Quotes to live by

"To love is to risk not being loved in return. To hope is to risk pain. To try is to risk failure, but risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.” Author unknown

"It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return, but what is the most painful is to love someone and never find the courage to let the person know how you feel.” Author unknown


“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.” Charles R. Swindoll

Hell of a Ride Adam Brand

I guess you could say we've been through a lot
And we stuck with each other like it or not
But there's nothing like friends to make you feel alive
We didn't win every battle but God knows we tried

Here's to the sinners here's to the saints
Here's to the people who I'd like to thank
You drink to me I'll drink to you
Let's drink together but before we do...
If we die tonight that'd be alright
Coz we had one hell of a ride

We kicked up some dust and we sure made some noise
But girls will be girls and us boys will be boys
They called us crazy we proved em wrong
They'll be talking 'bout us long after we're gone
We've all done some things we'd rather not tell but we lifted each other when one of us fell

This song means a lot to me at the moment. It has become a bit of an anthem for my life right now. I am struggling g in many ways right now but the one thing I hope I can say is that my life has been one hell of a ride and that I’ve made the most of the opportunities I’ve had.

Courage

Dorothy Thompson:

Courage, it would seem, is nothing less than the power to overcome danger, misfortune, fear, injustice, while continuing to affirm inwardly that life with all its sorrows is good; that everything is meaningful even if in a sense beyond our understanding; and that there is always tomorrow.

People are always telling me I am courageous and an inspiration. This is something I have always struggled to understand/see. You see, I don't see myself as doing anything other than living my life the only way I know how.

I am always trying to push the boundaries of what is considered "normal" for someone with my abilities and trying to blend in with the crowd. Is that too much to ask of myself?

poster girl by Beccy Cole

You won't listen to my songs anymore
You ripped my poster off the wall
Cause I'm a singer that went to the war
You see no good in me at all
Pardon me if I believe that I haven't got it wrong
And Before you turn your back on me....
I'll sing you one more song

Cause I shook hands with a digger
On the wrong side of the world...
With a wife at home that holds her breath...
With a brand new baby girl

And the Digger fights for freedom
In a Job that must be done
And I let go of his hands so proud
To be an Aus...tral...ian

A fan of me you feel no pride at all
then go ahead and take me off your wall
cause I prefer to be a poster girl
on the wrong side of the world

And I'm just the girl who sings the crazy songs
Not qualified to sit and judge
I've been right and I've known I've been wrong
But I'm for peace and for love
And I admire the burning fire that causes you to fight
I only wish the wrong of the world
Had the same right....

Cause I listen to the wisdom of the Aussie Brigadeer
He spoke of widows and of orphans
And the need to dry their tears

And He leads the fight for freedom
In a job that must be done
And I've never been more proud to say
That I'm Aus...tral...ian

A fan of me you feel no pride at all
Then go ahead and take me...off your wall
Cause I prefer to be a poster girl
On the wrong side of the world

Maybe I'm nieve to think we all could get along
But sir I read your words and all I ask...
Hear my song

I shook hands with a digger
On the wrong side of the world...
With a wife at home that holds her breath...
With a brand new baby girl

And the Digger fights for freedom
In a Job that must be done
And I've never been so proud
To say I'm Aus...tral...ian

A fan of me you feel no pride at all
Then go ahead and take me...off your wall
Cause I prefer to be a poster girl
On the wrong side of the world

I'm so proud to be a poster girl
on the wrong side of the world

life will bring you home Adam Brand

School came to a end,
She couldn’t wait to spread her wings,
Barley come of age,
Tears welled in her eyes,
She mumbled with goodbyes,
Momma held her young head in her hands,
Whispered: "Baby, someday you’ll understand, that life will bring you home."

She grew up quick,
In a place she didn’t fit,
It broke her heart a dozen times,
Saw a good friend die,
When they got a little too high,
It coulda been her that crossed that line,
But lately all she can think about,

Is how she left behind,
What she can’t live without,

Life takes care of you, life takes care of me,
It sometimes lets you down, what goes will come around.
Faith will ease the pain,
drive you through the rain, on that long and lonely road,
Life will bring you home.

Feeling 18 again,
With her old and new friends,
Guess one was right, all along,
And her high school fling,
He said she hadn’t changed,
He said he always knew she’d come back home,
Yeah, I always knew you would come back home.

Life takes care of you, life takes care of me,
It sometimes lets you down, what goes will come around.
Faith will ease the pain drive you through the rain on that long and lonely road, life will bring you home. x2

Her Diamonds by RobThomas

Oh what the hell she says
I just can't win for losing
And she lays back down
Man there's so many times
I don't know what I’m doin'
Like I don't know now

By the light of the moon
She rubs her eyes
Says it's funny how the night
Can make you blind
I can just imagine
And I don't know what I’m supposed to do
But if she feels bad then I do too
So I let her be

And she says oooh
I can't take no more
Her tears like diamonds on the floor
And her diamonds bring me down
Cuz I can't help her now
She’s down in it
She tried her best and now she can't win it's
Hard to see them on the ground
Her diamonds falling down

She sits down and stares into the distance
And it takes all night
And I know I could break her concentration
But it don't feel right

By the light of the moon
She rubs her eyes
[ Rob Thomas Lyrics are found on www.songlyrics.com ]
Sits down on the bed and starts to cry
And there's something less about her
And I don't know what I’m supposed to do
So I sit down and I cry too
And don't let her see

And she says oooh
I can't take no more
Her tears like diamonds on the floor
And her diamonds bring me down
Cuz I can't help her now
She’s down in it
She tried her best and now she can't win it's
Hard to see them on the ground
Her diamonds falling down

She shuts out the night
Tries to close her eyes
If she can find daylight
She’ll be all right
She’ll be all right
Just not tonight

And she says oooh
I can't take no more
Her tears like diamonds on the floor
And her diamonds bring me down
Cuz I can't help her now
She’s down in it
She tried her best and now she can't win it's
Hard to see them on the ground
Her diamonds falling down

drive til the wheels fall off Adam Brand

My daddy threw me a set of keys and said
Look outside and my heart skipped a beat
When I saw what was sittin' in our front drive
That old Ford was as old as me
It had, faded paint and some holes in the seats
It didn't look like much but it was mine
And as I climbed inside

He told me, treat it like it's your last one
And take your time coz it goes real fast son
And don't you worry about breakin' down or gettin' lost
Coz breakin' down's just a hard luck lesson
And gettin' lost helps you find direction
So hit the road and make the most of the gifts you've got
And drive it till the wheels fall off

That old car's seen a lotta things
My first steady job that paid for the ring
That I gave to my first love
Now it's parked outside the church where I'm
'Bout to make a vow to her
My daddy pulled me aside and he said son
I know it's your first and if you want this love to work

You better treat it like it's you're last one

Oh yeah breakin' downs just a hard lesson
And getting lost helps you find direction
So hit the road and make the most of the gifts you've got

Just drive it till the wheels
Just drive it till the wheels
Just drive it
Just drive it
Till the wheels fall off

One more year by Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson

This is another song I really like and am inspired by. I'm not even sure why except maybe because I've been "two steps from the edge..." and I'm still waiting for someone to save me.

He was walking across the wire
Holding a loaded gun
Taking out every lightbulb
One by one

And she was building brand new walls
To keep her safe and sound
Sometimes a place to live
Is just a place to hide

One more year
One more year
Let's hold our breath
And give it just
One more year

Well he was sparks and gasoline
All fire and command
The warmest comfort dies
In the coldest hands

And she was two steps from the edge
But holding on somehow
Even God himself couldn't blame her now

One more year
One more year
Let's hold our breath
And give it just
One more year

Now he's working on a plan
Learning to make her smile
Maybe a change of pace
Or a change of style

And she's walking across the wire
Holding a loaded gun
Hoping that what we feel
Ain't what we've become


One more year
One more year
Let's hold our breath
And give it just
One more year

Quotes to live by

If you're an underdog, mentally disabled, physically disabled, if you don't fit in, if you're not as pretty as the others, you can still be a hero.
-- Steve Guttenberg

The only disability in life is a bad attitude.”
-- Scott Hamilton
Placing one foot in front of the other, I've climbed to higher lengths. Reaching beyond my own limitations, to show my inner strength. No obstacle too hard, for this warrior to overcome. I'm just a man on a mission, to prove my disability hasn't won.
-- Robert M. Hensel

Soul Asylum Runnaway Train

This song has always been my favourite. I remember watching the video clip at age ten and feeling like it spoke to me.



Call you up in the middle of the night
Like a firefly without a light
You were there like a slow torch burning
I was a key that could use a little turning

So tired that I couldn't even sleep
So many secrets I couldn't keep
Promised myself I wouldn't weep
One more promise I couldn't keep

It seems no one can help me now
I'm in too deep
There's no way out
This time I have really led myself astray

CHORUS
Runaway train never going back
Wrong way on a one way track
Seems like I should be getting somewhere
Somehow I'm neither here no there

Can you help me remember how to smile
Make it somehow all seem worthwhile
How on earth did I get so jaded
Life's mystery seems so faded

I can go where no one else can go
I know what no one else knows
Here I am just drownin' in the rain
With a ticket for a runaway train

Everything is cut and dry
Day and night, earth and sky
Somehow I just don't believe it

CHORUS

Bought a ticket for a runaway train
Like a madman laughin' at the rain
Little out of touch, little insane
Just easier than dealing with the pain

Runaway train never comin' back
Runaway train tearin' up the track
Runaway train burnin' in my veins
Runaway but it always seems the same

inspiration

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... A church... A home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... We are in charge of our Attitudes.”

Need to do this

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Inspiration from an email

Message by George Carlin:

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider Freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.

We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.

We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.

Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side.

Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.

Remember, to say, ' I love you ' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.

Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.

Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

If you don't send this to at least 8 people.....Who cares?

George Carlin

My creative process

One of my TAFE assignments is to talk about my creative process. I am struggling with it because I don't consciously set out to write most of the stuff I write. It just happens. Many of the poems I have posted on here are born because a line of them will pop into my head and they flow from there...

My only attempt at a novel so far was much like that too, but in that case little Jack Lawson appeared in my dreams and started telling me his story and then bugged me enough until I started writing it down. I am waiting for him to come back and tell me the rest.

Over the last couple of days I have started a new novel. The main character did the appear in my head thing too but this time I am using novel writing software to get down and organise my ideas. I am not sure how it is going to go but I'll keep you all posted if anyone is interested.