Tag: Hope

The Magic of Music, Part 2

Published on by Bubbles in the BrainLeave a comment

Back in 2019, I wrote a post on some songs I keep in my endometriosis playlist to listen to when I’m having a bad day. Today, I want to list 5 more.

I know there are way more amazing songs out there than I can possibly list here, so please go ahead and drop some more recommendations in the comments. What do you listen to when you are having a bad day? Do you have a favourite song about chronic illness?

1) Fight Song, by Rachel Platten

This song isn’t just about fighting; it’s about fighting when you don’t have anything left, when you don’t have any sleep or anyone left on your side.

Lyrics:

Like a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosionAnd all those things I didn’t say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time?This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I’m alright song
My power’s turned on
Starting right now I’ll be strong
I’ll play my fight song
And I don’t really care if nobody else believes
‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in meLosing friends and I’m chasing sleep
Everybody’s worried about me
In too deep
Say I’m in too deep (in too deep)
And it’s been two years I miss my home
But there’s a fire burning in my bones
Still believe
Yeah, I still believeAnd all those things I didn’t say
Wrecking balls inside my brain
I will scream them loud tonight
Can you hear my voice this time?This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I’m alright song
My power’s turned on
Starting right now I’ll be strong
I’ll play my fight song
And I don’t really care if nobody else believes
‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in meA lot of fight left in meLike a small boat
On the ocean
Sending big waves
Into motion
Like how a single word
Can make a heart open
I might only have one match
But I can make an explosionThis is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I’m alright song
My power’s turned on
Starting right now I’ll be strong (I’ll be strong)
I’ll play my fight song
And I don’t really care if nobody else believes
‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me

Know I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me

Favourite line: I might only have one match, but I can make an explosion.

Listen when: You need the inspiration to go just one step further

2) I Can’t Feel, by Yours Truly

‘I Can’t Feel’ was written by a fellow spoonie, singer Mikaila Delgado, who has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). EDS is a connective tissue disorder that causes hyper-mobility and tissue fragility. Just like those with endo, people with EDS often suffer pain with no obvious cause. Delgado shares her frustration, exhaustion, and loneliness in a world where pain wears us down, people don’t believe us and we so often go without answers.

Lyrics:

I don’t know if I’m feeling right
Like this is something that’s in my mind now
There’s no signs, there’s no symptoms here
I’m aching in my bones, it’s getting out of handBut I’m not afraid of this
If only I could put this mind to rest
My days blend into one another see
Give me a moment to step back and breatheI always feel like giving up
Feeling tired out of luck
Let me tell you that I’ve had enough
I wish that I could sleep at night
Close my eyes and feel alright
But my conscience, it has other plans and II don’t know if I’m feeling right
They tried to tell me it was in my mind and I’ve
Been sleeping for days on end
Getting told to get out of my bed and move forwardI can’t explain the pain
I’m fucking over itI feel like giving up
Feeling tired out of luck
Let me tell you that I’ve had enough
I wish that I could sleep at night
Close my eyes and feel alright
But my conscience, it has other plans and II can’t feel
Anything else
But my heartbeat soaring
I always feel like giving up
Feeling tired out of luck
Let me tell you that I’ve had enough
Yeah, I’ve had enoughI’m not afraid
If only I could put this mind to restI always feel like giving up
Feeling tired out of luck
Let me tell you that I’ve had enough
Wish that I could sleep at night
Close my eyes and feel alright
But my conscience, it has other plansAnd I can’t feel
Anything else
But my heartbeat soaring
I always feel like giving up
Feeling tired out of luck
Let me tell you that I’ve had enough
Yeah, I’ve had enoughI’m sick of waiting for a change
That will never come my way
When I tell you that I’ve had enough
Yeah, I’ve had enough

Favourite line: They tried to tell me it was in my mind and I’ve been sleeping for days on end, getting told to get out of my bed and move forward

Listen when: you need to feel like someone else gets it.

3) Get Better, by Leslie Mosier

Leslie Mosier actually has endometriosis, so she definitely understands how it feels. ‘Get Better’ really encapsulates the struggle. The video also includes a lot of things we would be familiar with – TENS machines, endo belly, curling up in a little ball in bed. Of all the songs on this list, this one is definitely hits the closest to home.

Content warning: the video does contain needles, drugs and surgical procedures. It also contains a cute cat and a pug.

Lyrics:

Who was I before this?
Will I make it through?
The pain is slowly creeping
Till there’s nothing I can do

My body in a circle
Clouds fill up my eyes
I wait for it to kick in
So the hurt can be disguised

Breathing just feels harder
Down I go again

Wake up, put on the makeup
And smile for the camera
Work hard, make money
Maybe that will make me feel alright

No one really knows what you’re going through
But they pretend to say they’re thinking about you
I’m fine, I’ll be alright
I just wanna get better, I feel like I’m a burden
A liability
But who am I to give a damn
When my own body turned on me

Keep pushing on to see better days
Even when it hurts
I’m not defined by the times I’ve cried
Or fallen to the dirt

Breathing just feels harder
Down I go againWake up, put on the makeup
And smile for the camera
Work hard, make money
Maybe that will make me feel alright

No one really knows what you’re going through
But they pretend to say they’re thinking about you
I’m fine, I’ll be alright
I just wanna get better

Here I go, here I go, here I go again
I’m at war with my body, my closest friend
I’ve been broken, I’ve been down got up in the end
Here I go, here I go, here I go again

Wake up, put on the makeup
And smile for the camera
Work hard, make money
Maybe that will make me feel alright

No one really knows what you’re going through
But they pretend to say they’re thinking about you
I’m fine, I’ll be alright
I just wanna get better

Favourite line: Who was I before this?

Listen when: you want the endo experience captured in a single song

4) Have It All, by Jason Mraz

‘Have It All’ has nothing to do with chronic illness, but I’m including it nonetheless because it always helps me. I sing it in my head and dedicate to a different person each time whose life I want to be beautiful and lovely even when mine isn’t, whether it be my sister, my best friend, or all the people out that also suffering from chronic pain.It’s just so nice.

It also reminds me of the good things in my life – my friends and family, whom I deeply love – even when I’m in a lot of pain and can’t do much stuff. During those times they can still bring me fun and happiness.

Lyrics:

May you have auspiciousness and causes of success
May you have the confidence to always do your best
May you take no effort in your being generous
Sharing what you can, nothing more nothing less
May you know the meaning of the word happiness
May you always lead from the beating in your chest
May you be treated like an esteemed guest
May you get to rest, may you catch your breath

And may the best of your todays be the worst of your tomorrows
And may the road less paved be the road that you follow

Well here’s to the hearts that you’re gonna break
Here’s to the lives that you’re gonna change
Here’s to the infinite possible ways to love you
I want you to have it
Here’s to the good times we’re gonna have
You don’t need money, you got a free pass
Here’s to the fact that I’ll be sad without you
I want you to have it all

Oh! I want you to have it all
I want you to have it
I want you to have it all

May you be as fascinating as a slap bracelet
May you keep the chaos and the clutter off your desk
May you have unquestionable health and less stress
Having no possessions though immeasurable wealth
May you get a gold star on your next test
May your educated guesses always be correct
And may you win prizes shining like diamonds
May you really own it each moment to the next

And may the best of your todays be the worst of your tomorrows
And may the road less paved be the road that you follow

Well here’s to the hearts that you’re gonna break
Here’s to the lives that you’re gonna change
Here’s to the infinite possible ways to love you
I want you to have it
Here’s to the good times we’re gonna have
You don’t need money, you got a free pass
Here’s to the fact that I’ll be sad without you
I want you to have it all

Oh, I want you to have it all
I want you to have it
I want you to have it all

Oh, I want you to have it all
All you can imagine
All, no matter what your path is
If you believe it then anything can happen
Go, go, go raise your glasses
Go, go, go you can have it all
I toast you

Here’s to the hearts that you’re gonna break
Here’s to the lives that you’re gonna change
Here’s to the infinite possible ways to love you
I want you to have it
Here’s to the good times we’re gonna have
You don’t need money, you got a free pass
Here’s to the fact that I’ll be sad without you
I want you to have it all

Oh, I want you to have it all
I want you to have it
I want you to have it all

Here’s to the good times we’re gonna have
Here’s to you always making me laugh
Here’s to the fact that I’ll be sad without you
I want you to have it all

Favourite line: May you get to rest, may you catch your breath

Listen when: You really want to think about someone else instead of your pain.

5) Skyscraper, by Demi Lovato

‘Skyscraper’ is about a relationship rather than a chronic illness, but just imagine, if you will, that she is singing to your endo. It’s a song of defiance even in the pain and desolation.

Lyrics:

Skies are crying, I am watching
Catching teardrops in my hands
Only silence, as it’s ending
Like we never had a chance
Do you have to make me feel like
There’s nothing left of me?

You can take everything I have
You can break everything I am
Like I’m made of glass
Like I’m made of paper
Go on and try to tear me down
I will be rising from the ground
Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper

As the smoke clears, I awaken
And untangle you from me
Would it make you, feel better
To watch me while I bleed?
All my windows still are broken
But I’m standing on my feet

You can take everything I have
You can break everything I am
Like I’m made of glass
Like I’m made of paper
Go on and try to tear me down
I will be rising from the ground
Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper

Go run, run, run
I’m gonna stay right here,
Watch you disappear
Yeah-oh, go run, run, run
Yeah, it’s a long way down
But I am closer to the clouds up here

You can take everything I have
You can break everything I am
Like I’m made of glass
Like I’m made of paper, oh-oh
Go on and try to tear me down
I will be rising from the ground

Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper
(Like a skyscraper)
Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper

Favourite line: Do you have to make me feel like there’s nothing left of me?

Listen when: You need to feel a bit more defiant.

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The Magic of Music, Part 1

Published on by Bubbles in the BrainLeave a comment

Music is such a powerful thing. Done right, it can invoke such strong reactions in the listener. It completely changes the tone of a scene in a movie or tv show, can get you moving on a run, or make a long drive a little more exciting.

Guess where I’m going with this.

That’s right, an endo playlist!

Sometimes, you want some songs that resonate with the pain and loneliness. Sometimes, you want something to offer hope, or buoy up your fighting spirit. Below, I’ve set out five songs that I love to listen to when I’m having a bad time.

Because this is a really huge post, I’m splitting it into two.  Keep your eyes peeled (what a weird phrase) for part 2 and another five songs shortly.

1) Head Above Water, by Avril Lavigne

I have been an Avril fan since I was a little quasi-emo teen. This song is definitely not classic Avril, but it really showcases her amazing vocal talent regardless. Written in the depths of her fear and hopelessness as she battled Lyme Disease, you know listening that this woman gets it. There’s despair, there’s hope, there’s pain, there’s resignation, there’s a cry for help. It has it all.

I’ve gotta keep the calm before the storm
I don’t want less, I don’t want more
Must bar the windows and the doors
To keep me safe, to keep me warm
Yeah, my life is what I’m fighting for
Can’t part the sea, can’t reach the shore
And my voice becomes the driving force
I won’t let this pull me overboard
God, keep my head above water
Don’t let me drown, it gets harder
I’ll meet you there at the altar
As I fall down to my knees
Don’t let me drown, drown, drown
Don’t let me, don’t let me, don’t let me drown
So pull me up from down below
‘Cause I’m underneath the undertow
Come dry me off and hold me close
I need you now, I need you most
God, keep my head above water
Don’t let me drown, it gets harder
I’ll meet you there at the altar
As I fall down to my knees
Don’t let me drown, drown, drown
Don’t let me, don’t let me, don’t let me drown
Don’t let me drown, drown, drown
Keep my head above water, above water
And I can’t see in the stormy weather
I can’t seem to keep it all together
And I, I can’t swim the ocean like this forever
And I can’t breathe
God, keep my head above water
I lose my breath at the bottom
Come rescue me, I’ll be waiting
I’m too young to fall asleep
God, keep my head above water
Don’t let me drown, it gets harder
I’ll meet you there at the altar
As I fall down to my knees
Don’t let me drown
Don’t let me drown (don’t let me, don’t let me, don’t let me drown)
Don’t let me drown (don’t let me, don’t let me, don’t let me drown)
Keep my head above water, above water

My favourite line: “So pull me up from down below, cause I’m underneath the undertow.  Come dry me off and hold me close, I need you now, I need you most.”

Listen when: you feel like no one understands

2) Heart Full of Scars, by Rebecca Black

This song isn’t about chronic illness, but it had such a fighter vibe. It’s about someone just owning their situation and doing what they need to get through it. It always peps me up a bit.

Stop
Don’t tell me how to feel
These scars will never heal
Overnight
I’m just searching for what’s real
It’s hard enough to deal
With life
Learn to say f*** it, take my time
Life’s a bitch but I’ll make it mine
Make it, make it, make it mine
Learn to take it as a sign
If you don’t like me, get in line
You won’t break me, break me with your lies
Sometimes you bleed for who you are
It’s hard to love with a heart full of scars
I won’t feed into your dark
I’ll keep loving with a heart full of scars
(Heart full of scars)
You’re never gonna keep me down
Doesn’t really matter what you’d say
I’m not living for yesterday
(Heart full of scars)
I’ve figured out how to turn it around
I’m learning how to bend, not break
A full life is give not take
(Heart full of scars)
Done with doubt and overthinking
Wait for it to sink in
I’m enough
Sick of try’na to be your perfect
The pain is never worth it
Never was
Learn to say f*** it, take my time
Life’s a bitch but I’ll make it mine
Make it, make it, make it mine
Learn to take it as a sign
If you don’t like me, get in line
You won’t break me, break me with your lies
Sometimes you bleed for who you are
It’s hard to love with a heart full of scars
I won’t feed into your dark
I’ll keep loving with a heart full of scars
(Heart full of scars)
You’re never gonna keep me down
Doesn’t really matter what you’d say
I’m not living for yesterday
(Heart full of scars)
I’ve figured out how to turn it around
I’m learning how to bend, not break
A full life is give not take
(Heart full of scars)
O-o-o-o-oh
O-o-o-o-oh
O-o-o-o-oh
O-o-o-o-oh
O-o-o-o-oh
O-o-o-o-oh
O-o-o-o-oh
O-o-o-o-oh
You’re never gonna keep me down
Doesn’t really matter what you’d say
I’m not living for yesterday
(Heart full of scars)
I’ve figured out how to turn it around
I’m learning how to bend, not break
A full life is give not take
(Heart full of scars)

 

Favourite line: “I won’t feed into your dark, I’ll keep on loving with a heart full of scars.”

Listen when: you need a pep up after someone gives you a hard time about your illness (even if it’s you)

3) Full of Grace, by Sarah McLachlan

Darling of the late 90s, Sarah McLachlan specialises in heartbroken, wistful songs. Full of Grace probably isn’t about endometriosis, but it perfectly captures the devastating impact endo can have on relationships.

The winter here’s cold and bitter
It’s chilled us to the bone
We haven’t seen the sun for weeks
To long too far from home
I feel just like I’m sinking
And I claw for solid ground
I’m pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Oh darkness I feel like letting go
If all of the strength and all of the courage
Come and lift me from this place
I know I could love you much better than this
Full of grace
Full of grace
My love
So it’s better this way, I said
Having seen this place before
Where everything we said and did
Hurts us all the more
Its just that we stayed, too long
In the same old sickly skin
I’m pulled down by the undertow
I never thought I could feel so low
Oh darkness I feel like letting go
If all of the strength
And all of the courage
Come and lift me from this place
I know I could love you much better than this
Full of grace
Full of grace
My love

Favourite line: “I know I could love you much better than this.”

Listen when: you are sad about your relationship and want to wallow a bit (may make you sadder)

4) Where My Heart Will Take Me, Russell Watson

Like most people who know this song, I first heard it in the title sequence for Star Trek: Enterprise (a hugely underrated series, in my humble opinion).  It is very different from the title sequence of any other Star Trek, but I love it.  The sequence itself is a tribute to human innovation and our explorer’s spirit (as is the fan-made version above), but that’s a story for another day.  This is about the song.  It’s a song that always fills me with hope, courage to continue, and makes me think that maybe something better is just around the corner.  It inspires me to keep going.  It’s just very positive.

The original title sequence was a very truncated version of the song – the one I’ve put here is the full version.

It’s been a long road
Getting from there to here
It’s been a long time
But my time is finally near
And I can feel the change in the wind right now
Nothing’s in my way
And they’re not gonna hold me down no more
No, they’re not gonna hold me down
‘Cause I’ve got faith of the heart
I’m going where my heart will take me
I’ve got faith to believe
I can do anything
I’ve got strength of the soul
And no one’s gonna bend or break me
I can reach any star
I’ve got faith
I’ve got faith, faith of the heart
It’s been a long night
Trying to find my way
Been through the darkness
Now I finally have my day
And I will see my dream come alive at last
I will touch the sky
And they’re not gonna hold me down no more
No, they’re not gonna change my mind
‘Cause I’ve got faith of the heart
I’m going where my heart will take me
I’ve got faith to believe
I can do anything
I’ve got strength of the soul
And no one’s gonna bend or break me
I can reach any star
I’ve got faith, faith of the heart
I’ve known the wind so cold, I’ve seen the darkest days
But now the winds I feel, are only winds of change
I’ve been through the fire and I’ve been through the rain
But I’ll be fine
‘Cause I’ve got faith of the heart
I’m going where my heart will take me
I’ve got faith to believe
I can do anything
I’ve got strength of the soul
And no one’s gonna bend or break me
I can reach any star
‘Cause I’ve got faith of the heart
I’m going where my heart will take me
I’ve got strength of the soul
No one’s gonna bend or break me
I can reach any star
I’ve got faith
I’ve got faith, faith of the heart
It’s been a long road

My favourite line: “I’ve got faith to believe I can do anything”

Listen when: You need someone to believe in you

5) Healing Incantation, sung by Mandy Moore in Tangled

I’m a big fan of Disney, and Tangled is, if not my favourite, definitely near the top of the list for me.  It’s so pretty!  Flynn is so funny!  Gothel is so wicked!  Rapnuzel’s hair!  The lanterns!  I love it.

Anyway, this song really, really resonates with me.  When she sings it, I think along with it like a prayer.

Flower, gleam and glow
Let your power shine
Make the clock reverse
Bring back what once was mine
Heal what has been hurt
Change the Fates’ design
Save what has been lost
Bring back what once was mine
What once was mine

Favourite line: “Bring back what once was mine”

Listen when: You really, desperately want healing

 

Nevertheless, She Persisted

Published on by Bubbles in the BrainLeave a comment

Last month I shared my favourite quotes on the topic of consistency.  Today I want to write about her cousin, persistence.

Like consistency, persistence is absurdly hard for the chronically ill.  I swear, every time I get in the rhythm of something and think I’m finally achieving things, I get sick or have a flare or need a new dose of depot or something that throws everything out of wack.  It can be really hard to claw your way back into life after a derailing like that.  Other times, it can be hard to fight on through the black cloud of misery that attaches to the reality of the word “chronic.”  But, by and large, we do.  Nevertheless, they persisted.

Now, I have a lot of problems about the rhetoric chucked around about persistence.  So much of it focuses on “success”, and seems to define success in a pretty narrow, business/entrepreneurial way.  For me, I’ve succeeded if I’ve made it through the day upright and the kitchen is only mostly messy instead of buried under dirty dishes.  I also don’t think that we should practice good qualities, like persistence, because they bring an inherent reward – we should do it because it is the right thing to do, and because being able to say “I persisted” is a reward in and of itself.

I also have some problems with quote #8, because I think, when the battle is so very hard, even a strong person can be beaten , so I’d ask people to take that one with a grain of salt.  That being said, I do think persistence is a demonstration of strength, even if the strong don’t always succeed at it.

As always, I’ve tried to include quotes that look at different angles of the subject – most quotes on persistence are just variation on “persist and you’ll succeed!!!!”  Sometimes, though, we need to know when persistence has just become stubbornness, and when it will hurt us rather than help.  We also need to acknowledge that you can persist only so long without ceasing.  Sometimes, persistence includes resting for a while before you pick your burden back up – it’s the getting back up that makes it persistence, not the notion of doing it constantly.

Regardless (or nevertheless), here are some quotes about persistence to get you through the next little while:-

  1. “Persistence pays off.” – Jeffrey Dean Morgan
  2. “Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience.  Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence.”  – Hal Borland
  3. “Nothing in this world will take the place of persistence.  Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.  Genius will not: unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.  Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts.  Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”  – Calvin Coolidge
  4. “We are made to persist…that’s how we find out who we are.”  – Tobias Wolff
  5. “Success is not the absence of failure; it’s the persistence through failure.”  – Aisha Tyler
  6. “Never let your persistence and passion turn into stubbornness and ignorance.”  – Anthony J D’Angelo
  7. “A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.”  – Elbert Hubbard
  8. “Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragement and impossibilities: it is this, that in all things, distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.”  – Thomas Carlyle
  9. “Throughout human history, in any great endeavour requiring the common effort of many nations and men and women everywhere, we have learned – it is only through seriousness of purpose and persistence that we ultimately carry the day.  We might liken it to riding a bicycle.  You stay upright and move forward so long as you keep up the momentum.”  – Ban Ki-Moon
  10. “With patience and persistence, even the smallest act of discipleship or the tiniest ember of belief can become a blazing bonfire of a consecrated life.  In fact, that’s how most bonfires begin – as a simple spark.”  – Dieter F Uchtdorf
  11. “Some people mistake grit for sheer persistence – charging up the same hill again and again.  But that’s not quite what I mean by the word ‘grit’.  You want to minimise friction and find the most efficient way forward.  You might actually have more grit if you treat your energy as a precious commodity.”  – Reid Holfman
  12. “To make our way, we must have firm resolve, persistence, tenacity.  We must gear ourselves to work hard all the way.  We can never let up.”  – Ralph Bunche
  13. “Persistence is to the character of man as carbon is to steel.”  – Napoleon Hill
  14. “The real issue is not talent as an independent element, but talent in relationship to will, desire and persistence.  Talent without these things vanishes and even modest talent with these characteristics grows.”  – Milton Glaser
  15. “In life, an abundance of confidence gives us higher motivation, persistence, and optimism and can allow us to accomplish things we otherwise might not have undertaken.”  – Whitney Tilson
  16. “Persistence and determination are incredibly important.  But sometimes you need to analyse the situation and understand when you’re wrong.  You need to be able to cop to being wrong, learn to change, and continue to grow as a human being.”  – Sasha Grey
  17. “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated.  In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”  – Maya Angelou
  18. “I will persist until I succeed.  Always will I take another step.  If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another.  In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult.  I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking.”  – Og Mandino
  19. “A failure is not always a mistake.  It may simply be the best one can do under the circumstances.  The real mistake is to stop trying.”  – B F Skinner
  20. “You go on.  You set one foot in front of the other, and if a thin voice cries out, somewhere behind you, you pretend not to hear, and keep going.”  – Geraldine Brooks
  21. “If you won’t fly, then run; if you can’t run, then walk; if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.”  – Martin Luther King Jr
  22. “If you are going through hell, keep going.”  Winston Churchill
  23. “Courage doesn’t always roar.  Sometimes it is the quiet voice at the end of the day whispering, I will try again tomorrow.”  – Mary Anne Radmacher
  24. “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”  – Confucius
  25. “My strength lies solely in my tenacity.”  – Louis Pasteur
  26. “as long as there is breath in you – persist.”  – Bernard Kelvin Cline
  27. “Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of the hard work you already did.”  – Newt Gingrich
  28. “To persist with a goal, you must treasure the dream more than the costs of sacrifice to attain it.”  – Richelle E Goodrich
  29. “Life is made up of a series of tests, trials and great opportunities.  Some are momentary, but most take endurance.”  – Michael K Simpson
  30. “In order to persist, you have to ensure that you surround yourself with positivity.”  – R L Adams
  31. “Character consists of what you do on the third and fourth try.”  – James A Michener

Do you have a favourite quote that pushes you to keep going when you think you can’t take another step?  What makes persistence a battle for you?

Next month I’ll be collecting quotes about integrity, so stay tuned.

A Collation of Hope

Published on by Bubbles in the Brain3 Comments

Early in January I talked about a number of quotes about hope that I’d been writing down.  It’s a practice I’ve continued throughout January and intend to keep up all year with various themes that seem applicable and relevant to my life.  Next month will be courage.

This isn’t really a proper post so much as a list, but I thought I’d put all 31 of my quotes for the month here in case anyone needed some inspiration.  For completeness sake I will also include the quotes from my last post.  I won’t explain my thoughts on them all this time: this is just for reference in case you need a quick little soundbite of hope.

All of these quotes represent, to me, an important aspect of hope.  Hope warms, it empowers, it pushes you on.  It is really hard to do.  It can spark revolutions or just make a hard day a little easier.  It is something we have the power to share.

  1. “I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.” – Neil Gaiman
  2. “Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, “it will be better.”” – Alfred, Lord Tennyson
  3. ““Hope” is the thing with feathers –
    That perches in the soul –
    And sings the tune without the words –
    And never stops – at all –

    And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
    And sore must be the storm –
    That could abash the little Bird
    That kept so many warm –

    I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
    And on the strangest Sea –
    Yet – never – in Extremity,
    It asked a crumb – of me.”
    – Emily Dickinson

  4. “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”  – Desmond Tutu

  5. “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”  – Martin Luther King Jr.

  6. “There never was a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.”  – Bernard Williams
  7. “Though hope is frail, it’s hard to kill.”  – When You Believe, The Prince of Egypt
  8. “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement.  Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”  – Helen Keller
  9. “Fairytales are more than true – not because they tell us dragons exist, but because they tell tell us dragons can be defeated.”  – Neil Gaiman, misquoting C K Chesterton
  10. “I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge.  That myth is more potent than history.   That dreams are more powerful than facts.  That hope always triumphs over experience.  That laughter is the only cure for grief.  And I believe that love is stronger than death.” – Robert Fulghum
  11. “While there is life, there is hope.”  – Marcus Tullius Cicero
  12. “I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.”  – Anne Frank
  13. “Everything that is done in this world is done by hope.” – Martin Luther
  14. “We must free ourselves of the hope that the seas will ever rest.  We must learn to sail in high winds.” – Aristotle Onassis
  15. “There is nothing like a dream to create the future.” – Victor Hugo
  16. “Carve a tunnel of hope through the dark mountain of disappointment.”  – Martin Luther King Jr.
  17. “Hope means hoping when things are hopeless, or it is no virtue at all…As long as matters are really hopeful, hope is mere flattery or platitude; it is only when everything is hopeless that hope begins to be a strength.”  – C K Chesterton
  18. “Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations.  I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow them.” – Louisa May Alcott
  19. “May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears.” – Nelson Mandela
  20. “I dwell in possibility.” – Emily Dickinson
  21. “When I’m stuck with a day that’s grey and lonely, I just stick out my chin and grin and say: the sun’ll come out tomorrow, so you’ve got to hang on til tomorrow, come what may!  Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya, tomorrow, you’re always a day away.”  – Annie
  22. “Hope is passion for what is possible.” – Soren Kierkegaard
  23. “If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps moving, you lose the courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all.  And so today, I still have a dream.” – Martin Luther King Jr.
  24. “This new day is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on the yesterdays.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
  25. “A leader is a dealer in hope.” – Napoleon Bonaparte
  26. “Hope is like the sun, which, as we journey towards it, casts the shadow of our burden behind us.” – Samuel Smiles
  27. “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.  The important thing is not to stop questioning.” – Albert Einstein
  28. “You are not here merely to make a living.  You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement.  You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.” – Woodrow Wilson
  29. “Where there’s tea there’s hope.” – Arthur Wing Pinero
  30. “Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other form a million different centres of energy and daring, those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” – Robert Kennedy
  31. “You may not always have a comfortable life and you will not always be able to solve all the world’s problems at once, but don’t ever underestimate the importance you can have, because history has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.” – Michelle Obama

Hope

Published on by Bubbles in the Brain1 Comment

It’s a powerful thing, hope. It makes us keep fighting when we feel like it isn’t worth it, just in case it is, or try a new medication when there is no guarantee it will work. Sometimes you hate it, because you are terrified about the despair you feel when your hope isn’t borne out. I think this makes hoping brave, because we do it despite that fear.

In the spirit of hoping, I’ve been writing a quote about hope in my diary each day this week. I want to share them with you to start this year off with some positivity, because what says “hope” more than a new year?

1) “I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.” – Neil Gaiman

Now, being me, I do have a problem with this quote, because I think it veers close to “you have to do something to mean something” territory, which I think it just wrong. People have inherent value. However, it does very much embody the spirit of the new year, which is that sense of “now I will achieve something.” Taken with a grain of spoonie salt, I also think it is a valuable reminder that we never stop learning, and there is value in each lesson (even the ones that suck to learn). It is an encouragement to do something – anything – to break through the ennui that can come with long-term pain and isolation. And ultimately, I think it places values on our battles and our victories, even the seemingly tiny ones, like getting out of bed when we didn’t think we could.  So, whilst I don’t necessarily want to make mistakes, I do hope I do enough that mistakes are a possibility.

2) “Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, “it will be better.”” – Alfred, Lord Tennyson

I love me some Tennyson. This quote just embodies everything I feel just before the new year comes – this one has to be better.  Maybe it won’t be, but hope thinks it will.

3) ““Hope” is the thing with feathers –

That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –
And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –
I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.”
– Emily Dickinson
Admittedly this is one the longer side, and a poem, but I love Emily Dickinson, and I love this portrayal of hope.  It talks about the value of hope itself: its persistence, its ability to survive even the worst storms, how it comforts us, and how it is always with us.
4) “Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.”  – Desmond Tutu
I don’t think my hope is necessarily as strong as this at times, but at least it is never less than “thinking there possibly could be light at some point.”  That’s a lot less catchy, though.
5) “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.”  – Martin Luther King Jr.
This one will be most applicable for my religious and spiritual readers, but I couldn’t leave it out because for me it is such a good descriptor of my faith in hard times.  The Bible is pretty clear that this life is going to be full of hardships and woes, sometimes catastrophically so, and often without any reason that we can see.  However, the Bible is also clear that these things do end, and at the conclusion of it all is the reason Christians have hope at all – Jesus and a new, better life with him.  During my darkest times, even if the rest of my life looks like a barren, careerless, pointless, painful mess, at least I can set my eyes on that.
6) “There never was a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.”  – Bernard Williams
Night is so often used as a metaphor to explain away our problems – we all have to go through dark periods, darkest just before the dawn, etc etc – but what I like about this quote is that it isn’t saying sunrise brings a solution.  It’s just saying that hope is persistent.  Even when problem after problem tells us we shouldn’t hope, it comes back like the dawn each time.
BONUS QUOTE:
There have only been six days since the new year but you get a bonus one anyway because I’m benevolent like that.
7) “Though hope is frail, it’s hard to kill.”  – When You Believe, The Prince of Egypt
If you haven’t seen the movie Prince of Egypt, you should.  The soundtrack is great and it is the grittiest, most realistic portrayal of Exodus I’ve ever seen.  Far more so than the movie Exodus, which I thought was fairly bad.  I digress.
This song is sung as the Hebrews flee Egypt.  Their people have been slaves for generations.  The Egyptians have been cracking down on them, raising the quotas of bricks they must produce and reducing their materials.  One random who used to be a prince has shown up out of the desert and said, “worry not, pals, God’s going to release you.”  They’ve had no hope for years, and this is a pretty slim one.  Now it’s come true and they are heading out into the desert with only what they can carry, amongst them children and the elderly, and they will soon have half the Egyptian army on their tail.  It’s a time with not a lot of hope, but it’s all they’ve got, and the song is just excellent.  I’ll post the lyrics below, but first watch this incredibly low-resolution video to hear it and see it in all it’s glory:

If you want a faithful lyrical version, Celtic Woman do a lovely one.  If you want a less faithful one, Mariah and Whitney also have a version.
Lyrics:
[MIRIAM]
[Verse 1]
Many nights we’ve prayed
With no proof anyone could hear
In our hearts a hopeful song we barely understood
Now we are not afraid
Although we know there’s much to fear
We were moving mountains long before we knew we could

[Chorus]
There can be miracles when you believe
Though hope is frail it’s hard to kill
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe

[TZIPPORAH]
[Verse 2]
In this time of fear when prayer so often proved in vain
Hope seemed like the summer birds
Too swiftly flown away
Yet now I’m standing here

[MIRIAM]
Now I’m standing here

[TZIPPORAH]
With heart so full I can’t explain

[MIRIAM & TZIPPORAH]
Seeking faith and speaking words I never thought I’d say

[Chorus]
There can be miracles when you believe
(When you believe)
Though hope is frail it’s hard to kill
(It’s hard to kill)
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
(You can achieve)
When you believe, somehow you will
You will when you believe

[Bridge]
[HEBREW CHILDREN]
Ashira l’adonai; ki gaoj ga-ah
Ashira l’adonai; ki gaoj ga-ah
Mi chamocha baelim adonai
Mi kamocha nedar ba kodesh
Nachita v’chas-d’cha am zu ga-alta
Nachita v’chas-d’cha am zu ga-alta
Ashira, ashira, ashira

Ashira l’adonai; ki gaoj ga-ah
Ashira l’adonai; ki gaoj ga-ah
Mi chamocha baelim adonai
Mi kamocha nedar ba kodesh
Nachita v’chas-d’cha am zu ga-alta
Nachita v’chas-d’cha am zu ga-alta
Ashira, ashira, ashira!

[Chorus]
[ALL]
There can be miracles when you believe
Though hope is frail it’s hard to kill
(It’s hard to kill)
Who knows what miracles you can achieve
(You can achieve)
When you believe, somehow you will
Now you will
You will when you believe
(When you believe)

[MIRIAM & TZIPPORAH]
You will when you believe.

So, go forth into the new year with fresh hope, my friends.  You never know what this one holds.