❝perfect by nature, icons of self indulgence. just what we all need, more lies about a world that never was and never will be...❞

solo sé
que nada es lo que parece ser
y entre más lo pienso
menos lo sé

yo ya he vivido otras vidas
joven aun soy
y entre más aprendo, es peor
menos saber, menos dolor

y yo lo quiero intentar
pero tú esperas más
de lo que yo puedo dar

y yo lo quiero intentar
pero tú esperas más
de lo que yo puedo dar
dar

ojalá no supiera
tantas verdades
lo que parece cierto
nada de cierto tiene en verdad

entre más ame, más amaré
entre más llore, más lloraré
tengo que olvidarme de lo que soy
de lo que fui y seré por ti

y yo lo quiero intentar
pero tú esperas más
de lo que yo puedo dar

y yo lo quiero intentar
esto es lo que soy
y solo esto puedo dar

oh, dar
dar
dar
oh, ah

tantos momentos que quedan atrás
y regresar no es fácil ya
tantas las cosas que tú esperas de mi
que ya nunca fui, que ya nunca fui

esto es lo que es
es así
eso eres tú
yo soy lo que ves

tú y yo
tú y yo
tú y yo
tú y yo

tú y yo
nos amamos
tú y yo
nos amamos

credit here

...

❝if everyone wants to be heard, then who's going to listen? ❞

first and foremost, growing old is a luxury. truly. because there is no guarantee that we will all grow old.

we just assume that we will grow old.

as the world is becoming more aged, i find myself being surrounded by people who are older than i am and also of course, the elderly. everywhere i go, i see them. they see me. they smoke. they drink. they gossip. they rant. they complained. they eat as if it's their last meal. they try to keep up with the "technological" joneses. they try to communicate with their children and grandchildren. they worry about their health. they talk about their past memories. they talk and talk and talk and talk. they tell people to do this and that. they compare their past experiences with the current modern ones...

...and i just listen. i watched them and i just listened. i feel them but i just listen. i would just sit there and listen. 

...

a few years before my mom passed, i used to go for end-of-life chanting for the deceased. the funerals are mostly elderlies but sometimes there were younger deceased too. then one day, i asked my then-teacher, "as the support chanters were mainly elderlies and i'm one of the younger practitioners here, should i have the luxury of passing away only in my old age - then who is going to chant for me?"

he replied, "yes, you are one of the younger ones and i hope that when it's your turn, there will be people to chant for you." 

at that very moment, i felt like a huge brick had slammed into my head. i realised that i wasn't ready to die not because i was still young(er) than the others but my reliance on something impermanent and uncertain was distressing. 

...

despite being told that if you do end-of-life chanting for others, others would do for you too when your time comes. well, true that. but we don't get to choose when that karma would ripen, isn't it? moreover, it wasn't bad to know other methods of handling the dying process. 

so, that opened up a whole new dimension of practices which were awesome.

and it was also in this unfolding i saw when i was experiencing doubt i found faith. it was through poverty i found wealth. it was through openness i found closure and it was through letting go i found purpose. 

and i looked back at my life so far because one can only trace the dots backwards...i'm quite at ease without all the labels. i'm just me and not some role that i play or some title or whatever name any human can think of. i don't have a glorious position in the society and that's really fine. i mean, if you're going to be in the top 2% in the world, who and what kind of people would you meet? are there even any humans there? they may look like humans but are they? 

but it is always interesting that there are these empty expectations where people put on themselves like: "you need to give birth by 30" or "earn your first million by 21" or "retire by 50" or the latest ongoing one "work till you die". 

social stigma, perpetuated by the older generations and i agree to disagree.

and when i look at them, i wonder what do they think about. for one, i'm always taught that they are always right and never wrong. to which again, i agree to disagree.

but my recent experience with a couple of elderlies and the conversations we had, i just felt a sense of disappointment. on one hand, they are worried about dying or being ill...on the other, they are accumulating negative karmas by putting others down. and then there is this whole other thing about preaching cause and effect one moment and then getting triggered and reacting to the poisons the next. 

i just feel sympathetic disappointment. 

so, i looked at them and listened...and i just listen. i watched them and i just listened. i feel them but i just listen. i would just sit there and listen. 

physically helpless but helping in my own way.

...

if i do grow elderly kind of old, that's a luxury that would not be taken for granted. and i want to keep practicing the dharma every single moment until this physical body disintegrates. but the refuge in the three jewels remain. keep going, yes keep going. 

for now, growing older in the mundane is also growing older spiritually. for the elderlies who can smile with my presence, i'll just keep doing, being and practicing. may they always find company with buddhas and bodhisattvas.

❝"sometimes, we choose the tough path only because we feel that to achieve important things, we have to take the tough path. we feel we need to punish ourselves. but why? why not choose the easy way out? what is so bad about it? especially when we are not prepared for the tough path. why climb mountains when you are not ready?" 

"have you ever bought a chair? have you ever bought one? and did you just go into a shop and buy the first chair you saw? (no) exactly my point. we check and try so many different chairs until we find the right one. some seats are comfortable but look like shit. others look nice but are hard on the bum. some just keep trying the cushies and how many cushies we check out before we find that one cushie? so, if we look for so many options just to buy a chair, then shouldn't we look at options when choosing a life partner?"

K: "i wished the whole world could hear about your chair theory. at least they could know about it."

DJ: "why is it important for the whole world to know this?"

K: " if they all understand this chair theory, they will stop judging others...then what a beautiful world it would be."

DJ: "no K. when you understand yourself well then what others think of you doesn't matter. if you don't take charge of your own life, then somebody else will!"

K: "i pity those who don't shop for chairs."

"genius is not one who has all the answers. genius is one who has the patience to find every answer." 

"who are the five people closest to you? an important study shows that everyone has about 150 people in their whole life. the next cut is the 50 who you would invite home for dinner. then, 15 people who you turn to during your good and bad times. and then finally, the five people who mean the world to you. so, who are your five people?"

"i believe all broken things can be put back together."

"you know, as children when we are sad, our elders tell us not to cry. when we are angry, they tell us, "give us a smile!" you know why? just to keep the peace at home. when we wanted to hate, they didn't allow us. now, we want to love, we suddenly find our whole emotional system to be haywire. it cannot function. sadness, anger, hatred...we were not allowed to express anything. so now, how do we express love?"

"if you don't cry wholeheartedly, how will you laugh wholeheartedly?"

"to feel safe, first the fears have to go. the fear of being abandoned, of being left alone. you have carried this fear with you all your life. and the burden of that fear is falling on all your relationships. especially on your love life. so, you leave others before they can leave you. because you never want to face that pain again. so, why not say goodbye to this fear, once and for all? why not say hello to life once again? i'm not saying that you should forgive your parents or that you should stop being angry with them. but let me tell you that...you should try to look at them not in the exalted status of parents but just as two regular people who make mistakes just like you and i and everyone. as a child, it is hard to understand this but now as an adult, you can at least try. don't let the past blackmail your present towards a beautiful future."

"genius is also knowing when to stop."

"kabaddi! kabaddi! kabaddi!" ❞

~ dr jehangir khan (jug)

...

❝is there any language that is not exclusively yours or mine? yes, it’s the language of love. the language of love is the language of the heart and feelings. while the language of words is elaborate, it doesn’t always convey our true or intended feelings. the wordless language of love is directly conveyed and always received with crystal clarity.❞ ~ swami kripalu

catching ignorance with Your bare hands

turning delusions into jewels and

blessing the ones who offer

their body, speech and mind together

"with a focus mind you shall pray,"

with a lovely voice You would say

i bow to You in reverence

for You always guide us in perseverance

Your compassion never wavers even for a second

that is how we all should be until samsara's end

together with Your Lord, You bring endless joy

ahoy! ahoy! ahoy!

by connecting to the buddhas, bodhisattvas and lineage gurus, i am also connected to You. although You can't be here with me physically, i am well protected, taken care of and guided by the compassionate buddhas, bodhisattvas and lineage masters. for that, i am utterly grateful. the arms that hold You will never fail You. Faith is all You need. 

ps. i requested for the lineage teachers to do the same for You as You do for me. love goes both ways, isn't it?

🙏

...

it has been a while since i last watched a hindi + indie film and a genuine open sharing and boy, was i mind blown 🤯

the first thing that came to mind is this:

should anyone want to know who gorgeous vajrayogini is, please watch this movie (and also tsem rinpoche's video)

hands down, 👑QUEEN👑(yes, both of them.)

to me, she and he are the personifications of vajrayogini and after watching this 154 minutes film and the 52 minute video , i was downright enamoured. beautiful, gorgeous and sensual divine feminine/shakti energies just filled me up from them both and again, mind blown. 

and what was most interesting was that tsem rinpoche's video came up just before i decided to watch gangubai. took that as a sign of inspiration and there we go. definitely inspired after catching them both one after the other and it hella brought back many many many memories for me. i won't ruin with spoilers because that would take away the magic of both videos but i must say, both videos brought me consolation. 

one prominent emotion i experienced was being understood. i had my fair share of obstacles growing up - being labelled and reminded every single day that i was a loser and failure in life and that i will never succeed, being moulded and groomed to be society's idea of perfection (an ideal daughter, an ideal girlfriend, an ideal friend, ideal student, ideal girl, an ideal woman...) so as to be accepted, being constantly compared to a "better" sibling, being called a bitch, a slut, a whore...just because i stood my ground with irrefutable reasonings, left to fend for myself despite asking for help from adults when i was bullied daily for years during my teenage years in school, refused to be employed because employer was worried that i would get pregnant, employers refused to recognise my past work experiences due to them being stuck inside their box (that's the most appropriate description i could give) and i could go on. 

but as what tsem rinpoche said in the sharing and gangubai looking back at her life in the final scene, 'now looking back, i am grateful for all that had happened because they made me who i am today.' - and what can i say? they literally took the words out of my mouth and heart. 

but amidst all these "obstacles" there were good times and opportunities too. tsem rinpoche mentioned that point as well. so, the road to rome has many avenues. some paths are treacherous while some paths are well, pathless...so you have to walk your own path, just like what our most venerable Buddha did. 

and i must say that i have since made peace with my 'growing up pains' because if without them, i wouldn't be here today. and also, the ones who instigated those experiences, they were obviously suffering as well. for sure because instead of going inwards to find the answers to their pains, they chose to project them outwards, towards others who take the brunt of their sufferings. so, much love and light to them. i hope they found their answers to their sufferings and not bury them deeper into the already deep trench. 

okay, back to the point - i wouldn't have the chance to enroll and immerse myself into the three jewels. yes, it and taken me a hella long time to come to this place of acceptance and when both tsem rinpoche and gangubai would never wanted what they had experienced to befall on anyone else, once again i felt understood. 

as much as i never wanted whatever i had experienced to befall on anyone but if this helps one to ripen the karmic seed of courage (just as how it did for so many of us), then is it all that bad?

and to face it, to really face it and resolve it is the only way out of suffering. yes, the scars are there. the indelible ink has been inked. i can see them, every single day. but i can also look at them and remind myself that they are scars to my beautiful. they each have a story with a powerful closure and that drives me towards aspiring and achieving enlightenment for the sake of all mother sentient beings. 

and everyone has a story to tell. everyone comes with a manual that gets updates every day. but the point has always been this for me - it's not about how you tell your story to the world but rather, it's about how you tell your story to your world. we can depend/rely on others for additional support but when we are at our last breaths, we are alone. and the only ones who can be truly there with us would be the enlightened ones. 

they are the true safety nets, or rather, they are the only safety net that i can trust and have faith in. 

...

for me, renunciation is and has to come from within. if you can let the inside go, the outside will follow accordingly. how many of us are still holding on to the painful experience that occurred 20 years ago? or the hurtful word that someone had called us? or the unrequited love that you had held on to for the past 25 years? or that wish to experience that beautiful place again? or to tell the person that you have hurt from when you were 10 years old that you are sorry? 

death bed thoughts, feelings, regrets...i've seen, heard and felt them all with my sense spheres but these are still happening. daily. to everyone who is still so caught up with the mundane world. 

there will and always will be "what if"...like, what if i had taken the time to do this instead of that? what if i had spent more time with spirituality rather than doing what i had done?

that's the answer we'll never know but...

only the enlightened ones will. 

so, what's really stopping us from working towards and reaching that state then?

what is stopping us from making enlightenment/buddhahood happen (and an utmost priorty) within ourselves so that we can truly and genuinely eradicate the suffering of others and also to answer their prayers - once and for all and for good? 

❝I❞ want: 

more money, more time; more energy, more of "that's mine!"

more hair, more tears; more answers, more fears

more work, more stress; more effort, no less.

more wishes, more hopes; more talents, no scope

more me, less you; more hate, less truth

more kindness, less complacence; more listening, less impatience

more response, less reaction; more humility, less humiliation

more silence; less noise; more gruel, less rice

more sun, more rain; more peace, no pain

more mornings, more nights; more practice, no fights

more calmness, more equanimity; more You, less me

more connection, more faith; more aspiration, more daith

so please - just give more, more, more!

(and the cycle never ends!)

first and foremost, i love the three jewels: buddha, dharma and sangha, because the philosophy behind Buddhism is dynamic and our dearest Shakyamuni Buddha had always been a strong proponent of independent and conscious decision making, for the benefit of all mother sentient beings. 

however we as humans are so multi-faceted with complex emotional and mental capacities, many topics which are great for open and genuine discussions are deemed to be controversial and well, many conversations become war simply "i'm right and you're wrong", the walls start to come up and that's it, a sentence had been made. 

unfortunately many could-have wonderful conversations get muted or even absorbed into a group-think mentality where much generalisations and assumptions are made. so, more wars. more fighting. more screaming. all in the name of just wanting to be heard, agreed upon, gratification, approval...you get the idea. 

we often also forget that all of us have control over our own lives and that, when we take care of ourselves, the rest of the world will be taken care of. this subtle realisation could actually be extremely beneficial. let me show you why.

...

i had been dabbling into veganism since 2015/16 and finally made the full transition from an omnivorous consumer to a herbivorous one in 2019. i was over the moon about it because i could finally practice properly and align with the teachings of the Buddha. 

before the shift, i had always been that person who eat to live because i just ate whatever that was available and the most economical. convenience was key as the day was filled with mundane activities for survival. at that point, i just wanted to eat and get it over and done with. eventually (and obviously), i fell sick very often and would turn to emotional eating (and not eating). 

when covid came through soon after, i had more time to dedicate myself to practice and started adhering to precepts more readily and properly. so there i was - practicing full vegan (no consumption of animal-derived items and also no five pungent roots) and only having one meal a day. 

this went on for a while until recently, i had decided to incorporate animal protein into my diet again but this time, with a reframed mind. i had been experiencing hot itchy red patches on my arms and hands for coming close to a year and i also started to see a bald patch on my head (likely alopecia). i tried all vegan ways and means to combat these physical issues such as supporting my daily requirements with supplements and using topical medication as well but nothing seemed to improve despite all attempts to try to help the situation. my physical body was in distress and daily practice became a challenge.

it was also around this time where i found myself at the crossroads between facing the issue of ethics and issue of upholding precepts. i knew it was going to be a difficult decision but eventually, i had decided to introduce animal protein again into my one meal a day for a month and see what was the outcome. if my physical body recuperates well, that meant that animal protein was necessary for me. if it didn't then i guess i had to dig deeper to get to the root of the problem.

as per usual, i would pray before and after my meal as i accept all food as medicine to sustain the physical body. i also limited my animal protein intake to just chicken meat, fish meat and eggs. a couple of days later, i found my hot red patches disappeared and hair also began to grow on the bald patch. the itches on the other parts of my body also subsided and eventually, disappeared. 

it was working. 

and i could feel that my physical body was coming back to its equilibrium. i could continue with my practice properly again and that was such a joy. 

this entire journey since 2015 was such a rewarding experience and as what our dearest Buddha had taught in the kalama sutta , it is crucial to do self-inquiry so as to direct yourself towards a sustainable solution/answer. and He had also always encourage practitioners to test their beliefs through experience to check the soundness of their decisions and if the outcome of the decision brings more benefit to all sentient beings, then one can proceed in full faith and conviction. personally, i noticed that the reframing of the mind to see and accept animal protein as medicine to sustain the physical body instead rather than holding just a mundane view of it being a slab of meat was probably the first step into physical healing.

on the other hand, before every meal i would just utter a simple assurance prayer to the animal that i would be consuming that it did not die for nothing. it is helping to keep my physical body going and with this workable body, i can then continue to practice. 

and it was just that. just that inner agreement and always sending out as much compassion as possible. it was all about the reframing of the mind and the approach taken towards the execution of the actions of the body, speech and mind. 

...

well, would i still welcome a buddhist vegan diet? yes of course! most importantly, as long as i do not cause inconveniences to the precious humans who prepare the food for me. 

would i encourage others to adopt a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle? yes, if that is what you are called to do then please do. but do not be afraid to reconcile changes and adjustments and not be led by doctrinal or social pressures. because ultimately, it has to work for you. it would not make any sense if you try to stick to your beliefs so much so that you end up in a hospital for conditions that could have been preventable. 

so, you are no longer a vegan? well, food is medicine and used to sustain the physical body for practice so i am just who i am. vegan or omnivore, i'm just estella.

there's always something about live music that brings out the essence of everything and maybe that could possibly be the reason why our dearest Buddha always encourages us to stay in the present. it's an ephemeral thing. and whatever that happens now can never be relived exactly the same again and that's why it is so special, unique and rare. 

and it is so easy to either want to catch and hold the moments tightly or just them slip through. but sometimes i find that we forget the fact that the moments are unfolding by and in itself...and if we constantly keep chasing the catching and the holding or the slipping, we are losing sight of the real deal - which is the unfolding. it's beautiful. it's gorgeous and downright uncertain and scary.

but that's the nature of it, isn't it? 

and for me, live music does that. it's in the unfolding that i truly embrace the nature of unfolding. so when we flow with this natural unfolding, it's just is. it's never the same each time and that's okay. that's the journey. enjoy it live!

...

once, i sang and danced in the rain

lifted my hands to the sky

and tasted the blessed heavenly water

free and sweet.

twice, i looked at You and smiled

touched noses and closed eyes

tasted the air that You released

free and sweet.

thrice, i called Your name and sighed

when will i see You again

tasted the bittersweet memories in my tears

it was still free and sweet.

forth, go forth

into homelessness of the heart and mind

letting go, acceptance, embrace and integration

free, sweet and now, spaciousness.

endless, deathless and countless

sufferings, neutrals and pleasures

all unfolding in the live journey

one breath is all it takes.

in.

out.

this could be the last.

she used to be my only enemy and never let to me be free

catching me in places that i knew i shouldn't be

every other day, i crossed the line, i didn't mean to be so bad

i never thought you would become the friend i never had

back then, i didn't know why

why you were misunderstood

so now, i see through your eyes

all that you did was love

momma, i love you

momma, i care

momma, i love you

momma, my friend (you're my friend)

i didn't want to hear it then, but i'm not ashamed to say it now

every little thing you said and did was right for me

i had a lot of time to think about, about the way i used to be

never had a sense of my responsibility

back then, i didn't know why

why you were misunderstood

so now, i see through your eyes

all that you did was love

momma, i love you

momma, i care

momma, i love you

momma, my friend (you're my friend)

you're my friend

but now, i'm sure i know why (i know why)

why you were misunderstood

so now, i see through your eyes

all i can give you is love (all i can give you is love)

oh, oh-oh (you're my friend)

momma (you're my friend)

momma, my love

oh, oh-oh, momma, i love you (me loving you, you loving me)

momma, i care (a love that's true, and guaranteed)

(you loving me, you loving me)

momma, my friend (a love that's true, a love that's true)

(and guaranteed, so true)

...

if i could tell the world just one thing it would be that we're all okay

and not to worry 'cause worry is wasteful and useless in times like these

i won't be made useless i won't be idle with despair

i will gather myself around my faith for light does the darkness most fear

my hands are small, i know but they're not yours, they are my own

but they're not yours, they are my own and i am never broken

poverty stole your golden shoes it didn't steal your laughter

and heartache came to visit me but I knew it wasn't ever after

we'll fight, not out of spite for someone must stand up for what's right

'cause where there's a man who has no voice there ours shall go singing

in the end, only kindness matters

in the end, only kindness matters

i will get down on my knees, and i will pray

i will get down on my knees, and i will pray

i will get down on my knees, and i will pray

my hands are small, i know but they're not yours, they are my own

but they're not yours, they are my own and

i am never broken

my hands are small, i know but they're not yours, they are my own

but they're not yours, they are my own and

i am never broken

we are never broken

we are

god's eyes 

god's hands

god's heart

never bite the hand that feeds you: "a gardener’s dog, frisking about the brink of a well in the garden, happened to fall in. the gardener very readily ran to his assistance, but as he was trying to help him out, the cur bit him by the hand. the man, annoyed at what he considered such ungrateful behavior towards one whose only aim was to save his life, came away the left the dog to drown." ~ the gardener and his dog; aesop’s fables

also: “people say you shouldn’t criticize your employer because you’ll be biting the hand that feeds you. it’s you who does the work, so who really feeds who?” ~ anonymous

conceptual thinking.

conditioning. 

assumptions. 

construct. 

belief system. 

customs. 

traditions. 

rules. 

expectations.  

there is nothing inherently good or bad but rather, issues of unrest arise when these are taken to the extreme as the more we feel caged, the more we want to break out. 

and just because the square hole allows all shapes the go through, it doesn't mean that it is the only way. similarly, just because the cup is orange in colour, it is not an orange.  

accepting where i am is key to moving forward because the very awareness unlocks and opens the possibilities available.

can you hear the whispers all across the room?

you feel her eyes all over you like cheap perfume

you're beautiful, but misunderstood

so why you tryna be just like the neighborhood?

i can see ya, i know what you're feelin'

so let me tell you 'bout my little secret

i'm a little crazy underneath this, underneath this

do you ever feel like a misfit?

everything inside you is dark and twisted

oh, but it's okay to be different

'cause baby, so am i

do you ever feel like an outcast?

you don't have to fit into the format

oh, but it's okay to be different

'cause baby, so am i

oh so, dress up fancy like Sid and Nancy

walkin' killer queen, gotta keep 'em guessin'

so baby come pass me a lighter

we're gonna leave 'em on fire

we're the sinners and the blessings

you're king and you're queen

you're strong then you're weak

you're bound but so free

ah-ah-ah

so come and join me

and call me harley

and we'll make 'em scream

you don't have to fit into the format

'cause baby, so am i, so am i, so am I.

...

take a picture of my figure

catch a glimmer, allow me to remind you, baby

i'm the keys to your car, babe

if you lose me then, baby, good luck

i'm the king to your checkmate

still yours, oh, baby, you've won

i'm the bubbles in your champagne

grip me tight like you're holding your cup

i'm the keys to your car, babe

whoa, know that you need me

~ i'm your belladonna; don't come here unless you wanna 

❝ each individual life can be likened to a wave in the ocean. when a wave rises from the ocean, that is life, and when it merges back into the ocean, that is death. this process continues eternally, without beginning or end.❞

~ daisaku ikeda

okay so i'm having some visual fun watching youtube shorts and it tickles my mind. i am imagining watching this with my Buddha Tribe 🤙and it makes everything worthwhile. dharma on the loose y'all!

...

1) let him cook : when the teacher aka the Buddha teaches the dharma and you just get it. then you listen, follow His guidance and reach enlightenment.

2) pronoun problem : when the teacher aka the Buddha just need you to do the recommended practices. that's it.

3) intensive : when the teacher aka the Buddha is trying to explain karma in words because verbs are, well - action words. but, you have to do it! Have you done it? okay, so you did it.

...

the teacher aka the Buddha is always teaching. He is consistently teaching. now the question is this: are we tuning in and listening?

listen

listen

listen

listen

listen

listen

listen

listen

i hope you never lose your sense of wonder,

you get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,

may you never take one single breath for granted,

god forbid love ever leave you empty handed,

i hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,

whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,

promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,

and when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

i hope you dance...

i hope you dance...

i hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,

never settle for the path of least resistance,

livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin',

lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin',

don't let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter,

when you come close to sellin' out reconsider,

give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,

and when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

i hope you dance...

i hope you dance.

i hope you dance...

i hope you dance.

(time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,

tell me who wants to look back on their years

and wonder where those years have gone.)

i hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,

whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,

promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,

and when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

Dance... 

i hope you dance.

i hope you dance...

i hope you dance.

i hope you dance...

i hope you dance.

(time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,

tell me who wants to look back on their years

and wonder where those years have gone.)

❝the phrase is then interpreted as a reference to companies that engage in politically correct activities as part of their corporate strategy, but only to see such strategy result in significant financial loss for them. ❞

be silent

first on the inside

then on the outside.

feel for yourself

first on the inside

then on the outside.

consider for the other

first on the inside

then on the outside.

make the necessary changes

first on the inside

then on the outside.

disagree with me

first on the inside

then on the outside.

there's so much life i've left to live and this fire's burning still

when i watch you look at me, i think i could find the will

to stand for every dream and forsake the solid ground

and give up this fear within of what would happen if they ever knew

i'm in love with you

'cause i'd surrender everything to feel the chance to live again

i reach to you i know you can feel it too

we'd make it through a thousand dreams i still believe

i'd make you give them all to me

i'd hold you in my arms and never let go, i surrender

i know i can't survive another night away from you

you're the reason i go on and now i need to live the truth right now,

there's no better time

from this fear i will break free and i'll live again with love

and no, they can't take that away from me and they will see, yeah

i'd surrender everything to feel the chance to live again

i reach to you i know you can feel it too

we'd make it through

a thousand dreams i still believe, i'd make you give them all to me

i'd hold you in my arms and never let go, i surrender

every night's getting longer and this fire is getting stronger, baby

i'll swallow my pride and i'll be alive

can't you hear my call? i surrender all

i'd surrender everything to feel the chance to live again

i reach to you, i know you can feel it too

we'll make it through

a thousand dreams i still believe, i'll make you give them all to me

i'll hold you in my arms and never let go, i surrender

right here, right now i give my life to live again

i'll break free, take me

my everything i surrender all to you

right now (right now)

i give my life to live again (i give my life)

i'll break free, take me (take me)

my everything, i surrender all to you

right now (right now)

i give my life to live again (i give my life to you, baby)