Excerpt: Written in a very warm, vulnerable, and honest way—these Alicia Keys quotes from More Myself are simply stunning and are well worth the read.
“I’m not sure how much of identity comes threaded in our genes and how much of it is shaped by our environment, but as far back as I can recall, placing my fingertips on a keyboard felt like coming home to myself. There was no courtship phase, no period of becoming acquainted with the piano; rather, the connection was instantaneous, as comfortable and familiar for me as breathing.”
Alicia Keys, More Myself (Page 24)
These people gon’ tell you that you will never make it /
Then when you do, they gon’ say they knew you were goin’ places /
That’s just how it works, next thing you know you’ll be overrated /
Hearing people say they miss the “old you,” it’s crazy, ain’t it?
NF, Remember This
It doesn’t matter where you are in life, there will always be noise that’s trying to take you away from where you are. When you’re first starting out, of course you’re not great. Who is? In fact, you probably suck. Like, you’re probably really awful. Especially compared to all of the greats that you’re probably comparing yourself to. So, of course you’re going to have people around you saying you will “never make it.” That you should probably quit and stick to something more “commonplace.” Or that you will never be as good as that person or this person. The noise when you first start out is real and it can stop you in your tracks before you ever even start.
Read More »NF Quote from “Remember This” on Success and How There’s Always Hate At Each Step of the Way“We are born on our own /
And we die on our own /
And we’re here to make meaning /
Of what happens in between /
We could hate, we could love /
We could doubt, we could trust /
But we’re here to make meaning /
For as long as we’re breathing and it’s alright /
Wherever you are, it’s alright /
Whoever you are, it’s alright”
Alicia Keys, Authors of Forever, ALICIA
Word choice matters. And with the opening concept of meaning in this above quote, I think Alicia nails it: We’re here to make meaning. We’re not here to find meaning. And I don’t think we’re here to mean nothing. Why be given life if we’re not meant to live? Why be given brains if we’re not meant to think? Why be given eyes if we’re not meant to see? Why be given hands if we’re not meant to touch? Why be given feet if we’re not meant to move? We’re certainly not born just to die—what’s the point in believing that? We’re born on our own, yes, but we’re not alone and we’re not born without what we need to make meaning—of that I’m sure.
Read More »Alicia Keys Quote from Authors of Forever on Making Meaning—Not Finding It.“If you’re not happy, you’re forever in debt.”
Witt Lowry, Debt
Debt is something, typically money, that’s owed. When you borrow $20 from your friend, you’re in debt to them. Until you pay them back, you will have that debt weighing on your shoulders. That’s why repaying a debt is such a gratifying, lightening feeling. You’re lightening the worry of your load. But, what about the debts that we imaginarily create in our minds? Sounds ridiculous, right? But, think about it.
Read More »Witt Lowry Quote on Happiness and Why You Need To Free Yourself From Materialism“I know a girl whose one goal was to visit Rome/
Then she finally got to Rome/
And all she did was post pictures for people at home/
‘Cause all that mattered was impressin’ everybody she’s known”
Drake, Emotionless
Happiness is only real when shared. That’s the last thing that Chris McCandless wrote before he died in the movie, Into The Wild. (Warning: More spoilers ahead) Based on a true story, the main character, after getting accepted into Law School, decided he wanted to pursue an alternate path and donated all of his college money to charity, bought a cheap car, and drove out west in pursuit of a remote life in Alaska. He wanted to travel, explore, and live completely free from conformity.
Read More »Drake Quote from Emotionless on Posting To Social Media and Trying To Impress People“Most players listen to music every game. They have their headphones on religiously and use music to get them in the right state of mind. They’d even sing and dance. I rarely ever did that. Sometimes, even when I had headphones on, there wasn’t any music playing. It was a feint to keep people away, and to get in my zone. For the most part, before games I just liked being there, hearing the sounds of the environment and observing everything.”
Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 84)
“I should have known that somethin’ man-made couldn’t make me /
I say I’m makin’ music, or is music what creates me?”
Witt Lowry, Debt, Nevers Road
Nothing man-made makes the man. It’s what the man makes that makes the man. What somebody else made is a reflection of them. You obtaining what they made doesn’t make you into any kind of different person at all. It might reveal the type of person you are but it doesn’t change who you are. To understand this is to understand the power in making and creating. To forget this is to forget and never realize who you are to yourself or the world.
Read More »Witt Lowry Quote from Debt on How Things That Are Man-Made Don’t Make The Man
Excerpt: The sneak attack of a track on Logic’s 2017 album, Everybody, that got everybody thinking about life, death, interconnectedness, and unity. Let’s look at the lyrics and deeper meaning of Waiting Room by Logic.
“If you made a list of people that you trusted/
Would you put your name down?”
NF, Only
When I heard this line in NF’s song it stayed with me. It brilliantly orients an issue that so many of us confront on a regular basis—trust. Trust is the foundation of every relationship in our lives. Without trust there cannot be a stable relationship. Just like without a proper foundation there cannot be a stable building. Why is trust so important? Because trust is the key that unlocks and opens a person’s vulnerable side. And until a person is vulnerable and open to another—no true relationship can form.
Read More »NF Quote from “Only” on Trust“You are the best parts of all the songs I love.” ~ Iain Thomas, I Wrote This For You
Picture Quote Text:
“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.” ~Friedrich Nietzsche
“The music went on and on, minute after minute, with astonishing variations, never once repeating itself, almost as though the bird were deliberately showing off its virtuosity. Sometimes it stopped for a few seconds, spread out and resettled its wings, then swelled its speckled breast and again burst into song. Winston watched it with a sort of vague reverence. For whom, for what, was that bird singing? No mate, no rival was watching it. What made it sit at the edge of the lonely wood and pour its music into nothingness?” ~ George Orwell, 1984
