History is like a mirror;
the closer you look,
the more you'll see things
that you don't want to see.
The more distorted the picture becomes.
But, if it's your history you're looking at,
the distortion offers a rare chance.
A chance to change the way
you look at your past.

The willow stood tall
Then it watched us from above
And started weeping

The wind howls louder
than a wolf to the moon.
But don't worry.
Spring is coming soon
and will stay until June.

Today, the world was cold.
It's people mostly cruel.
So it's time to say goodbye. Good night.
May tonight be the night
The world begins again.

I don't know what will happen
In the world of tomorrow.
So today, I'll do my best
With the time I've borrowed

I saw the world the way I saw myself:
a reflection. A reflection of how I thought people looked at the world; me.
I thought everyone else knew better than me. So, they had to be right.
But I realized that's not healthy.
Because they are not you.
Even if you tell them,
they will never understand
what you are going through.
Because they are not you.
Your decisions, your life,
are yours and yours alone.
But make no mistake.
If you ever want help, please,
don't be afraid to pick up the phone.

They say things change.
And that's absolutely true.
Money. Entertainment.
Clothes and shoes.
But the thing is, none of that matters
Unless people change.
The same people are still screamin,
Still fighting for the same reasons.
We've built a world where words
Have as much power as angels
And demons.
I'll be the first to admit. I have no idea where to start.
But we need to change now
Before we drift even further apart.

"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."

Days used to start with a coffee
and end with whiskey.
Those were the days I thought
"if I left, would anyone miss me?"
I don't look fondly on those memories,
but those were the days that taught me about empathy. What I've learned
is that there are 2 types of days.
There's the days ahead and the days behind. You can be afraid of the past,
or you can use it to change the future.

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.

I don't know what I'm doing. But that's okay. I have time to think about what I want to say. And so do you. Time is like death. It's not really an enemy or a friend. It's just always been there. No real beginning or end.
We're so worried about the things we can't control, let's focus on the things we can. Take the time to focus on what makes you happy and you will be a better man

Time heals.
Time bends.
Time gives us chances
to make amends.
Time gives.
Time takes.
In time, we learn from our mistakes.
For a time you'll live.
In time, you'll die.
So make the most of your time.
Don't be afraid to reach for the sky.

I take a look around this store
and can't help thinking...there's got to be something more.
Something better just waiting on the other side of the door.
I've made lots of memories through the years.
I even made some friends who taught me how to face my fears.
I may not know what lies ahead
but I'm leaving here with nothing left unsaid.
Now it's time to grow up. Time to move on.
Time to learn about the world and see a new dawn.
I feel so alive now that I'm finally free.
The only one who's going to stop me is me.
One thing I learned I want you to understand,
don't be afraid to fall. Someone will help you stand.

It's been said that the eyes
are windows to the soul.
If you believe this is true, remember:
windows can be tinted.

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.

"If you'd be with me,
I'd give you the world."
"I don't want the world."
"Why not?"
The world today
Is different than it was yesterday.
It's different from the world
We'll live in tomorrow.
I might not want the world tomorrow."
"So what do you want?"
"To be happy."

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.

Just because the world changes
Every day, hour, minute, and second,
Doesn't mean you have to.
But, then again,
Maybe that's exactly why you should.

today's the day I'll say good morning
Instead of goodbye.
Today's the day I'll laugh
Instead of cry.
But of all the things
I hope today will be,
I hope today's the day I'll be okay

If you feel like
you've been going through hell,
if you feel you've thrown
all your coins
into the bottom of the wishing well,
if you feel like
you want to scream and yell,
I want you to know
it's okay to let yourself break.
Because there's only so much
people can take.
And when you make a mistake,
just know it will be okay.
Because tomorrow's another day.

Tonight, I write this poem for you.
You, who pushes through the day with a smile even when you don't want to.
Tonight, I write this poem for you.
Lover, fighter, don't be afraid to let your fire burn brighter.
Tonight, I write for you a poem of hope.
You, the one who fears you've reached the end of your rope.
Tonight, I write this poem for you.
You, my new friend. If you need someone to talk to, I'm just around the river bend.

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.

I didn't change for me.
I didn't change for you.
I changed because I had to.
But the one thing I could never change
Is who I am inside.
Because who I am is too important
to leave behind

If you've ever wondered
what it'd be like
to be touched by an angel,
you need only touch yourself

"You don't have to go home,
but you can't stay here."
"I don't have anywhere to go. At least not anywhere I feel safe. Why can't I stay with you?"
"Because it's not safe here either. Besides, this place isn't big enough for two."
"You're my brain. You're supposed to protect me from things that go "boo." Please, don't shut me out. I can't lose you too."
"You'll never lose me. But I can't protect you if you stay. The longer you do, the harder it will be to keep your demons at bay."
"So, what? Is this goodbye? Are you saying I can't talk to you anymore?"
"This is called tough love. And you can still talk to me. You just won't need to as much as before."

If you want to take my hand, just cross the line you drew there in the sand
If you open up your heart I'm sure you'll find
Love doesn't have to be so blind.
If you're afraid, it's okay to let it show.
Fear is how we learn to grow.
So if it's me you want to stand beside, just close your eyes and free your mind.
Do you want to be my friend
Or do you want to be my lover
Do you want to see a movie or meet me under the covers
When you figure out what you want just let me know.
But whatever you decide, let your true colors show.

Before you even try to trust someone else, make sure you can trust yourself first.

"the" truth...is not "the" truth.
It's your truth.
Some people will subscribe to your truth.
Others will shun it.
But it's yours.
And no one can take that from you.
So own it.

I'm trying to find a girl. She hides behind tears that no one sees her cry. I think she's trapped under a mountain of insecurities and lies people have told her. If you find her, can you tell her she's loved. Wanted. Can you help her understand she's not a burden if she wants to talk to someone?

I won't say I have the answers
or that I'm the answer to your prayers.
I can't tell you what it's like in heaven
or that I can take you there.
But I can tell you that I'll listen.
And I'll show you that I care
by telling you the things
you've never had a chance to hear.
I won't promise sunshine and rainbows
or that I can make it all okay.
What I promise is I'll try to help you believe
that there's always a reason to stay.

Just because you don't have someone
By your side doesn't mean
you're alone.
Close your eyes.
Turn around.
When you open your eyes,
Tears might fall when you see
All the people who have watched you grow.

Time will come
Time will go
There will be a time
You won't know which way to go.
You'll wonder if there's a way up
You'll wonder if there's a way out
At times, you'll be overwhelmed
And find your head filled with doubts.
"Am I enough?"
"Do I look good?"
"Am I worthy of love?"
"Am I misunderstood?"
But if there's one thing
We have in common,
It's that we all have time.
So, don't worry. Take your time,
and it will all turn out fine

I know it's been a long time coming.
But these days, it doesn't seem
like anyone's home emotionally.
Like we all took a midnight drive
to clear our head.
But by the time we were ready to come back, we got lost
because the street lights were dead.
This is a call to all our loved ones waiting anxiously by the door:
Turn the lights on.
We don't want to be alone anymore.

Some people can't understand.
Some people don't understand yet.
And some people refuse to understand.
But just like it's not your job
to prove people wrong,
the burden doesn't fall on you
to make them understand.
Focus on the people who do support you
and understand.
Because you should never have to defend
how you live your life.

"You don't understand"
"No, YOU don't understand!"
The truth is, none of us
can ever truly understand.
Because despite our need to be social,
to connect with each other,
our experiences, our feelings,
are ours alone. But that doesn't make connections we have with others any less meaningful. One more thing.
For what it's worth,
your feelings, your experiences, are valid.

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

"Don't run with scissors."
"You have to walk
before you can run."
So many things to teach us.
So little time.
I'm not a parent.
But if there's one thing I would say,
It's that "it's OK to fall."
Because, if nothing else,
Life is repetitive.
First, you learn to crawl.
Then, you stand.
Then, you fall.
You stand again.
Then you walk, and finally, you run.
And just when you think
all is going well,
Life knocks you down
And you find yourself
back at square one.
Falling will always be painful.
But if you can remind yourself
"It's OK if I fall,"
it'll be that much easier
To get back up and over the next wall.

The world is 8 billion strong.
That number growing every day.
So please believe and understand what I mean when I say that some people
will always have it better,
and some will always have it worse.
That doesn't make your struggles any less valid.
You don't have to feel guilty for being human.

Money. Cars. Jewelry. Life.
What do these things have in common?
Value.
We value money because of the things we can do with it.
We value the comfort and convenience of cars.
But they're not part of who we are.
We say jewelry is valuable because of the time that is taken. The care.
We value the looks people give when they gawk and stare.
We value life because we are alive.
Without life, we wouldn't be able to enjoy spending money, wear jewelry, or know how free you can feel when you drive.
But there's one thing missing from the list.
One thing we always seem to forget.
Ourselves.

I never thought I'd see the day
that I didn't think the pain
would be the death of me.
The pain of a life lived in Voluntary solitary.
I never realized I made myself a prison
when I put my walls up so I didn't have to listen to what they had to say.
Then, one day, I decided to listen to someone new, and their voices finally started to drift away.
But it wasn't the voice of God, or an angel.
It was someone who wanted to be a friend. And that's all I needed to be free in the end.
The message I hope you take from this tale
of woe is that not everyone's out to get you. And some people can even help you grow.

Why am I still standing here
When there is nothing to stand for?
Because I hope someday there will be.

Whether you Wake up to
silence or a rooster call,
darkness or light,
love or a fight,
You still woke up.
Day or night, even if your hope is gone,
You woke up. So keep moving on.
Because however it happened,
You woke up.
And that's another chance to change things. Another chance to live.

I found myself in the darkness,
Then took a chance
And found you in the light.
Even though we're as different
As day and night,
With your hand in mine,
I know we'll be fine
As we walk the line

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.

We live in war
But die in peace.
Doesn't matter if your face
Is full of wrinkles
Or caked in grease.
We live in war with ourselves
With emotions
And strangers
With finding hope
When every corner you turn
You only find a new danger.
But death is proof that war can end
So don't give up.
Stay strong, and know that you won't break if you bend.

When we're kids,
we see dinosaurs and dragons that make our imagination soar.
When we're teens,
we look at our peers differently than before.
And, as an adult, I find it harder to embrace any changes at all anymore.
I don't like the world I see. So tell me, what should I do?
First, know you're not alone.
Then take my hand, and together, we'll make it through.

We're afraid to live.
We're afraid to die.
We're afraid to try.
We're afraid of what happens if we don't try.
We're afraid to love.
We're afraid to commit.
We're afraid people think we're full of ****.
We're afraid of the truth.
We're afraid to lie.
We're afraid people will think we're weak if they see us cry.
We're afraid to feel.
We're afraid of fear.
But knowledge is power.
So now that you know what you fear,
what are you going to do about it right now? Right here?

You can call me names and make me fall.
But you don't know what I can do when my back's against the wall.
You can mock me and tell me I look like a freak.
But it's okay because these things don't make me weak.
We're all different. So why are we so afraid of how people walk, talk or think?
We're all different. So let's embrace it and have a drink.

What does it mean to take a chance?
What does it mean to make a change?
What does it mean to be strange,
and why is it so scary?
"Where should I go? What should I do?"
"How should I know? I'm not you."
So many questions. So little time.
I guess the good thing is,
you get to decide the answers

Life's not gonna wait for you.
So tell me, what are you waiting for?
If you want to chase your dreams,
Pick yourself up off the floor.
The frustration and fear bringing tears to your eyes
Will give you the strength to get what you want.
Just keep your eyes on the prize.
We've all got things we want to do
But let our heads fill with doubt
The trick is to listen to your heart and drown all the other voices out.
What you do with your time is something only you can choose.
But even if you fall, tell me what you have to lose.