Saturday, July 7, 2012

Inspirational Words: Albert Einstein


Albert Einstein, widely renowned as a genius physicist, famous for his General Theory of Relativity and father of what is now known as Quantum Physics, was also a man of deep philosophical thought. His words are wellsprings of wisdom based on his own soul searching and observations about himself, human beings, society, and the world as a whole. By all appearances, Einstein was a simple and humble man who had a tremendous impact on the human race.

Here are some of his words. Read. Think. Be inspired.







































Hurt

tell me not to care me so much

they tell me to be realistic,
listen to the ways of this man-made world and
tone in down a notch

dream only when you’re asleep
and don’t tell me about it

don’t look behind all these tarnished, maroon curtains
at the ugliness we’ve kept so un-cleverly hidden,
don’t pay attention to any of it
because it might take you a step closer to the truth
and the truth hurts,
it hurts…

speak when you’re spoken to,
walk when the sign says to
and go where you’re allowed because
it’s bloody dangerous out there and you might get
hurt.

stay comfortable.
stay home.
stay safe.
as long as you don’t bother anyone
or move anything then everything will be ok

things are not ok.

they shit on us telling us it’s chocolate icing,
spray Febreeze on piles of decaying rot and tell us
it’s a breath of fresh air,
tell us that as long as you can afford your skinny mint frappuccino with flavour shot of your choice from Starbucks every single day then – hey,
you’re doing pretty good

how good are you really doing?
how are you actually living?

aim higher.
push harder.
reach farther.
ask more of yourself than you would of your children,
your significant other,
your employees;

be a leader;
to lead is to teach and teaching by example isn’t the only way to teach
but it’s probably the most effective,
listen to the cries of your soul on one of those nights of fear
instead of going out for drinks,
write something, build something, create something
instead of watching another episode of Jersey Shore,
and if you don’t want to listen to me then ask yourself why
because all I’m telling you to do
is to listen to you,

listen to you
                                                 
no matter how much it hurts.


Friday, July 6, 2012

Unseen

pain doesn’t really care what colour you are
whether or not you have a trust fund or
live on the street
pain doesn’t care how old you are
if you live a comfortable life
or haven’t slept in a week

fear doesn’t give a fuck if you’re a homosexual
if you’re straight as an arrow
or you live your life celibate
and fear doesn’t care if you’re an athlete or professional
if you live a rough life
or your whole world is delicate

this is life right now and there’s no prerequisite
no instruction manual, no list for double-checking it
we’re only here as long as we are – no half steppin it
this world brings us down only as long as we’re letting it

you see, sadness doesn’t just pick on the weak-hearted
and madness doesn’t just steal the minds of cowards
we wanna build our lives, but before we start it
we should take a few minutes to analyze our power

strength lies in more than our muscles and bones
strength is what it takes to build a family, a home
a community, a world worth living in
when a man does you wrong, it takes strength to be forgiving him
it takes courage to live this life
to be true to oneself in the face of the odds
to make sense of a world that can seem so odd
keeping faith is more than about believing in God

it’s about seeing greatness in the eyes of each other
responsibility for pointing out the lies in each other
no matter how uncomfortable, we must rely on each other
we can either grow together or die with each other
and might sound drastic, but life can be drastic
we all carry burdens around, we try to mask it
lie about the fact that sometimes we get our ass kicked
it’s like we’re tryna shine our light through layers of plastic

but we’re greater than we give ourselves credit for
you’re greater than your bank account balances and credit scores
this world made you forget who you are – what you let it for?
once upon a time, you had a dream – what did you forget it for?


get quiet. take some minutes from time and just listen
be patient with the process,
get in touch with your inner waves like audio that’s lossless
fuck a dollar sign – silence is priceless – costless
just listen…

because love doesn’t care what mistakes you’ve made
even if you spent half your life drinking your way to the grave
and love doesn’t resent you for being a human being
love lives in the unseen – there’s so much we’re not seeing


Wednesday, July 4, 2012

The Path

Lyrics for "The Path” feat. Mike Devine (produced by Junia T) - lead single on the poet EP:

VERSE 1:

I saw my life painted on a canvas
strayed from my path and then the picture vanished
did a bit of damage
tried to put it down, but life without raps – I can’t manage
now I’m feeling famished                                                                      
hungry for a bigger life, thirsty for a broader dream
now at least I sleep nights not toking like a fiend
and though I’m grateful for that, I can’t stop moving
when I’m making progress the only time I’m not losing                                              
six years since I stopped boozing – for what?
so I could relax and lay in the cut? nah – fuck that
can’t live my life without momentum like a drum track
keep my skills sharp like the tip of a thumbtack                                                              
I know that there’s battles ahead, I won’t run from
though I feel cut from my Roots – my life “Undun”
but from this place, spitting out distaste
refuse to live my life in the shadow of disgrace                                        
the race of a thousand souls, what is fifth place?
when only one or two can shine, what is it we chase?
life ain’t an iPhone, you can’t replace
years gone by or the time you waste                              
staring in the mirror, tryna analyze my face
the man that grew from a boy,
now it’s build or destroy
I guess it’s time to put away old toys
on this journey tryna find my voice                            

CHORUS:
seeing my dreams as I create that
ain’t no rehearsal and ain’t no take backs
blessed with a gift and I’ve got to show it
ain’t no glory on the path of a poet
I know that time don’t wait for no man
gotta stay focused on where I’m goin’
where this road leads is not for knowin’
try to keep faith and enjoy the moment

VERSE 2:

consumed by thoughts that aren’t theirs
pursuing wares that ain’t fit for the wear
walking through life sometimes I stop and stare
I’m looking for that soul but it just ain’t there
try to numb out but I really do care
what’s the point of keeping score when nothing is fair?
sometimes I wish that I wasn’t so aware
but I know what I know, I gotta spit it and the message is rare                           
we are much more than they ever said we were, unsure
of whether we can live out our dreams, cliché as it seems
I believe that we need to achieve
our utmost, to bear fruits on these branches of leaves                                    
(so) caught up in all that we receive
we refuse to pay attention to the things that the world really needs
we hiding in the night like thieves
looking for ways to get a buzz but we’re never relieved              
we can’t relax, losing real estate in our minds – Remax
try to do better but we tend to relapse
where are we goin? we gotta take a look where we at
we can’t grow from where we ain’t, we’re not sinners or saints
we’re in between like the colour between purple and green
it’s all blue, the distance between me and you
real recognize real, real recognize the fake too
but I don’t hate you…

CHORUS:
seeing my dreams as I create that
ain’t no rehearsal and ain’t no take backs
blessed with a gift and I’ve got to show it
ain’t no glory on the path of a poet
I know that time don’t wait for no man
gotta stay focused on where I’m goin’
where this road leads is not for knowin’
try to keep faith and enjoy the moment

VERSE 3:

moments yeah they pass by
sometimes miss ‘em like I got two glass eyes
everybody hustle hard, tryna live ‘em fast lives
half the time talking in tongues, speaking fast lies
overly familiar like past-lives                                                         
feeling like I been here before, is this a failed attempt
to live a glorious life, or am I just exempt
from the mediocrity of averages
that we all condone while ignoring the savageness                                           
honestly, I don’t how to handle this
sometimes lost in my ramblings, searching for advantages
tryna manage my own career without management
half my time spent tryna recoup my damages
so what’s the sense in it
when everything’s an expense and that I keep on investing in
self-interest vested in
laying out my soul over beats and manifesting it
struggling’s the method that my character is tested in                                      
not just another rap specimen
a poet that grew from walking the path of lesser men
from the fog I was in to way out of my element
I still resist this road to my detriment                            
I got a soul sickness – this art is my medicine
so I’ma play my part and shine light like Edison
but I’ve learned to keep my pace steady-and
anything less than my God given purpose I’m not settling

CHORUS:
seeing my dreams as I create that
ain’t no rehearsal and ain’t no take backs
blessed with a gift and I’ve got to show it
ain’t no glory on the path of a poet
I know that time don’t wait for no man
gotta stay focused on where I’m goin’
where this road leads is not for knowin’
try to keep faith and enjoy the moment


Saturday, June 23, 2012

Inspirational Words: Ralph Waldo Emerson


Ralph Waldo Emerson was a highly influential figure in shaping of the voice of American literature and thought since his life in the 19th century. Essayist, poet, lecturer, and leader of the Transcendentalist movement, Emerson's words influenced many famous auhtors such as William James, Friedreich Nietzsche, Walt Witman, and Henry David Thoreau. Perhaps what made Emerson such a prominent figure was not only his unflinching questioning of everyday societal values and ways of life (which he did throughout his prolific career), but he also pointed people in the direction of different ways of thinking and looking at the world. His words still echo today, long after his death, with the same poignancy and relevance as the times they were written in. 

Here are some of his words. Read. Question. Be inspired.