Sitting in the audience
And watching life pass you by
Like a film on a screen
You're in scene after scene
Yet somehow, you're not the spotlight

Better at drifting than chasing
Tending to settle, not strive
Better at leaving than trying
Empty, yet unconcerned why

If you only take what you’re given,
You’ll have some smiles I’m sure,
But peace, pride and fulfillment
Won’t come if you don’t make them yours

Walking, drifting, watching, seeing
Are you living or only being?
Want, look, find, chase
Run from the audience and jump on stage

Maybe the one talked over and hushed
Grew up to be quiet, reserved
Trying to develop a voice of their own
But it was never heard

Maybe the one seeking attention
Spent their life being ignored
Experiences shape perceptions
And perceptions shape our world

But this is where we start, not end
After all, we're not cement
We change and bend and learn and grow
We can end above and start below
Beliefs can change and so can we
What we were, we don't have to be

Don't chase, value, love or need
Mass produced replacable things
We seek with hopes they'll make us whole
They'll fill your house but not your soul

Don't skip the ocean to buy souvenirs
Or that's all you'll have in 20 years
Memories, people, experiences, time
You can buy more decor but clocks can't rewind

Some like to live by following lists
To decide what's good enough,
Trusting the rules, the "shoulds" and ideals,
Not heart, intuition or gut.

Rulebooks and list have a time and place,
A purpose, a reason, a use,
But if unhappy we aren't let down
We just list another excuse.

"He's so nice, I must be wrong,
This job should be my dream."
Following lists can lead to smiles  
But they won't make you beam.

To find your own fulfillment,
Don't follow a recipe,
Or assume it is one size fits all,
Don't take your happiness lightly.

So yes, you can follow a guide
Of where you think you should go,
You can settle for things that make you content
Or wait for what makes you glow.

You'd melt me to a puddle,
And stomp through me in boots,
Then politely clean me up,
No wonder I was confused.

A small collection of water,
Weak and backless with no voice,
Stomped through, walked on,
I forgot I had a choice.

Once a passive puddle,
But now I am the rain,
Do you know what rain erases?
The flame.

No more power over me,
I'll choose when I fall,
And by fall I mean pour,
And by pour I mean stand tall.

I don't value I treasure.
I either tiptoe or run.
No need for me to measure,
My thoughts aren't feathers, they're tons.

My worries, they aren't waves,
They're frightening hurricanes,
I don't hurt for hours,
I always hurt for days.

I do not try to bandage,
I only aim to heal.
I don't admire lightly,
I see endless appeal.

Moderation's not my friend,
Maybe I'm all or none,
But at least there is no question,
I don't like, I love.

It's hard to be a small fish in a big sea,
And even harder when it storms.
One day all is going well,
Then you're thrown into coral thorns.

Choppy water, powerful waves,
Swirling currents,
Can't catch a break.

When you feel an inch tall
In a world so large,
Don't sit back and watch,
It's time to take charge.

We can't change the world
And we can't stop the storms
But we control ourselves
Even when the wind whirls.

Find your protection,
Find your strength,
Find your safety,
And find your own peace.

When you armor yourself
And don't depend on the world,
No matter the chaos,
Peace can always be yours.