It Only Hurts Worse to Fight It- By Denita Braziel

Yo, my sister is THE TRUTH!! She can't cook, but boy is she an inspiration. Instead of writing my own blog, I challenge you all to read her blog here: The Diary of a Not-So-Angry Black Woman. I have seen her grow so much and this blog is a microcosm of the growth she is making. I'm so proud! So read up!

Quote of the day..May 18, 2009

I was watching the Eastern Conference semi's yesterday (GO CAVS!) and this quote was mentioned by one of the broadcasters and it was a really great quote!

"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices, but honestly and courageously uses his intelligence and fulfills the duty to express the results of his thought in clear form."-Albert Einstein, March 19, 1940

This quote goes directly with what I have mentioned before about daring to be great. I'm really starting to believe when people like Albert Einstein echoe similar thoughts. We must truly have an untapped resource of strength that is capable of achieving the impossible! Anyway, have a BLESSED MONDAY!

Dare to be GREAT?

Today, at approximately 9:16 or so, I officially completed my last test in my undergraduate college career. Amidst the bittersweet feelings that I am experiencing, in many ways I am excited that I can now have the freedom to pursue and accomplish my dreams.  While in many ways, college has given me the tools that are essential to becoming a successful and competent global citizen, in other ways, it was a barrier that kept me from having the opportunities to use those instruments.  Regardless, today I read an article by Bill Simmons, a writer from ESPN, in which he was talking of how LeBron James, the MVP of the 2008-09 NBA basketball season was motivated to become "great" from the example that was provided by his fiercest competitor Kobe Bryant.  As LeBron saw Kobe wake up every morning at 6:00 am, and workout for three plus hours a day, LeBron realized that he needed to rachet up his work ethic if he truly wanted to be the best.  To sum it up, Simmons says this, "You can become great without the help of someone else, but you can't stay great without someone pushing you."  

This simple, yet profound observation is true in various ways.  When thinking of the great people, and/or movements of the past, there was always a galvanizing force that was pushing these people to achieve greatly.   The great German poet Hebbel once said, that "Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion." In the same way, I believe that we all have within each of us, a dream, an idea, a movement that is waiting for the perfect opportunity to awaken our spirit.  In my opinion, the only thing that is holding us back is us.  My dad used to always tell me that I was my own worst enemy, and he couldn't be more truthful in his statement.  Nelson Mandela, one of the men responsible for ending Apartheid, or the legal segregation of Black and White in South Africa.  This man was imprisoned for TWENTY SEVEN YEARS for leading this movement against Apartheid.  Want to talk about great? Here is your man.  He said, 

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that  other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's notjust in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." - Nelson Mandela, 1994 Inauguration Speech

In this game of life, what is it that motiavtes us? What is the event that produces the water that subsequently causes that seed to grow? What makes us passionate? We have the God-given ability to achieve anything that we put our minds to.  To briefly quote scripture from the Bible, after Jesus causes a fig tree to wither and die, He says that;

 

"if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, buy also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done.  If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."- Matthew 21:21

Now when when the son of God tells us that we have these inate abilities, who are we to doubt such words?  As Mandela said, "Who am I to be, brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world." We must ask ourselves, who will we choose to be? How will we spend our dash? Will we spend our existence scared? Lacking the faith in ourselves and in God? Or will we decide to take chances, walk in faith, and give ourselves the chance to accomplish our wildest dreams? I don't know, but I've got some mountains to move :)

Song of the Day/Moment...

Well, I'm currently sitting in a coffee shop waiting on a "friend" that was supposed to arrive 51 minutes ago. Oddly, while I was sitting here waiting a beautiful, beautiful song came on the radio. I was so touched by the song I bought two muffins and didn't even care I didn't get my change back ha. Anyway, coincidentally, in my need of a friend, this song came on.



This is definitely my favorite part of the song..

Feels like your always commin on home
Pockets full of nothin and you got no cash
No matter where you turn you aint got no place to stand
Reach out for something and they slap your hand
Now i remember all to well
Just how it feels to be all alone
You feel like youd give anything
For just a little place you can call your own
Thats when you need someone, someone that you can call

I'll probably blog something more later...I have a lot on my mind. Enjoy the song.

Can I Haaaaaaaaave It?! Can I??

So my brother thinks that my blog is too boring and that there needs to be funny posts. Well, my brother is clearly a lot funnier than I am, and until he writes a blog on here, this video is one of the funniest videos I have ever watched. I hope you enjoy it!!

Here's the script to the video clip.  Can I haaaaaaaaaave it?! haha. Oh yea, Darrell is a woman!! 

DAMN!
OH DAMN!
Ok, ok, ok.
Ahem.
‘Scume ca’I talk to yo fo a minute?
ESCUME ca’I TALK TO YOU FO A MINUTE?

Uhh, yeah, whats up?

Uhh, yeah, uhh, my name Darrell, its spelled like Darrell but it’s said pronounced Darrell.
Uhh, yeah, I just wanna let you know the back of your head IS RIDICULOUS!

Uhh, thanks.

Yeah, you are WELCOME.

Where’s your boyfriend?

Oh my, wha—uh, who?

Your boyfriend! Where your boyfriend at? Is she getting’ you refreshments? Is he tall? Is he gettin’ you Mike n Ikes? Oh, you like Mike n Ikes? Is he hefty? Is he comin’ back? Where your boyfriend? Where you boyfriend at? Where your boyfriend?

Oh—uh I don’t, I don’t have a boyfriend.

Oh you DON’T? Oh you DON’T have a boyfriend?
Oh ok, ok, ok, dats coo, yeah.
So LISTEN, umm, I was wonderin’, can I have yo numba? Can I have yo numba?

No, I-I-I don’t give out my number…in theaters, where I’m about to watch a movie.

Ohhh, oh ok, ok, dats coo, dats coo, I get it, you know.
You-You all into ponderin’ like cinemas n make believes n celluloids.
Yeah, yeah ok, ok, me too, me too, ok, yeah, yeah, I respect that. Yeah, keep doin’ your thing Miss Shallot. Miss Gene Shallot. Yeah, yeah that’s cute.

WHAT’S YOUR NAME DELICATE?

OHH! OHH! Umm..Yvonne.

OH YVONNE?
AW DAMN! HOLD UP!
THAT’S A FRENCH *** NAME YVONNE!
Yeah my lil croissant. Lil cheese, on my croissant. YEAH, mmmm!
So LISTEN, Ca’I have yo numba? Could I have yo numba?

Look, this is my day off and I just want to watch this movie…alone. I’m sorry.

Oh ok, ok, no I get it, I get it. I respect that.
...
So I can’t have it??

Uhh, no I just don’t give it out.

OOOOOOHHHH, ok, ok, I get it, I get it.
Ok, you uhh, you bein’ all selective ‘cause you got a PONYTAIL. RIGHT? RIGHT?
You think a lotta men cant handle the REGALNESS of a UP DO, right? Right?
You all like Grace Kelly. Grace Kelly. Grace Kelly.

No, no I’m not being anything because I have a ponytail.

Oh, Yvonne, Yvonne, Yvonne, Yvonne, Girl. Yvonne, Yvonne. Don’t be insecure girl.
OWN that ponytail! WORK that up do!

OK, I will.

Aw damn, you kinda sexy when you take my advice, girl, I like that.
Yeah, I like that, yeah.
So, uh, so listen, CA’I HAVE YO NUMBA? Could I have it? Could I have it? Could I please receive the secret code that if entered telephonically it will pass me through to you which means it will be your beautiful *** numba?

No, no.

Could I have it? No come on could I have it? Can I have it? Could I have it? Can I? Can I? Can I have it? Ca’I have it? [Sniff, sniff] Can I have it? 

No, no, the previews are about to start and I-I just want to ponder them…alone, so, but thanks anyway.

Oh, ok, ok alright, dats coo, dats coo, no, no, I get it, you know. You wanna like, you know, go through the all the intricacies of cinema. Ok. Ok. Yeah, so you, you know, keep-you keep doin’ your thing. You know, keep doin your thing. Yvonne Shallot, Yvonne Shallot. My little brie, yeah, ok bye. Alright, alright. I will miss you, though, will miss you. Alright you enjoy your day girl, alright? Take care. Alright. I luh you…

Ode to Denise Braziel

I wanted to be big. I wanted a big house, I wanted nice cars and I wanted to be famous. The life of the celebrity on TV is the life that I think most people in the world would not mind having. However, as a young man, I felt that that life was all that I had ever wanted, and that I could hurt and manipulate whoever I wanted to obtain these dreams..

Obviously, as I was growing up, I was an idiot. For most of my youth years, my thing was sports, sports, sports. I figured my way to success would be made through the athletic field. You would think that since I had come to this conclusion I would work my tail off so that I would be in the best shape as possible in order to be the best athlete possible. That would be false. Actually, I felt that I was above the strains and stress of life, and lived accordingly. I wouldn’t lift my hardest, I wouldn’t ever study my hardest, I was rude, I lied to get what I wanted, and if there was a corner that looked like it could be cut, I was holding the scissors. Naïve is probably an understatement when it came to my view about life, I just wasn’t aware of the hard work and dedication that it took that was being displayed in front of my eyes on a daily basis. To make matters worse, I was a hellion of a child, and at many times, I was completely disrespectful and degrading to the woman who brought me into this world. In many ways, I was living a complete and utter lie.

In all seriousness, in my eyes my mother is the most selfless woman I know, I would put her up there with the great people of history, Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, Denise Braziel, you can get the picture. When we lived in Virginia, she had a pretty modest job, it was very complementary to my father who had a very nice job. She nor my family ever had to struggle for anything, in fact, we were pretty well off in most opinions. As a high school graduate who only had one year of formal college education she had a very respectable job, while my dad, a Wittenberg graduate, had a very well paying job. However, once the we moved is when everything I thought turned to be completely different. I was overwhelmingly transformed by what the “real world” actually is. The relationship of my parents deteriorated and life got pretty difficult for my family. While most people would have quit, wallowed in self-pity and been deflated, my mother instead showed the true grit and determination that she has shown through out her entire life, and she was able to overcome the many obstacles that she had to face to become the woman that she is today.

Not only do I happen to be blessed to know the most amazing woman in the entire world, but I am doubly blessed in the way that I am able to call her my 'mom.' It is said that a “Mother's love is the fuel that enables a normal human being to do the impossible.” By looking at the actions of my own mother, it is easy to see why she is such a motivating force in my life. This woman has been for me through thick, thin, up, down, left, right, numerous threats, *cough, cough* rides to the police station and seemingly everything in between and I could write every word under the sun to complement this woman and it would not even scratch the surface. This woman is a fighter, a survivor, a friend, a sister, a leader, a mentor, etc., etc., and I could not be more proud of the woman that she is.

Through the lessons that were given to me by a great strong and caring mom, I have been instilled with a great sense of values and wisdom that has without a doubt made me the man that I am today. As Nancy Friday once said, “When I stopped seeing my mother with the eyes of a child, I saw the woman who helped me give birth to myself.” So, here's to the all of the Mothers out there, today is your day, and you deserve all the happiness in the world! To my mom, I love you with all my heart!!

"History" - Jay-Z

This song is called History by Jay-Z.  The video uses the story of Barack Obama to parallel the journey through history that Jay uses in his lyrics.  Here's the video, it's really well done.


First of all, this video is amazing.  While I may not particularly agree that "victory is finally ours," I will agree that this video captures the sentiment felt by people around the world as we celebrated the milestone moment of a man of color being elected to arguably the most powerful position in the world.  However, the part of the song that I relate to most is where Jay-Z says, 

"So much misery, like missing your last shot

And fall to your knees .

As the crowd screams, for the other team

I practice so hard for this moment victory don`t lead

I know what this means, i`m stuck in this routine

Whole new different day, but the same old things

All i got is dreams, but nobody else could see

Nobody else believe, nobody else but me

Where are you victory, i need you desperately" -Jay-Z, History

This part to me is important because it really reflects a lot of the trials that I feel I am going through right now.  There are so many dreams that I have, and I know that they are within reach, but the frustration of not reaching them yet, as well as that discouragement is precisely captured in these verses.  Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the video and the song.

This will probably offend someone...

As I was watching CNN today I was exposed to a video in which pastors in Washington D.C., that are outraged about a 12 to 1 vote that would recognize same-sex marriages that are performed in other states. To most people this might not seem like much of a story, but for me I see it quite differently. I know that this is a subject that is very sensitive and I might offend many by my views, and I apologize in advance. However, I can't help but parallel the struggle of those homosexual men and women who seek equal rights in marriage to the same corresponding fight for tolerance and fairness that have been taken by African-Americans and women to name a few.

Many Americans are unaware of this court case, but on June 2, 1958, Virginia citizens Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter, crossed the Potomac river into the District of Columbia to get married, and returned home to Virginia. Under most circumstances, this would be a perfectly fine union of marriage, however, with Richard Loving being a white man, and Mildred Jeter being a woman of colored descent, this was an illegal union under Virginia state law. Police in an attempt to catch them sleeping with each other, stormed into their bedroom at night and charged them with a violation under a Virginia Code, which prohibited interracial couples from being married out of state and then returning to Virginia. Also, the Lovings were charged with a violation, which were classified as "miscegenatio

n," or the mixing of racial groups; meaning in this case whites and those designated as non-whites were charged as a felony punishable by a prison sentence of between one and five years. The Lovings pleaded guilty, and were sentenced to serve o

ne year in prison, however, they had their sentences suspended under the condition that they were not to return to the state of Virginia together for 25 years.

Eventually the case reached the Supreme Court of the United States, and they ruled unanimously that they would reverse the previous decision of the Virginia Supreme Court, while stating that the previous courts decision was unconstitutional, and that it had conclusively "invalidated all state prohibition on interracial marriages." This case proved to be one of the last landmark cases of the civil rights era, as it completely destroyed the concept that people could be separated by law for the color of their skin. Further, this case proved to be essential for even more reasons.

It is a common belief among many, that marriage is one of the foundations of human life, and I agree; this precedent is found in Genesis with Adam and Eve. Furthermore, in this case, we saw that the union of two people was previously regulated and restricted by particular states. In doing so, we saw that these laws were a direct violation of the heart of the Fourteenth Amendment, which was the deprivation of the freedoms of United States citizens' rights without the due process of law. It is the vested right of every United States citizen to be able to choose who they would like to have a legal union with, and it is not the right of the state, nor the government to have the right to impose any type of restriction upon it. While many Christians may be uncomfortable with the term "marriage," in my own opinion, given the precedent set in the Loving v. Virginia case, it is still the right of these men and women to be able to have the freedom to pursue a union with whom they choose, and it is a violation of the Equal Protection Clause, to not be able to have this opportunity without the Due Process of law.

Now this is where things get very interesting. On one hand, as a Christian, I am told that the right of marriage is to be shared only between a man and a woman. In Romans, the bible says that;

"In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and

were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and recived in themselves due penaly or their conversion."- Romans 1:27

However, regarding sexual immorality, the bible also says that;

Deuteronomy 22:22

22 If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

Matthew 5:27-30

27"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery. 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out

and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.

While I don't see any Courts sentencing men and women to death for infidelity, I also do not see

many one armed men, or men and women who purposely remove their eyes due to their lusts. How can we revoke the rights of one body of individuals due to maybe 6 or 7 verses from the millions in the bible, especially when Jesus never mentioned it. However, Jesus DID mention that we MUST NOT judge others. He says;

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it

will be measured to you." - Matthew 7:1.

While these pastors and religious leaders spew their judgements upon these men and women, many do not understand that their own judgement in coming, nor do they condemn their fellow Church leadership that commits heterosexual adultery. In His ministry, Jesus chose NOT to condemn loners of society, the lepers, Roman soldiers, paralytics, the sickly, the blind, the mute, prostitutes, the poor, the same people we cast off on a daily basis. To make matters worse, these same individuals who denounce and depreciate the homosexual community fail to recognize their own faults under the eyes of God. Who are any one of us to judge these people? Jesus even says, that we must," first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." Well, I don't know about you all, but point me the person who is without sin, and I will call them a liar.

I have someone very close to me who is in a same-sex relationship, and I know that Jesus loves her no more and no less than any one of us. While I might not approve of it, I am no different in my own sinful nature to cast any judgement upon her. The term sin is an archery term that refers to when an archer missed his mark. In that case, the overseer would yell,"sin!" It is in the same way, that a sin is when we miss the mark that God calls upon each and every one of us to follow. Her sin is no different than mine, and I firmly believe that God sees it as such. The American Psychological Association released the following statement:

Now I chose to place this quote in here because one of the main arguments used in the same-sex marriage argument is that there is something "wrong" with these men and women and thus, they are not fit to have the same rights and benefits of a normal heterosexual marriage. Well, that is ridiculous, because there are millions and millions of homosexual men and women, some that we do not even know about due to biases that live productive and meaningful lives. Regardless of religious belief, and in my belief, even more so because of our religious beliefs, we must love and accept these people as children of God, because we're ALL his children. It is wrong and contradictory of us to judge these people when we are no different in sin. Ok, my rant is over, like I said, if I offened anyone I apologize. To me, it's all about equality, and if God loves us all equally, every one should be guaranteed equality if we're truly one nation, under God.

How will you spend YOUR dash?

I'm not sure if any of you have heard and/or read the poem by Linda Ellis titled "The Dash," but it is arguably one of the most provocative and influential pieces of poetry that I can remember reading. I will list it here:

The Dash Poem
by Linda Ellis

I read of a man who stood to speak At the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on her tombstone From the beginning to the end.

He noted that first came the date of her birth And spoke of the following date with tears, But he said what mattered most of all Was the dash between those years. For that dash represents all the time That she spent alive on earth And now only those who loved her Know what that little line is worth. For it matters not, how much we own, The cars, the house, the cash, What matters is how we live and love And how we spend our dash.

So think about this long and hard; Are there things you'd like to change? For you never know how much time is left That can still be rearranged. If we could just slow down enough To consider what's true and real And always try to understand The way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger And show appreciation more And love the people in our lives Like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect And more often wear a smile, Remembering that this special dash Might only last a little while.

So when your eulogy is being read With your life's actions to rehash Would you be proud of the things they say About how you spent your dash?
© 1996 Linda Ellis

I want to challenge all of us to look into our own lives and determine how we will spend our dash. Will it be wasted on worrying on things that we can't control? Will it be damaged by superficial fights with those closest to us? Or will it be spent and exhausted by loving and caring for those with every piece of ourselves? It is a tough thought that many of us will eventually have to face. As Will Smith in his movie Seven Pounds once said, "live life abundantly." Now I am posing the same challenge to any one who comes across this blog. So, how do you want to be remembered? How do you want to spend your dash?

Impossible is Nothing?!

I'm not sure how many are you are familiar with the Adidas apparel brand, but they have ran an ad campaign that I would argue is one of the best I have ever seen. These ads all correllate with the theme that, "Impossible is Nothing." The ad below, will give you an idea of what I am talking about.


"Some people listen to themselves rather than listening to what others say. These people don'tcome along very often, but when they do, they remind us, that once you set out on a path, even though critics doubt you, it's ok to believe, that there is no can't, won't or impossible. They remind us, that it's OK to believe, impossible...is nothing"

To further this sentiment there is also an ad campaign that furthers the ideals:

"Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing."

In writing this blog, I hope to echoe these same sentiments that in essence, the concept of impossible is nothing. Well let me rephrase, impossible is something only in the way that it can capitalize on our weaknesses and subsequently limit each and every one of us. As I've mentioned before, the great concept of those not recognizing the "impossibility" of their undertakings were actually the ones able to accomplish the most! Thomas Edison, the inventor of the phonograph and the long-lasting efficient lightbulb, once said that, "If we did all the things we are capable of doing we would truly astound ourselves."

Edison was a man who was probably more familiar with his failures than he was with his succeses. Thanks to Asker, the story goes...."After struggling to develop a viable electric light-bulb for months and months, Thomas Edison was interviewed by a young reporter who boldly asked Mr. Edison if he felt like a failure and if he thought he should just give up by now. Perplexed, Edison replied, "Young man, why would I feel like a failure? And why would I ever give up? I now know definitively over 9,000 ways that an electric light bulb will not work. Success is almost in my grasp." And shortly after that, and over 10,000 attempts, Edison invented the light bulb.

In looking at the record of Edison, is there any reason to doubt the validity of such words? In taking his words one step further, how many more monumental events are we capable of undertaking if we cease to limit ourselves? As I've mentioned, too many times we ask ourselves, there are just way too many things for us to do, 'I'm only one person,' or 'I'll do it later.' Aren't these all examples of limiting our power within us?

Dick and Rick Hoyt are an example of taking the word impossible and throwing it in a trash can. The father and son dynamo have competed together in over 1,000 marathons and triathlons over 27 years, and 5 Hawaii Ironman Triathlon World Championships. Oh yea, Rick Hoyt has cerebral palsy and cannot talk or walk. However, this man graduated from public high school and went on to Boston College, where he earned a degree in special education. Do you think the Hoyt family has any concept of the word impossible? I don't. Here's clip of the duo competing;



For me, to see the capabilties of human achievement can really be refreshing. Maybe the world isn't so crazy after all right? Maybe we are all truly capable of stretching our achievements to places were never thought were imaginable? Maybe there are opportunities out there that are

It's reassuring to know that we are more than capable of achieving success when others would call it 'impossible.' We care more than capable of achievement in fields many could not even dream. The are opportunites out there to find something truly exciting, thrilling, rousing and valuable for ourselves. Finding this challenge out however,can be a potential challenge all in itself. And you better believe that there is something out there that is meant to move us. But is that reason enough to not even try? I can't stress on this attitude enough, that we are the ones that we've been waiting for, and this is our movement! We just have to decide if we're gonna be defined by "small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it." We have to understand that it's OK to believe ,it's OK to fight for change, it's OK to regonize that fire that is burning within each and every one of our souls. It's OK to stand up and say, impossible is nothing.

So this morning I woke up at 6:12 am and for some reason I just couldn't fall back to sleep. After watching re-run after re-run of Sports Center I decided that I should just go for a morning jog to get myself out of bed. Usually when I run I listen to music that is really fast beat to get me motivated to keep going. However, this morning I was so captivated by nature that the uptempo songs were just boring. A song that came on that my brother Desmond suggested to me is a song called "All Fall Down" by OneRepublic. If you haven't heard it, please take a minute to listen it:



Anyway, the lyrics to this song were particularly moving to me this morning. My favorite parts are these:

Yeah God love your soul and your aching bones
Take a breath, take a step, maybe down below
Everyone's the same
My fingers to my toes
We just can't get a ride
But we're on the road

If ever your world starts crashing down
Whenever your world starts crashing down
Whenever your world starts crashing down
That's when you find me.

Lost till you're found
Swim till you drown
Know that we all fall down
Love till you hate
Strong till you break
Know that we all fall down- OneRepublic, All Fall Down

While there are clear religious overtones that can be associated with this song, the message that was most prevalent to me is how much we limit ourselves in our daily lives. While I wouldn't advocate to "love until you hate," I would absolutely champion the ideas of loving until there is nothing left to give. In dissecting the rest of the song, I love how it advocates the unconditional pushing of our limits until we are in a sense, spent of all of our resources. It is when we have nothing left, that according to the song we are essentially found. I think the song is also saying that we all fail, we all fall down, but that shouldn't restrict us from giving everything that can possibly give towards attaining something. I could go on and on, but I got to go to class! I love this song..