your song.

"You've got the words to change a nation

but you're biting your tongue

You've spent a lifetime stuck in silence

afraid you'll say something wrong

If no one ever hears it 

how we gonna learn your song."

              - Emeli Sande, Read All About It

for some reason, this song has always resonated within me.

it takes a lot of guts for us to speak up. especially when we're faced with people that we know don't agree with us. people who are straightforward, direct and know what they want are often labelled difficult. and being in certain societies, we are often pressured into being agreeable just for the sake of not rocking the boat. but it's one thing to be polite, and another to be silent.

why do we care so much about pleasing other people when it goes against what we believe in? listen to what others have to say. but also arm ourselves with valid and educated points. argue and disagree respectfully. arguments and disagreements are not a sign of weakness. treated the right way, it's a sparring battlefield where we can have mutual respect for each other and come out with a better understanding of different perspectives. you may not agree with those perspectives, but treat them with respect all the same.

most importantly, to get others to respect us, we gotta start respecting ourselves first.

be strong. be brave.