Woke up this morning
Wondering if I'll make it through
Will I be able to . . . . . go on like this . . . . what is this strange mood?
What are you trying to make through right now? People are slowly starting to return to work in Aotearoa New Zealand after a short holiday break but, did you get enough of a break? The weather hasn't been particularly crash hot this summer, but here's hoping that it means that the hot weather gets extended well into Easter. Have you been in a strange mood lately? The constant battles that one faces differ from time to time. Do you know if you are able to recognise how to respond to those strange moods?
I'm the one who said it's gonna be alright
But the world has dealt us things we never imagined
But I heard a voice say
"The battle is not yours"
Four simple words. "The battle is not yours". When you have consistently been taught to stand up and fight for so long, I mean, that's what oppressed people do, right? We find ourselves fighting every battle known to man. What if you don't need to fight? What if you just need to step back and take a good long look at what you are actually facing. What are you looking at here? How can you respond to things you never saw coming? How can you deal with things that you never even imagined? When people expect easy, they don't want to put in the work. If that's the case, step back, step away, before you get stepped on.
Oh, if you dare,
You gotta walk away
And just leave it there
The battle is not yours
You gotta leave it there
How hard is it to walk away? I have been trying to write this blog post since last month. I'm not sure whether I gave up on trying to express myself or have just been too tired to try. The battle at the moment in Auckland, and for the rest of Aotearoa New Zealand at the moment is trying to survive the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. Watching the devastation of parts of the country being ravaged by wind and rain makes me think about when we need to fight battles together, and when we need to fight them alone.
This is the part where I'm supposed to
Make up something for you to say or for you to do
Have you been tested, tried and tricked
If this is your story, you can throw it in the mist
We cannot put words into people's mouths as much as we can release the ones from our own. How often do you let your mouth run away from you? When people wait on you to fix everything, is it a wonder that you arrive at a sense of loss? A place where you feel like you are constantly having to perform, constantly having to do right by others at a personal detriment to yourself, at your own personal cost? What has tested your resolve? Who has tried you? Where have you been tricked? Being able to reflect on how you have been treated should not surpass how you treat yourself. How will you tell your story?
But ooh trust what I've heard, the battle is not yours to bear
It's already paid for
The sacrifice was made
So you and I can just leave it there
What have you paid for? What have I paid for? What sacrifices have we made? I have had a fascination with the concept of altruism for quite some time. I realise now that it's probably something that has been part of my psyche but did not fully see it in its entirety until I was able to step back and see exactly what the point of life was. The sacrifices we make for each other. The sacrifices that we make for family and friends. Sometimes in extreme conditions, we might make sacrifices to save complete strangers. I guess it comes down to what we are prepared to leave.
The battle is not yours, no
You gotta leave it there and walk away
Just leave it there
Don't take it back
It's not yours to carry on, ooh
What are you walking away from? Sometimes we need to walk away for a bit to calm down and let things settle. Sometimes we need to walk away to get some perspective and figure out whether we are satisfied with the progress we make in our lives. What will you not take back? If people insist on giving you things and areas of responsibility that is clearly theirs - then don't take it back. When we realise our own self-worth and what exactly we are prepared to accept, there is no reason why we need to carry any weight that is no longer yours to bear.
Just leave it there
You got to leave it there ohhh ahhh
Leave it there
You got to leave it ohhh
Oooohhh my brothers and sisters leave it there
And just walk away. . . . oooh ahhhh
The battle is not yours
You gotta leave it there . . . ooohhh ooohhh ooohhh
I hope that whatever you are facing in your life at this point in time, you know you are important. Know that even though things may seem difficult, problems may seem overwhelming, there is always a solution. Sometimes they may not be the solutions we would like, but often they are the solutions we need. Be prepared for your own battles that are uniquely. Suit up for occasions that only you can decipher and navigate. No matter you are lead, just remember that you have the power to decide to walk away and just leave it there. . .