‘Put in the Work’ reminds me to keep moving forward in life with narcolepsy
My original song describes how I've overcome adversity
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Some songs are written just to entertain. Others come from a place so honest that they feel like something the heart has been carrying for a long time. For me, “Put in the Work” is one of the latter.
I wrote and sang it from the reality of living with narcolepsy with cataplexy — a condition that can bring overwhelming daytime sleepiness and sudden weakness triggered by emotion. This song is about choosing to keep going, even when my body doesn’t always cooperate.
At its core, “Put in the Work” is about refusing to let pain go to waste. Scars, tears, fear, exhaustion, setbacks, and sleep attacks do not have to be the end of the story. They can become proof that I survived what was meant to stop me and kept moving anyway.
‘With every sunrise, I lace up my shoes, I’m building a future’
The sunrise represents more than the morning after a long night. It’s another chance to wake up and try again. With narcolepsy, being sleepy isn’t laziness; it’s part of a neurological disorder that affects the sleep-wake cycle. Still, every sunrise reminds me that I am here and have something to fight for. “Lace up my shoes” becomes a promise to face the day, even when tired.
The line “There’s nothing left to lose” carries determination and sadness. It sounds like the moment when fear has already taken so much that all I can do is move forward. Living with cataplexy means strong emotion can affect my muscles, but it does not take away my strength.
‘The road may be rocky, but I carry the road of every step’
The road represents life’s journey, and the rocks represent painful obstacles: diagnosis, misunderstanding, fatigue, fear, and the pressure to explain what others cannot see. When I say I carry the road, I mean those experiences stay with me. Every hard step has become part of who I am.
“A story untold (let it unfold)” gives me permission not to have everything figured out. The future can feel scary with a lifelong condition, but “let it unfold” shows trust. I am learning to believe that my story is not finished yet.
The cover art for columnist Rachel Nesmith’s song “Put in the Work.” (Courtesy of Rachel Nesmith)
“Every scar tells a story” uses simple but powerful symbolism. A scar points to pain, but also to healing. It shows that something hurt me, but it did not destroy me. Sometimes survival itself is worth honoring.
“Every tear’s a step near” turns emotion into progress. Each tear becomes another step toward healing, growth, and the person I am becoming. It reminds me that I can be tired and still be brave.
“Blood, sweat, and tears” stands for sacrifice and struggle. I follow it with “I’ll face my biggest fears,” connecting pain with courage. For me, that courage includes living openly with narcolepsy with cataplexy and still believing I have purpose.
‘I’m gonna put in the work, even when it hurts’
This is the message at the center of the song. The real test is not working hard when life feels easy. It is choosing to keep going when the work hurts, when exhaustion hits, when my body demands rest, and when I still have dreams worth reaching for.
“I’m digging down deep/ Where passion is rebirthed” sounds like searching beneath disappointment, doubt, and fatigue for something still alive inside. “Rebirthed” reminds me that I can lose my spark for a while and still find it again.
The final mountain imagery brings the journey together: “Though the nights are long/ And the weight of my dreams,/ I’ll climb every mountain/ No matter how steep.”
The “long nights” symbolize times when progress feels slow or invisible. “The weight of my dreams” makes those dreams feel real and heavy. Dreams can inspire us, but they can also come with pressure, sacrifice, and the fear of not being enough.
The mountain becomes a metaphor for adversity. I am not saying the climb will become easy. I am saying I will keep climbing anyway. To me, that is what it means to be Sleepy American: not someone without struggle, but someone who keeps rising, resting when needed, and showing up again.
Even the punctuation and line breaks reinforce that message. Short lines make important statements stand out, and pauses give the lyrics room to breathe, just like I’ve had to learn to give myself room to rest.
Ultimately, “Put in the Work” reminds me that I do not have to know how the story ends in order to keep going. I only have to believe there is still a reason to take the next step.
My scars are chapters.
My tears are steps.
My fears are mountains.
My dreams are worth carrying.
And the story is still unfolding. I simply have to keep putting in the work.
That is what this song means to me: not perfection, not certainty, but the courage to keep showing up with a tired heart and still believe that something beautiful can come from the work.
Note: Narcolepsy News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Narcolepsy News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to narcolepsy.
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