, and now I’m doing 30 a day. Along the way, I’ve also learned to adjust my form, build my strength, and improve my endurance. The process has been surprisingly uplifting. It reminded me that growth often happens through small, consistent efforts, even when we don’t see the results immediately. And while this poem uses exercise as the example, the lesson applies to so many areas of life. Sometimes, you just have to start with what you can do, keep showing up, and trust that strength is built along the way.

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