PositLive Music: “Brave”
“Brave” Written by: Sara Bareilles and Jack Antonoff Released: April 23, 2013 Singer-Songwriter, Sara Bareilles, revealed that the lyrics to this song were inspired by a close friend. “Say what you wanna say, and let the words fall out, honestly I want to see you be brave,” are what she would say to her friend, who was struggling to come out (source). However, the song lyrics apply to anyone who is struggling to be themselves, express themselves, or express their opinion. It’s for anyone who needs that boost of encouragement to be brave. “There’s so much honor and integrity and beauty in being able to be who you are, [and]…
“The only way to see a rainbow is to look through the rain.”
Sometimes we forget that whenever we’re looking at a rainbow, we’re also looking past rain. In fact, the only way to see a rainbow is to look past rain. While this is true literally, it’s also true figuratively. In life, there may be raindrops spread out before us–those challenges, setbacks, heartaches, and disappointments. This anonymous quote reminds us that beyond the bad, we may be able to find something good. We’re reminded to do the best we can to either look beyond or push forward to see the rainbow at the end of whatever storms we’re going through.
“Take time to recharge your batteries. It’s hard to see where you’re going when your lights are dim”
Imagine you’re trecking through a long, deep, and dark cave with only a flashlight to guide you through. The flashlight begins to grow dim from overuse. Suddenly, the way forward becomes more difficult, more strained, and nearly impossible. Without stopping to recharge or replace the batteries in your flashlight, you won’t see enough to know where you’re going. You might get lost, go backward, or get stuck. This quote, by Robert H. Connelly, reminds us that we need to recharge our batteries in life. We need to make sure we are getting sufficient rest. When our lights are dim, physically and mentally, we’re more prone to getting lost, going backward,…
“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.”
This quote, by the writer Nora Roberts, is grounded by one simple principle: Nothing ventured, nothing gained. In other words, if you don’t take a chance on something, there will be no reward. For example, you’ll stay in the same place if you don’t step forward. Not asking is just as good being told no. Finally, not going after what you want is one of the best ways to guarantee never having it. So it’s better to try with a chance of getting somewhere, than to not try at all and get nowhere.
“The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.”
It’s one thing to be afraid of making a mistake. Being afraid of messing up is a natural feeling when you want to do something well. However, when that fear is constant and preoccupying, it becomes unhealthy. This quote, by John C. Maxwell, reminds us of that. It reminds us that living with a constant fear of making a mistake is one of the greatest mistakes we can make. It’s a mistake that can make us shy away from difficulties and challenges and prevent us from taking chances or trying new things. So, instead of having a constant fear of making a mistake, it’s best to understand that mistakes are…
“How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply important to us, and keeping that picture in mind, we manage ourselves each day to be and to do what really matters most.”
This quote, by Stephen R. Covey, is about reflecting on what’s deeply important to you as the first step to establishing a clear path to each day. In a way, the things that are really important to you serve as a compass as you navigate each day–as you navigate life. The more consistently you keep those things in mind, the more you’ll find yourself consistently and naturally doing what matters most in accordance to those things. It’s all about reorienting your focus. For example, if it’s family, you’ll find yourself spending more time with them. If it’s being able to travel and see the world, you’ll find yourself conscious of…
“What we do today, right now, will have an accumulated effect on all our tomorrows.”
Imagine yourself hiking up a mountain. Chances are, it will take an innumerable number of steps to make it to the top. However, one thing is guaranteed. No matter how long it takes or how painful it gets, each step gets you further up. This illustration brings to mind Alexandra Stoddard’s quote, “What we do today, right now, will have an accumulated effect on all our tomorrows.” Imagine each step up the mountain as the actions you take each day. Every action that brings about positive change will only carry you upward. Therefore, you’ll be further tomorrow than you were yesterday because each step (i.e. action) is accumulative, adding to…
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“The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one.”
“There is no such thing as a ‘self-made’ man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success.”
“We must all suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”
Having discipline is never fun. At least, not usually. But is it better to suffer the pain of having discipline and making sacrifices to get where you want to be or to suffer pain from the regret you feel because you never did enough to get there? This quote, by Jim Rohn, answers this question. The pain of discipline is not nearly as bad as the pain of regret. One weighs on us more than the other. Perhaps we don’t feel the pain of regret right away, but eventually we do. Therefore, instead of avoiding the pain of discipline, let’s think about how much worse we’ll feel when we regret.
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“Happiness is a choice, not a result. Nothing will make you happy until you choose to be happy. No person will make you happy unless you decide to be happy. Your happiness will not come to you. It can only come from you.”
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“Sometimes when you’re in a dark place you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.”
“Learn from others, as you would learn from your own mistakes.”
Learning from your own mistakes is one thing. However, the ability to learn from other’s experiences takes things a step further. They may have already walked a path you’re currently traveling. They know where the dead ends and stumbling blocks are. Maybe they took the wrong path entirely or made decisions that prevented them from reaching their destination. This quote, by Kazi Shams, reminds us to learn from other’s mistakes. Perhaps we can avoid making them ourselves and spare ourselves from a more difficult road ahead.
“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
Tim Notke, a high school basketball coach, once said during a motivational speech to his players that “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” This couldn’t be more true. Talent alone gets us nowhere without hard work. A person can be one of the most talented people in the world. However, if they don’t use their talent, it’s wasted and doesn’t get them very far. They could be exceptionally gifted intellectually or physically. Yet they only achieve a fraction of what they’re capable of. Meanwhile, someone with much less talent (that’s applied) has a greater potential to go further. This quote reminds us to use the gifts we’re…
