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I have lived the past couple of years with montra, "Dance with the Fear". This comes from one of my favorite quotes from Jack Canfield, "Everything you want is on the other side of fear". Dancing with the fear to me means to push through the fears and the doubts that hold us up from achieving our goals and following our dreams.
I recently released my full length album, "Meet Me in Madison". I wrote and co-produced the entire album at Megatone Studios in Madison, Wisconsin. All of my songs have a story. All of my songs mean something to me. One of my favorite things about music is connecting with others through my songs and lyrics.
The past couple years have been a rollercoaster. I believe we all go through the things we go through for a reason. We may not understand the reason but there is always something for us to gain from these moments. I lead a positive outlook on life and always try to see the silver lining in even the ugly of ugliest moments we go through. "What won't kill me, makes me stronger. C'mon try me. Push me farther." Here is the story behind my song, "Stronger."
"I’ve been stomped on, stepped on, pushed around
Fell so hard I hit the ground
Turned my eyes to the sky
Hurt so bad I couldn’t cry"
I found myself being pushed to my limits. I was overworked and stressed out of the demands of my job and life in general. I felt like I was losing control of the things that mattered. I was losing myself.
"Made the choice right then and there,
To love myself without a care
Look past the doubt in my soul
Follow my heart and just let go"
Looking back, I was happy. I was successful. I was content. But was I living? I found myself pushing myself more and more to achieve greatness. Why was I pushing myself so hard? What is it that I was lacking? I think without even knowing it, I was exhausted of living up to what people wanted and expected me to be; including myself. Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves? Whose standards are we living up to? Who sets the expectations?
"I turned the page with no regrets
Held on tight, I took the risk
Took a breath, I made the leap
With a naive heart, I dove in deep"
I must disclose that I am the absolute worst when it comes to change. I mean, the absolute worst. The fear of the unknown has been something I have struggled with my entire life. I started looking at my life and realizing, I was just following the herd. I was living just as I thought I should be living based on my surroundings. I graduated high school. I went to college. I graduated with a four year degree. I got a job. I got married. Then what?
I did it. I took the leap. After a long emotional string of events, I decide to resign from day job to pursue my dreams of being a full-time musician. I remember feeling hesitation while making this decision but felt in my heart and whole being that I was making the right decision. I mean, what is worst thing that could happen? I fail?
"I tried to help, I tried to care
Sacrificed to make it fair
Walked away with my head held high
Proved them wrong. Kept my pride"
So often, I put my own needs off to the side to make sure that everyone else around me is ok. I exert so much energy into making sure people like me. In a situation, I would sacrifice my own happiness to make sure everyone around me was content. Why?
I am learning that there are going to be people that don't like me. There are going to be people who want to see me fail. There are going to be people who don't agree with my decisions. I can't control the way people will see me. The only thing I can control is the way I handle these situations. I have learned the importance of keeping my head up and my eyes in my own lane.
"I saw the highs, I felt the lows
Prayed to God to take control
Picked myself up off the floor
Wiped the tears, came back for more"
For the first time in my life, I felt empowered. This point in my life was a rollercoaster ride of many highs and many lows. There were moments I wasn't sure I made the right decision. There were moments I felt like giving up. I had to dig deep to keep pushing forward.
"I found myself, I stayed true
Lord knows what I’ve been through
Fear and uncertainty,
I created my own reality"
Through all the fear and the uncertainty, I found myself. I am still a work in progress but I am stronger. I am learning to live unapologetic for who I am. I am learning to let go of others opinions and expectations. I learning to dismiss toxic people from my life who no longer serve me on my journey.
"What won't kill me, makes me stronger. C'mon try me. Push me farther." It is never too late to create your own reality.
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Written by: Elizabeth Mary
Download my song "Stronger" on all major music sites or https://www.elizabethmarymusic.com/music
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