As sure as rain in the spring
or heat in the summer,
this year is looking promising
to be another ******.
But as sure as the cold in the winter and fall,
My friends will be there
To help me through it all.

When I was a kid,
I thought I could be superman.
But now that I'm older,
I don't think anyone can.  
So, if no one can be a superman,
the next best thing I can be
is a good man.

A day of fun and sun
In a world of doom and gloom
Is a nice change of pace.
Happy Easter 2021 everyone!

I'm not as concerned with what
I leave behind
As much as I am about
who I leave behind.
Because when I die,
it'll be like I'm blind.
And as much as people
can be black holes,
People can also be
the sun, moon, and stars;
Ready to help you wherever you are.
So that's why I want to live.
Not just for me;
but to stand beside someone
Who stands by me.

I've seen it all before
And I'm sure I'll see it again.
But I don't know if I'll ever meet
Someone as special as you, friend.

Livin like a wannabe.
Not that you want to be.
Always looking for that one opportunity.
But you'll never find it
cause you can't see:
if you work for someone else
you'll never be free.
Free to speak your mind.
Raise your voice.
Free to love.
Make a choice.
There's a whole world.
Make it yours.
See what's on the other side
of the door.

Pain has always been there
To help remind us that we're alive.
But not all pain hurts the same.
A broken heart starts with a shock.
A bullet, a hole of fire.
A stab or slice, a sting.
A punch or kick, an ache.
But the worst pain isn't physical.
It's psychological.
Over time, you may forget the pain
Of being shot, stabbed, or punched.
But you'll never forget the words
That were said or the fear you felt.
The point is,
There are different types of pain.
But none of them hurt
or heal the same.

If we experience death
While we're alive,
Could we experience life
When we're dead?

As you wander down this road
That we call life,
Nothing will come easy
Except the bad times

The seconds, minutes, hours pass by.
And yet, after all this time,
I can't help but sit back and wonder...
"Why?"

On the surface, love and hate
May seem black and white.
But that's not quite right.
They're feelings.
And feelings can change.
They're also like humans.
On the surface, people may seem
Scary or really nice.
But give them time,
And they may make you think twice.
First impressions are important.
But take them with a grain of salt.
And if you get fooled,
Just know it's not your fault.

The air is cold.
But I don't notice.
Because as I walk across the frozen lake,
I know I can't afford
to make a mistake.
The longer I look
At the fish that swim below,
A feeling grows inside me.
It's not fear.
But fascination.
We always say we wish
Time would slow.
And walking on water
Makes me realize it does.
We just don't notice.

For some, the world is black, white, and gray.
For some, the world may be gay.
For some, it can be hard
To find a reason to stay.
For some, the world is big.
For others, it's small.
For some, the world has
a billion people.
And for others,
there aren't many people at all.
For some, faith and love for God
Can get them through the darkest days
Some have other ways to cope.
Whatever world you live in,
It's one and the same.
Your world, my world, the world,
They all exist on the same planet
With the same name:
Earth

You never knew how I felt
Cause I didn't want you to know
But now you're ready to leave
and I don't want you to go.
You taught me to laugh
When I wanted to cry.
You're not just my love;
You're my sun, stars and sky.
How can I tell you how I really feel
When every time I'm with you
Nothing ever seems real

You don't have to be alone
To feel alone.
I still struggle with that
Despite how much I've grown.
I still have my friends,
My family, my fans.
But when I look down, all I see
are my empty hands.

You wore your heart on your sleeve
Until you couldn't take the pain anymore.
Then one day, it shattered on the floor.
You could pick it up
And put it back together.
But you can't help but wonder...
"What for?"
Your frustration eventually brings
Tears to your eyes as you realize
That all you want is to feel okay again.
But you're worried if you do,
You could let your guard down
And your heart could break again.
Here's the thing: it doesn't matter
How high or thick your walls are.
You will get hurt one way or another.
So why not let yourself be happy
For awhile.
Go ahead. Have some fun.
Because as far as we know,
You only get one.

When I left home,
I was broken and bruised.
Daddy took it out on me
When he fell victim to the *****.
I thought when I graduated,
I'd finally get to choose.
Find a world where the bars
played rock instead of the blues.
The day everything changed,
There was a fork in the road.
There was a wise old man,
And this is what I was told.
"If you go to the left, you'll stay in hell.
But you'll get your revenge
when he dies in a cell.
But if you don't want revenge,
go to the right.
You'll travel the world,
you'll make a difference.
But it will be hard to sleep at night."
I didn't even think. I ran to the right.
He told me it would never be the same
If I ever had to come back.
But I was okay with that.
I had everything I needed in my sack.
Five years later,
I woke up alone in bed.
A purple heart hung above my head.
Even though I am where I am today,
I don't regret it.
Because when I go to my grave,
When someone is asked to describe me,
They'll say "he was brave."

I don't know where I began.
I don't know where I'll end.
But I don't need to.
I know where I am right now.
I'm with friends. I'm with you.
And to me, that's a pretty
great place to be.

It's not about the bad times.
It's not about the good times.
It's about all the times.
The heartache and the pain.
The kisses in the rain.
There's so much for you to gain
If you don't worry
About your heart getting stained

If you want the world
to know who you are,
YOU have to know who you are first.
What you stand for.
What you want to say.
Because one day, they may listen.
But you never know how long they'll stay.

I didn't know I was lost until I met you
I'm still lost.
But before, I was lost in the world;
A sea of blue.
Now I'm lost in something new.
Something true.

Waking up next to you
Would be a dream come true.
But I hope it doesn't.
Because dreams don't live in reality.

If a picture's worth a thousand words,
What's a life worth?
It's crazy to think that life can be lived
A million different ways when,
at most, we'll only see 36,500 days.
Especially these days, people worry
They don't have time to figure out
How to do, how to say something meaningful.
So think about it like this:
You may only have 36,500 days, 100 years. But it doesn't take days or years
To make a difference.
It only takes a minute.
And EVERY YEAR, you get 525,600 of them. 525,600 chances to change.

Are you afraid? You're not alone.
Are you hungry? Cold?
You're not alone.
Are you barely making it
between paydays?
I'm sure you can guess
where I'm going with this.
You may not want to
connect with anyone.
But just know:
You may have been alone before.
But things have changed;
Your boat's not empty anymore.

"I'm not going to win.
So why should I even try?"
That's what you've been telling yourself so when the bullies try to hurt you, you won't cry.
I've been down that road
a couple times.
Told myself a thousand lies.
Felt my soul die
a little more every time.
Then one day,
someone showed me the way.
When I looked to see
where I'd come from,
I saw a sign with instructions.
It said "this way to self destruction."

Hope is a horrible thing to be without.
Without it, you would surely drown in doubt.
A lot of people say they feel hopeless.
Here's the thing: the definition of hope
Is desire for or expectation
For something to happen.
Based on that definition, it's impossible to be without hope.
So, if hope never died, never left,
Where did it go?
What if your fear
that nothing would change
or get better overpowered your hope
That things would change
Or get better?
How do you get it back?
You tell fear you're not afraid anymore.
Then you show it the door.

Whether you're a victim
Of a firestorm, sandstorm, snowstorm,
Remember: hell hath no fury
Like mother nature scorned

So much time to win.
So much time to lose.
So much time to think.
So much time to choose.
So much time to love.
So much time to hate.
So much time to give.
So much time to take.
So much time to be afraid.
So much time to be brave.
So much time between
the cradle and the grave.
So much time to create.
So much time to destroy.
So much time to unapologetically
Be who you want to be.
Whether you're a girl or boy.

You may not light up the midnight sky
But to me, you're more precious than a star.
Because if you let me close enough
To touch you,
You won't burn my hands
or blind my eyes

Sitting on the couch
Outside the dressing room.
Baby, you walk in and make my heart go boom.
You ask me what I think, but you know what I’m bout to say.
No matter what you wear, you take my breath away.

Sometimes I feel blue.
Sometimes I see red.
Sometimes I smell orange
Or eat yellow bananas
when I get out of bed.
Sometimes I'm green with envy.
I'm sure there's indigo and violet
Somewhere in there too.
But just because the only color you see
Is the color of your skin,
It doesn't mean you don't have
A rainbow within you.

People are complicated.
Relationships are complicated.
Life is complicated.
They're complicated because you
Can't define them; they mean different things to different people.
But that's also what makes them so special

If you know you're wanted,
Please don't take that for granted.
Because someone you know
Doesn't know. Doesn't believe.
Has had peers tell them
They're a burden.
They hear it so much, they believe it.
If you're reading this,
And you're feeling this way,
Let me be the first to say...I want you.
I want you to live.
I want you to not be afraid to love.
I want you to find courage and pride.
I want you to rise above.
Because I've been there.
And you deserve to feel wanted.

Feeling numb from my head to my feet.
Like a musician who can't hear the beat.
But that's what happens
when you're making your name in the streets.
Can't trust anyone you meet.
So where do you start
when you can't trust anyone,
let alone your own heart?
You take your time.
Think everything through.
Because only you know
what's best for you

Tonight's story doesn't start
With once upon a time
Or take place in an enchanted land.
It doesn't have magic or dragons,
Kings or queens.
It doesn't even feature a grand adventure.
But it's still a great one all the same.
Because, you see, tonight's story is your story
Told by me.
You may not like your story
Because it's always been told
from your point of view.
But that's why I'm telling it.
So when you look in the mirror,
You see something new.

Being strong has nothing to do with strength.
It's about your ability to adapt to
And overcome obstacles.
If you look at it like that,
Anyone can be strong.
And with all the challenges
We face this year,
you'll have plenty of practice.

Time doesn't heal. You do.
Love doesn't conquer all.
But you can when you're ready.
And it's okay if you're not ready.
It takes time to be strong.
Don't be afraid to live young.
Because you won't be for long.

Everyone is someone
In some way, shape, or form.
And everyone has been through hell
Or survived a storm.
Some made it out better than others.
Some didn't make it out at all.
Some were thanked for their bravery
By immortalizing their names on walls
But even if their names
Aren't on display for the world to see,
Everyone has someone
live in their hearts.
Even you and me.

If something good happens,
Don't ask why or how.
Just enjoy it and accept it now.
Because you never know
When something bad will happen.
And when it does,
Don't ask why or how.
You can do that later.
Now is the time to deal with it
And heal from it.

Can you live without hope?
Can you live without friends?
Can you live without love?
Can you live alone
until the bitter end?
And if you can,
can you say you were happy?
That your life felt whole?
When it's all said and done,
Do you really believe
You were better off alone?
I'm not judging.
I'm just trying to understand.
How can you be truly happy
Without wanting to embrace someone
Or at least hold their hand?

Pro isn't just short for professional.
Each letter represents a skill needed
To be considered a professional.
P is for persistence.
For every one time someone says yes,
Many no's will come before.
Especially early in your career.
But if you have the patience,
The passion,
the heart to follow through,
You can make your dreams come true.
R is for respect.
If you don't respect people
And their criticisms,
Nothing will happen.
If your coworker or investor doesn't
Respect you, however,
Don't be afraid to walk away.
O is for out of the box thinking.
If you can't find a solution
for a problem in a creative way,
It will be much harder to stand out.
It's good to take risks as long as you
Understand the potential consequences and accept them.
Good luck in 2021

Tonight, I sit down to write
Just like many nights before.
This time, however, I saw something different on the other side of the door.
I saw hope.
I saw it when I saw the grass again.
I saw the sun melt the snow away.
And I knew that snow would turn
Back to water which would bring
The flowers back someday.

It's never too late to live.
It's never too late to love.
It's never too late to dream
No matter how impossible
Your dream may seem.
It's never too late to make new friends.
It's never too late to make amends.
It's never too late to forgive.
It's never too late to move on.
It's never too late to sing your song.
It's never too late
To stop smoking or drinking.
It's never too late to try new things.
It's never too late for you.
It's never too late for me.
It's never too late
To be who you want to be.
It's never too late to believe.

The future is ahead
and the past is behind.
It's important it stays that way
So our minds can stay organized.

The wind. The wolves.
The trees. The snow.
They all wait for night to fall
Across the land
so they can play their parts in their secret band.
If you're out in the country and listen carefully,
You can hear them play their songs in a concert they hold in the darkness before the dawn. Wait for the light of the moon to shine upon the ****** snow.
That's when you know
It's time for the show

Holidays are usually exciting.
But for people who are depressed,
Holidays can be exhausting. Excruciating.
They can be so stressed
Trying to wear a happy face,
They might have a hard time
Eating anything on their plate.
So, if you feel this way,
I have a challenge for you.
It's called operation happier holidays.
Instead of protecting them,
Tell your loved ones if you're not okay.
They may be upset, confused, or even angry at first.
But almost everyone secretly wishes
For their loved ones to be happy and healthy. So do it for them.
But do it for yourself too.
Because you deserve to be happy.

I try not to cry
As the snow falls from the sky.
Not because it's beautiful.
But because it means it's cold.
I hate the cold.

Three words can change your life:
"I need help."
Three words can make your day:
"I love you."
Three words can make a difference
In so many different ways.

Remember when we were kids,
you asked me
"boy, what you wanna do
with the rest of your life?"
I said "have a couple kids
with you as my wife."
Then you started laughing.
Said "that ain't never gonna happen." Ten years later,
now we both have rings.
Got the house and money
for baby things.
Getting ready to be parents
for the first time.
I say "I know right now,
things are going our way.
But baby, if I ever lose my way,
will you take me back
to my first broken heart.
Take me back to when I didn't know where to start.
Take me back to the country roads. Take me back to the town no one knows.
If I ever fall too far off track,
Baby, take me back.

With friends and family near,
Holiday cheer is here
Even though it's been a trying year.
And though we've shed some tears,
With more to come I'm sure,
Let's raise our wine, eggnog, or beer
In honor of us for making it
And in honor of those who aren't with us physically anymore.