So you stood there on the corner
With your suitcase in your hand
Ready to quit this place
There were just too many people
With too little left to lose
You were just one more face
But you weren't born to give up easy
You weren't raised to just lie down
There comes a point in your life when you start packing things away, you start looking at things that you have collected on the way, people you have collected along the way in your life. You start to wonder if all of these things and people are worth holding onto. You start to take stock of your life and become instantaneously trapped in societal expectations for how life should've panned out for you by now. Are you unhappy in your life right now? Are you stuck in a job that you don't enjoy? Are you stuck in a relationship that you can't leave? Are you stuck trying to figure out who you are? I have had many conversations in recent months with loved ones and friends about their personal situations. Everyone is trying hard to push on and do the best that they can with what little they have.
And you saw the sun that rises up for more
Over and over
You watch the wave that wears away the shore
Over and over again
And if there's any justice in this world
Gotta keep fighting on
Over and over
The sun rises like clockwork. At the same time. The sun sets like clockwork. At the same time. Are we designed to be the same way? To rise and set at the same times each day? Depending on how chaotic your life is and the many responsibilities that you might have, you may never know what strikes at any given time. You might have to completely change and move things around when emergencies or accidents happen. We all fall into crisis mode and everything else falls by the wayside as we tend to what requires our full attention and focus. How consistent are you with being able to deal with events like that though?
They say God always forgives us
But can we forgive ourselves
If we let our hope die
Cause if passion is a weakness
And silence is a strength
Who's gonna hear the cry?
So we gotta climb the highest mountain
We gotta shout for all to hear
Do you find it hard to forgive yourself? You might hate yourself for how you handled things, how you confuse yourself with trying to come up with the perfect way of being when there's just no such damn thing. When your passion is a weakness, it is only seen that way because people use your passion against you. Why would your passion be a weakness? It's almost as if we should feel guilty for feeling happy about something, to feel joy when we are in our most creative state. We are content to let ourselves sit through situations that we did not create, but we have to help clean up. When has silence been a strength for you? I'm at a writing retreat at the moment and it has been interesting being among people that I don't know. I've spoken to a few people, but most of the time I keep to myself. A group of female Māori researchers turned up. They saw me and it was that recognition of seeing another brown woman. I didn't approach them and they didn't approach me. Normally I would talk and socialise but sometimes it's good to just be silent and be still.
All that we dream
All that we lost we'll find if we
Just strike the match
And fan the flame
We'll build a blaze
That lights the way
What dreams do you have left? What have you lost that you know you will find again? How many times have you lost hope and given up? If you are seen as a strong individual, you're not allowed to lose hope or give up. You've never failed at anything in your life. And if you have, you've bounced back, better than when you were knocked down. Your friends may even be the ones to strike the match to get you back on your way. They have unconventional methods perhaps, doing a pseudo-mini-intervention via text, but if that's what it takes to drive the message home, then why deny them?
We'll be the sun that rises up for more
Over and over and over and over
We'll be the wave that wears away the shore
Over and over again
And if there's any justice in this world
You gotta keep moving on
Over and over
Gotta keep fighting on
What justice are you hoping for in your world? When you feel like you are owed something because you have been hard done by. Will you fight for justice to be served? We should be demanding justice for not only ourselves but also for people who cannot demand justice for themselves. We need to be as resilient as the natural elements that we rely on to govern our lives like clockwork. Can you be the sun and rise again? Can you be the wave that keeps honing and refining and smoothing the shoreline?
We'll be the star that rises up
Over and over
Over and over and over and over
'Cause if there's any justice in this world
You gotta keep moving on
Over and over
You gotta keep moving on
You gotta keep moving on
Over and over
The thing about continually showing up is the act of showing up. We all know that practice makes perfect. I think about how many hours I spent as a teenager practising my piano pieces and not being allowed to do much else. I never thought as a child that playing the piano over and over would result in a career in music, teaching it and being able to shape what music exams looked like at secondary school level. If there's one thing I have learned about doing things over and over is the idea to keep on moving. I hope your star keeps rising and you let it shine as bright as you can, no matter how many people try to bring you down in the name of honesty. Choose to channel your best self and believe in yourself, no matter how hard the road may get. Pause to rest when you can, but remember to keep moving on, over and over. . .
With your suitcase in your hand
Ready to quit this place
There were just too many people
With too little left to lose
You were just one more face
But you weren't born to give up easy
You weren't raised to just lie down
There comes a point in your life when you start packing things away, you start looking at things that you have collected on the way, people you have collected along the way in your life. You start to wonder if all of these things and people are worth holding onto. You start to take stock of your life and become instantaneously trapped in societal expectations for how life should've panned out for you by now. Are you unhappy in your life right now? Are you stuck in a job that you don't enjoy? Are you stuck in a relationship that you can't leave? Are you stuck trying to figure out who you are? I have had many conversations in recent months with loved ones and friends about their personal situations. Everyone is trying hard to push on and do the best that they can with what little they have.
And you saw the sun that rises up for more
Over and over
You watch the wave that wears away the shore
Over and over again
And if there's any justice in this world
Gotta keep fighting on
Over and over
The sun rises like clockwork. At the same time. The sun sets like clockwork. At the same time. Are we designed to be the same way? To rise and set at the same times each day? Depending on how chaotic your life is and the many responsibilities that you might have, you may never know what strikes at any given time. You might have to completely change and move things around when emergencies or accidents happen. We all fall into crisis mode and everything else falls by the wayside as we tend to what requires our full attention and focus. How consistent are you with being able to deal with events like that though?
They say God always forgives us
But can we forgive ourselves
If we let our hope die
Cause if passion is a weakness
And silence is a strength
Who's gonna hear the cry?
So we gotta climb the highest mountain
We gotta shout for all to hear
Do you find it hard to forgive yourself? You might hate yourself for how you handled things, how you confuse yourself with trying to come up with the perfect way of being when there's just no such damn thing. When your passion is a weakness, it is only seen that way because people use your passion against you. Why would your passion be a weakness? It's almost as if we should feel guilty for feeling happy about something, to feel joy when we are in our most creative state. We are content to let ourselves sit through situations that we did not create, but we have to help clean up. When has silence been a strength for you? I'm at a writing retreat at the moment and it has been interesting being among people that I don't know. I've spoken to a few people, but most of the time I keep to myself. A group of female Māori researchers turned up. They saw me and it was that recognition of seeing another brown woman. I didn't approach them and they didn't approach me. Normally I would talk and socialise but sometimes it's good to just be silent and be still.
All that we dream
All that we lost we'll find if we
Just strike the match
And fan the flame
We'll build a blaze
That lights the way
What dreams do you have left? What have you lost that you know you will find again? How many times have you lost hope and given up? If you are seen as a strong individual, you're not allowed to lose hope or give up. You've never failed at anything in your life. And if you have, you've bounced back, better than when you were knocked down. Your friends may even be the ones to strike the match to get you back on your way. They have unconventional methods perhaps, doing a pseudo-mini-intervention via text, but if that's what it takes to drive the message home, then why deny them?
We'll be the sun that rises up for more
Over and over and over and over
We'll be the wave that wears away the shore
Over and over again
And if there's any justice in this world
You gotta keep moving on
Over and over
Gotta keep fighting on
What justice are you hoping for in your world? When you feel like you are owed something because you have been hard done by. Will you fight for justice to be served? We should be demanding justice for not only ourselves but also for people who cannot demand justice for themselves. We need to be as resilient as the natural elements that we rely on to govern our lives like clockwork. Can you be the sun and rise again? Can you be the wave that keeps honing and refining and smoothing the shoreline?
We'll be the star that rises up
Over and over
Over and over and over and over
'Cause if there's any justice in this world
You gotta keep moving on
Over and over
You gotta keep moving on
You gotta keep moving on
Over and over
The thing about continually showing up is the act of showing up. We all know that practice makes perfect. I think about how many hours I spent as a teenager practising my piano pieces and not being allowed to do much else. I never thought as a child that playing the piano over and over would result in a career in music, teaching it and being able to shape what music exams looked like at secondary school level. If there's one thing I have learned about doing things over and over is the idea to keep on moving. I hope your star keeps rising and you let it shine as bright as you can, no matter how many people try to bring you down in the name of honesty. Choose to channel your best self and believe in yourself, no matter how hard the road may get. Pause to rest when you can, but remember to keep moving on, over and over. . .