Shake It Off

As many of you know Taylor Swift came out with a new song on Monday! It's poppy, it's catchy and it's a lot of fun. With how much much of a Tswizzle fan I am, here is my attempt at a non-biased review. If you by chance aren't like the other 95% of people in this world and have not heard the song (or seen the video) the link is at the bottom of this blog.

The song itself is very….upbeat! It's slightly repetitive (especially toward the end) and even I can see how it would be perceived as slightly annoying. I would also be surprised if it's played on many country stations with it being closer to a pop like genre. But she's been slowly moving away from the country music scene with each album she's had….we all know that!

But lets take a look at the message of the song. The point she's trying to get across is very clear. People everywhere will always talk. They will always twist the truth and they will always say bad things about you. Every person at some point in their life can identify with this. There are mean and hurtful people in this world and sadly that probably will not change….But the truth is we are the one's with the upper hand. Just like Taylor said in her interview (which you can watch here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM9sq93pXVg ) you have to have more fun than they do. You have control over them, because you have control over how you react. You have control over how their words affect you. Who cares what they think and who cares what they say. You are you and you are beautiful….Someone cue Selena Gomez….Who says, who says you're not perfect ;)

But on a more serious note, too many people these days value what other people say about them more than what they think about themselves. I love that Taylor is speaking out about this. It takes someone like Swift, who has the influence on so many, to stand up and make an impact. People should be who they are, NO MATTER what that means. Be you and be happy. I for one am glad there is someone like Taylor Swift in this world. I hope people, teenagers, adults, outcasts and everyone everywhere hear this song and decide to "shake it off." I know it has inspired me. Not only to not sweat the small things or care about other people's opinions of myself….but also to inspire others to live this way as well. Imagine a world where everyone felt comfortable to be themselves and no one judged others….that would be a world I would be proud to live in. A world I would be proud to raise my kids in. And a world I hope we someday see. So, in my non-biased biased opinion…thank you Tswift for helping make this world a more beautiful place! And I have no doubt she will "shake off" any and all criticism her new song receives….either that or she'll just write a song about you ;)

http://www.vevo.com/watch/taylor-swift/Shake-It-Off/USCJY1431460?syndicationid=bb8a16ab-1279-4f17-969b-1dba5eb60eda&shortlink=O2QGie&country=US&referralurl=https:%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2F

What's Your Perspective?

As I sit down to write, I'm not really sure what I want to say. So we will see where this goes. I heard the news about Robin Williams and I was overcome by sadness. I thought to myself, but he is so funny. He's not a sad man. As I pulled up a few different articles I started to see that the character he plays in so many different hilarious films was the not the person he had become behind the scenes.

I then began to think, how many other people put on this "happy guy" persona. How many people do I come into contact with that have contemplated suicide in the past? That are contemplating suicide now? How many people have I not had the opportunity to meet because they have already taken their life?

As I sit and think about the reality of this, I have decided that life really comes down to perspective. From my chair it's easy to look at a person like Robin Williams and think he has it all. He's happy, hilarious and rich. What more do you need right? He's travelled the world and been given opportunities I could only dream of. But from his eyes he was sad, lonely and struggled severely with depression and addiction. I cannot know what specific struggles he faced, but I am sure if I had been able to sit down and talk to him yesterday, I would not have seen a happy man.

That made me think about my life. I went through such a low point a few years back that I would still consider it to be a rock bottom. And I thank God that I came through. There were moments I wasn't so sure. I remember one day, in the middle of all that, I was at work listening to a girl complain about menial boy problems. For a moment in time I was almost mad at her. The fact that the biggest problem in her life at that point was that some boy didn't return her phone call seemed like a joke to me. I was envious of the simplicity of her problems. But in the same moment my heart softened. With that being the biggest worry of her life, I was pretty sure she was going to be ok. I realized I couldn't be mad at her for not having to go through the struggles I had. And honestly I wouldn't have wished for her to anyways. From my perspective her boy problems were so small and simple. But to her, from her current perspective, it felt like her world was falling apart.

I think if I was able to go back in time and talk to this girl again I would tell her to be thankful she had a boy talking to her at all, some girls don't. To be thankful that she had parents who could afford to buy her her own cell phone, some girls don't. And especially to be thankful that she had a friend to talk it all over with, many people do not have that support. But on that same note, from Robin Williams perspective, I am sure there are a few things he could tell me to be more thankful for too. Had I seen this light in my dark days, maybe it would have made them a little brighter.

This is how I came to the conclusion that life is all about perspective. Life is not about what you do not have. Life is about what you do have. The only difference between these two sentences is one word. One simple word, but one not so simple concept. Sometimes I wonder how many lives would be saved if more people saw life in the latter.

I guess if I could leave you with something from all of this it would be one of my all time favorite quotes:

"Be kind to everyone you meet, they're fighting a battle you know nothing about."

Some peoples lives may seem perfectly held together to you on the "stage", but you have no idea what's going on behind their scenes. Be the smile the brightens their day. Be the kind act that restores their hope. Be the person that helps them see the GOOD in this world.  And live a life that gives them a reason to change their perspective.