There's hope

I'll have to admit that I really like India Arie, and I remember a year ago when I was student teaching, I used to play this CD a lot during project work time. A massive copyright violation, and I'm sure someone's fixin' to sue me, and all that, I know, but it was very appropriate for the kids and it helped mellow them out and keep them on track. By any means necessary, as the saying goes.

I still listen to this a lot driving to and from school, and it puts me back in a good frame of mind no matter what happens that day...

Back when I had a little,
I thought that I needed a lot,
A little was overrated,
But a lot was a little too complicated

Isn't that always the trouble? Most of us don't know what we want, and even when we have everything we need, we don't realize it, and go and mess everything up?

See, zero didn't satisfy me,
A million didn't make me happy,
That's when I learned the lesson,
That it's all about your perception

I figured out a long time ago, that being rich and famous wasn't the point. Probably a good thing because I'm in no danger of ever being rich. In fact, most of the time I've been pretty broke...but it is all about your perception. If wealth is just money, then I'm poor. Or maybe not, because to me, it's all about being happy with what you are doing, and getting the basics covered. I've got my little corner of the universe and I'm pretty happy being where I am and doing what I do. Sometimes it's been a rough ride, but I guess it keeps things from ever getting too dull. Would I change anything? Probably not, I'm making it work, the way it is.

So you act, so you feel, so you are
It ain't about the size of your car
It's about the size of the faith in your heart

That kind of reminds me of the same stuff I tell kids all the time...you're the one who decides whether we have a good time or a bad one, it's up to you whether you succeed or fail, and so on. There's times when I want to give up too, but one thing I have learned in life is that never works. It's better just to get up and keep moving, and trust that at least you are still moving forward...

There's hope,
It doesn't cost a thing to smile,
You don't have to pay to laugh,
You better thank God for that,

Word.