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I rise. . .

I was born strong, I was made for this
See, I met so many hard times
When I thought I couldn't make it
See, I had my trials when my pillows dried my eyes
Then the morning came and my wings took flight

What were you made to be strong for?  Everyone has different circumstances through which they learn about different lessons in life.  I am a huge believer in recurring cycles of patterns that exist because there are lessons that you must learn.  If they keep repeating themselves then you still have not learned the lesson that was intended for you. Have there been many situations where you thought that you wouldn't make it through?  When we start to lose a little faith in ourselves, we need to be able to release any residual doubts by letting them go.  Continuing to fixate on your negative patterns of behaviour do you no good.  You need to be able to rise above that in order to see your true path.

I rise, I rise
See, I'm hurting, but not broken
Down, but I won't die
I rise, I rise
Soon I will reach the sky
And still I rise

You cannot go through life unscathed.  I would like to think that I hurt in various parts of my life because I chose to throw myself wholeheartedly through all of that without fear.  Friends and family may have good intentions and try to tell you what to do in order to not be hurt.  But I think for the most part, that I am able to heal because I choose to work through my hurt and confront who I truly am in those vulnerable moments.  When I have been down during the most difficult parts of my life, it was definitely extremely hard to see myself out of those dark places.  It was in those moments that all I could do was look up and seek refuge.  Negative forces would be intent in claiming you and making sure you never get up.  Don't listen to those voices.  Remember moments in your life where you felt your best and you recognise your worth in the world.  Keep your eyes lifted to the sky.

Some say it's a mystery 
How I still believe
Then in spite of all I've been through
I can still push the will
See, I have the power they can't see with their eyes
It's a little thing called faith
That makes broken wings fly

Nobody ever truly knows your pain.  They might think they do, but they will never truly know.  I think sometimes people forget that pain is not a competition.  That you cannot compare your pain to someone else's, because in actual fact, everybody is built differently in how they can handle that pain.  This is why when someone reaches out to you to help you ease your pain, take them up on their offer.  But in the event that you choose to soldier on alone, that's ok too.  Take this time to learn more about yourself, reflect on how you have dealt with issues in the past.  Focus on your own goals, dreams and desires.  Follow through on all of those plans that you had but never truly brought to fruition.  We need to be able to master our own minds, because if you can't cheer yourself on and be your best cheerleader, how can we expect others to?



I rise, I rise
See, I'm hurting, but not broken
Down, but I won't die
I rise, I rise
Soon I will reach the sky
And still I rise

I replay all of the times I have been hurt in my life.  I do this so that I remember that I don't want to be in those spaces anymore, but also because I see what happens to me after the hurt has started to disappear.  I take note of what I did to make sure that I was able to heal.  How I was able to deal with any residual feelings that might threaten to pop up again.  I realise now that all of the times that I thought I was broken, I wasn't.  Nobody or nothing can ever truly break you.  Instead, you may be incapacitated for a little bit, as nature's way of forcing you to take a pit stop in order to settle that situation once and for all.

Who can understand 
When just an ordinary man
Defies the odds and still
Fight on to win
I can take it
I can make it

We can choose to be ordinary in our lives.  But I truly think that we can be extraordinary people living ordinary lives.  What we choose to do and how we show the world who we are is a testament to our strength of character and how we want to be able to support and link with others.  Today is Resurrection Sunday in New Zealand and if there is anything that Jesus has taught me, it is that through suffering and pain comes life and joy.  We only walk through dark shadows of valleys for a short time. In our time it may seem like forever, but we lack the patience to see the situation through.  Defy your own odds and fight to win.  Whoever or whatever is trying to keep you down, don't let them.


And still I rise, I rise
See, I'm hurting, but not broken
Down, but I won't die
I rise, I rise
Soon I will reach the sky
And still I rise

I hope that you resurrect yourself today.  Resuscitate your own passion for life again.  Start to dream of other goals and milestones that you never thought possible.  Resurrection is all about renewal and rebirth.  Bring your life back to the living and think about how you want to be able to proceed from now on.  Today I am wholly grateful for God's grace and Jesus' sacrifice.  I think about how utterly alone he must've felt when none of His disciples chose to stay up with him and he suffered through all the indignity that he was subjected to.  Learn from His life and place Him at the centre of yours.  It may take a while for you to see it, but you should keep telling yourself, each time you're down, this too shall pass, and soon enough I won't just be able to look up to the sky, but I rise. . . 

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