Things are bad.
They've always been bad.
And I'll tell you a secret...
Bad things will keep happening.
But life is too short
to treat it as a spectator sport.
So don't wait for the bad times to end
To start living again

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.

Stay alive. Stay in bed.
Stay with me. But stay out of my head.
When the day is long, stay strong.
And when everything's going wrong,
I'll pick up my guitar
And we'll sing our song.
If you're asked to stay away,
Please tell me we'll stay together.
Because when I'm with you, I feel better

Once again, everything has changed.
This time, it was for the worst.
But we'll be okay.
Because we've always thought it was more important
To help an injured runner than finishing first.
We do this because in the end,
It doesn't matter who finishes first or last.
As long as we stick together,
No matter what we face, we can kick its ***.

I'm here. You're here. It's a good day.
Nice idea, right?
But it doesn't always work that way.
Sometimes, the skies are gray.
And you don't have the energy
To find words to say.
Some days, people go away
And you can't help but feel betrayed.
But you know what?
We're still here. We still remember.
So it's still a good day.

With the future ahead and the past behind,
It's safe to say I've got a lot on my mind.
All the things I've said and the things I'll do
Swirl around my brain like a twister passing through

It may seem silly to believe
you can do anything
when someone's always been there
to tell you you can't.
It may seem foolish to believe in yourself
when it doesn't seem like anyone
believes in you.
It may seem cruel to let yourself believe
you can escape
or be more than your insecurities or mistakes. That you are more.
And, while it may seem impossible to save yourself,
while it may seem like it's too late,
stranger things have happened

This is not the end.
It's not the beginning.
It's not even the beginning of the end.
Sorry to say,
but you're stuck in the middle.
But the middle's not a bad place to be.
You learn what you didn't know
In the beginning, and you find the skills you need to get to the end.
It's where you learn
From your mistakes
And meet your friends.
The ones who make everything worth it. So don't feel stuck.
And don't be so anxious to get to the end. You never know. It might ****.

Physical death is permanent.
But emotional death,
(numbness, "feeling dead inside)
Is a starfish.
It can grow back
through a process called support

Lonely days turn into Lonely nights.
The Lonely heart: the casualty
of one too many fights.
About commitment, parenting.
Money. Responsibility.
But not all hope is lost, Lonely heart!
You've fought before. You've lost before.
And as long as you keep fighting,
someday you will see Sweet victory.

The crack of the neck
the pop of the knee.
These sounds are parts of the symphony of me.

Take your time.
Take someone's hand.
Take control.
Take a stand.
Take a bow.
Take a breath.
Then, when you're ready, take that first step.

Another new year
Another new chance to start clean
Another day
Another new chance to say
Gonna stand up for myself and my community
Wake up this doesn't have to be world war 3
Not gonna tell you what you want
Im gonna tell you what you need to hear
So listen up, I'm gonna say it loud and clear
In a world where people profit from exploiting what we fear,
We need to find the courage to say "no more. The buck stops here."
Do not pass go
Do not collect 200 dollars.
It's time to pay for your abuse of power
And I'm not even talking about trump
The whole system's wack
Time for us to take a breath,  take a step back

You will forget.
If you don't already, you will have regrets.
You will struggle. You will fall.
But you'll still keep going in spite of it all.
You will get angry. You may not understand. But that doesn't make you a failure,
or any less of a woman or man.
I know I'm not telling you anything new.
I just hope you take it easy on yourself
for going through things
everyone goes through.

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.

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.

If you want to change something
Don't be afraid to take your time
Because tomorrow's another day.

You be my Bonnie, I'll be your Clyde.
Together, we'll take this life for one hell of a ride.
You be my Thelma, I'll be your Louise.
We'll get in the car and do whatever we **** well please.
Life on the run with the one you love may sound fun.
But no matter how far or how fast you go,
eventually you will always fly too close to the sun.
It may seem natural to flee
but it doesn't matter if you run from pain or fear.
Your mind is like an elephant.
It never forgets so your problems will always reappear.
What you choose to do is up to you.
But take it from me.
Talking about your pain will set you free

Don't be afraid
to tell me I'm wrong
Because I won't learn anything
if you tell me I'm right.
Don't be afraid
to tell me the truth.
I promise it will
never start a fight.

Even when you're going through hell,
Even when you think you've found
The bottom of the well,
You still have a story to tell.
And in a world of 7 billion people,
Someone's bound to listen
Whether or not you're under a steeple.
And while you're at it,
That's the best time
to chase your dreams.
Because you don't have much to lose
When you feel you lost yourself years ago.

I'm standing here alone tonight
As I watch these cars pass like my life.
They're moving on but I'm still here
Staring at the bottom of another empty beer
I don't want to give in.
I don't want to give up.
But wanting something just isn't enough.
You say you'll help
So I'm ready to fight.
Maybe now my darkness can be beat by your light.
I want to thank you my friend
For teaching me that it's okay to be me
I want to thank you my friend for not giving up when I had so little hope.
You've done more for me than you'll ever know
So I wrote this so I can finally show how much it means that you're in my life.
I was in a deep dark place with no way out
Then you came running when you heard me shout.
Now I'm ready to live all of the days ahead.
That's why I want to thank you for being my friend.

It's not about me. It's not about you.
It's about what we do.
What we do with the time we have left
With the people we meet.
With the challenges we face.
With the rumors we hear.
When we come face to face
With our fears.
With the love we have.
With the love we lose.
What we do when we have to choose.
What we do when we realize
We have responsibilities.
That's what life's all about to me.

I may have achey feet from working
all the live long day.
But I'm grateful for them.
They take my mind off my aching heart. Caused by the curse of adulting and time keeping us apart.

There's no denying the darkness
can be harmful.
People can hide. You're all alone.
It can feel impossible to find a way out.
But there's also no denying the darkness
has its charm. You can hide. You can be alone. You finally have a place to scream, shout, and let it all out. Whatever your situation, you can break through. Start by finding the courage to talk to someone. Then, keep following through. It will be hard, but for what it's worth, I'll be cheering you on

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

The day you passed away,
I couldn't see the sky.
Too many tears fell from my eyes.
But they weren't tears of grief.
They were tears of relief.
Because even though
I'd never be able to hug you
As you walked through the door,
I knew you weren't in pain anymore.

She may have drops of Jupiter in her hair,
But it's her eyes as bright as the moon that made me stop and stare. The night I met her, she was on the beach looking at stars.
When I walked up to her, she smiled and said look! there's mars.
That night, we talked about everything under the sky.
She told me "that's where I hope I live when I die."
That moment, I knew I had to make her mine.
I would do whatever it took.
I would rewrite the stars
So that our hearts would align and the world would be ours

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.

Tonight, I'm going to leave everything on the line
Tonight, I'll be alone again or you'll be mine.
Tonight, I'm facing all my fears.
Regret, loneliness, denial, shame
But that's what you have to risk if you want to play the games of life and love

As my body gets weaker,
my mind grows stronger.
But I can't help but wonder how much longer my heart can hold on.
Hold on to the faith, to the dream.
But more than anything,
I wonder how much longer the love in my heart can hold on to me

Once upon a time,
I was just a lad
with a book in my hand.
It told tales of a faraway land
Nearly lost to the sands.
For 1,001 nights, I wished I could visit
Such a magical place.
But when I grew older,
I realized something.
You should have seen my face
When I realized I never had to wish
I could be there.
I already was there every time I read.
And i'm glad that's a magic so great, it gets to be shared all over the world

I forgot the man I used to be
Trying to become the man I want to be

Some welcome the darkness like an old friend.
Some believe the light you see when you die
is the beginning, not the end.
At the end of the day, I guess the message
that I'm trying to send is that you can find hope or a way to be at peace anywhere

It pays to stay informed
But you have to pay to stay informed.
Because the more you know,
The more you grow.

I'll give it one more day. One more time.
One more step. One more try. One more smile. One more laugh. One more hug. One more kiss. One more shot at happiness.
Just in case the next one
is the one that matters

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.

Putting the pencil to the page is like watching your favorite band live on stage.
Your heart starts pumping. And for a moment, you can forget all of your pressure. All your regret

It's a big mistake staring at the ticking clock waiting for an opportunity to knock. Nothing's going to fall at your door. So find something worth fighting for. When you realize success in life is not defined by your wealth, you can begin the journey toward the pursuit of happiness that will ultimately better your health. On this journey, there may be times when your heart may break and the pain may feel like it's too much to take. But if you can find the strength to carry on, you'll find the things you can do will be remembered long after you're gone

The rain went away
So the rainbow could tell you
You will be okay

There's nothing wrong with grieving.
There's nothing wrong with taking your time. There's nothing wrong with saying "no."
There's nothing wrong with not being ready to go.
There's nothing wrong with you
if you feel you want to be alone.
There's nothing wrong if you're feeling blue.
But most importantly,
There's nothing wrong with you.

it's not about the pain.
it's not about the price.
it's about the sacrifice people are willing to accept
to get what they want. to get what they need.
understanding they're willing to do more than bleed.
because understanding is the first step to earning respect.
and a world with more respect
brings us one step closer to a world of acceptance.

Whether i had a million dollars or not even a dime to my name,
as long as im with you its all the same.
It doesn't matter if we lived in a mansion or a cardboard box.
As long as im with you its all the same.
On our wedding day, I cant promise I wont cry
as your father walks you down the aisle
and you leave his arm for mine.
If, down the road, you decide i cant make you happy anymore,
i will let you leave even though it will break me at the core.
Don't worry. I won't try to win you back.
You gave me a lifetime of happiness
and that's all I can ask.
I got through the days before I met you
so i know i can do it again
but if you ask me to rate my happiness it wont be a 10.
Life is the name of the game.
And once you find the one you love, it will never be the same

These days, the years come slow and go by so fast.
These days, it's hard to make memories and even harder to make them last.
These days, we're afraid of ourselves as much as we are of strangers.
These days, we see everything as a danger
These days, we're getting farther apart even though we're starving for connection.
But the isolation is a great opportunity for self reflection.
Unfortunately, we look at the clock and think we have to rush.
These days, we don't take enough time to appreciate the power of a kiss, hug, or touch.
These days, words have more power than ever. So please take the time to think about what you say.
It may change how people think of you for the rest of your days.

Time. Death. Faith. Hope.
Sometimes, the things we can't see make the biggest impact on the things we do.

silence can be...awkward.
but it can also be a powerful tool.
depending on your intention, it can represent respect.
repentance.
introspection.
it can help you grieve.
it can make it easier to breathe.
and in a world that can bring the brutality of war
into the safety of your home,
when you feel lost for words,
like there's nothing you can say,
the sound of silence can say it all

I don't see how it could get better.
But I don't see how it could be worse either.
Am I trying too hard or not enough?
What if it's both?
What if all the answers
are in the space between?
We always say there's 2 sides to every story. What if the truth is in the middle?

I was never tempted to go on adventures because I thought adventures, life,
would call out to me. But now that I'm older,
I see things just a little bit differently.
What I've learned is that you can't wait for life because it will never be able to keep up
with the speed of change. If you do wait,
you may be able to win  the day,
but if you're not careful,
you could lose the night.
And take it from me,
that can make a big difference
in a world where you have to fight
not only to survive, but thrive.

I want to tell a story but I don't know where to start.
See, I've kept the words hidden.
Locked away inside my heart.
Waiting for the day that you come find me.
Waiting for the day you rescue me from the darkness in my heart. Yeah, I know you'll set me free.
Free from all the doubts and lies I thought I had to tell myself.
So worried about the thoughts and words from everybody else.
It took me years to understand that life is not a race.
If you make your own path and stay with it,
someday you'll find your place.
I don't want to wait anymore.
I don't want to feel I've wasted my life
waiting for a fantasy that may never be real.
I want to prove I can be happy without you by my side
so I'll give it one last shot and tell the story of the time I tried

I told you once.
I told you twice.
If I have to tell you again, I'm going to stop being nice.
It doesn't matter if you're black or white.
Gay or straight.
The longer you live, the more you realize love doesn't discriminate. And when this truth becomes real,
so does the truth that you are worthy of love and your heart can heal

You built the walls
to keep yourself safe.
But the question isn't
"will they come down."
The question is
will you LET them fall on top of you,
or MAKE them fall next to you?