April Foiles

Determine to participate as fully as possible in the life around you.

by

Time is what one must find in order to Develop interest and curiosity to enjoy life for its own sake. The other equally important resource is the ability to control psychic energy. Instead of waiting for an external stimulus or challenge to grab our attention, we must learn to concentrate it more or less at will.

The only way to take over the ownership of life is by learning to direct psychic energy in line with our own intentions.

…it is not what happens to a person that determines the quality of life, but what a person makes happen.

Other things being equal, a life filled with complex flow activities is more worth living than one spent consuming passive entertainment.

Only if attention is to a certain extent free of personal goals and ambitions doe we have a chance of apprehending reality on its own terms.

– Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

There’s hope.

by

It doesn’t cost a thing to smile. You don’t have to pay to laugh. Paradise is in your mind. Stand up for your rights. Keep shining your light and show the world your smile.

There’s Hope by India Arie

Lyrics

Back when I had a little
I thought that I needed a lot
A little was over rated,
but a lot was a little too complicated
You see-Zero didn’t satisfy me
A million didn’t make me happy
That’s when I learned a lesson
That it’s all about your perception
Hey-are you a pauper or a superstar
So you act, so you feel, so you are
It ain’t about the size of your car
It’s about the size of the faith in your heart

[Chorus:]
There’s hope
It doesn’t cost a thing to smile
You don’t have to pay to laugh
You better thank God for that
[repeat]

There’s hope

[Verse 2:]
Off in the back country of Brazil
A met a young brother that made me feel
That I could accomplish anything.
You see just like me he wanted to sing
He had no windows and no doors
He lived a simple life and was extremely poor
On top of all of that he had no eye sight,
but that didn’t keep him from seein’ the light
He said, what’s it like in the USA,
and all I did was complain
He said-livin’ here is paradise
He taught me paradise is in your mind
You know that

[Chorus]

[Bridge:]
Every time I turn on the T.V. (There’s Hope)
Somebody’s acting crazy (There’s Hope)
If you let it, it will drive you crazy (There’s Hope)
but I’m takin’ back my power today (There’s Hope)
Gas prices they just keep on rising (There’s Hope)
The government they keep on lying
but we gotta keep on surviving
Keep living our truth and do the best we can do

[Chorus]

Stand up for your rights [echo]
Keep shining your light [echo]
And show the world your smile [echo]

[Chorus]

Your seeds will grow.

by

After winter, must come spring. Let’s love ourselves then we can’t fail to make a better situation.
Tomorrow, our seeds will grow. All we need is dedication.

Everything is Everything by Lauryn Hill

Lyrics

Everything is everything
What is meant to be, will be
After winter, must come spring
Change, it comes eventually
(2x)

I wrote these words for everyone
Who struggles in their youth
Who won’t accept deception
Instead of what is truth
It seems we lose the game,
Before we even start to play
Who made these rules? We’re so confused
Easily led astray
Let me tell ya that
Everything is everything
Everything is everything
After winter, must come spring
Everything is everything

I philosophy
Possibly speak tongues
Beat drum, Abyssinian, street Baptist
Rap this in fine linen
From the beginning
My practice extending across the atlas
I begat this
Flippin’ in the ghetto on a dirty mattress
You can’t match this rapper / actress
More powerful than two Cleopatras
Bomb graffiti on the tomb of Nefertiti
MCs ain’t ready to take it to the Serengeti
My rhymes is heavy like the mind of Sister Betty
L. Boogie spars with stars and constellations
Then came down for a little conversation
Adjacent to the king, fear no human being
Roll with cherubims to Nassau Coliseum
Now hear this mixture
Where hip hop meets scripture
Develop a negative into a positive picture

Now, everything is everything
What is meant to be, will be
After winter, must come spring
Change, it comes eventually

Sometimes it seems
We’ll touch that dream
But things come slow or not at all
And the ones on top, won’t make it stop
So convinced that they might fall
Let’s love ourselves then we can’t fail
To make a better situation
Tomorrow, our seeds will grow
All we need is dedication

Let me tell ya that,
Everything is everything
Everything is everything
After winter, must come spring
Everything is everything

Everything is everything
What is meant to be, will be
After winter, must come spring
Change, it comes eventually

You are beautiful.

by

We are beautiful no matter what they say. Words won’t bring us down. We are beautiful in every single way.

Beautiful by Christina Aguilera

Lyrics

Spoken:
Don’t look at me

Every day is so wonderful
And suddenly, i saw debris
Now and then, I get insecure
From all the pain, I’m so ashamed

I am beautiful no matter what they say
Words can’t bring me down
I am beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can’t bring me down
So don’t you bring me down today

To all your friends, you’re delirious
So consumed in all your doom
Trying hard to fill the emptiness
The piece is gone left the puzzle undone
That’s the way it is

You are beautiful no matter what they say
Words can’t bring you down
You are beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can’t bring you down
Don’t you bring me down today…

No matter what we do
(no matter what we do)
No matter what they say
(no matter what they say)
When the sun is shining through
Then the clouds won’t stay

And everywhere we go
(everywhere we go)
The sun won’t always shine
(sun won’t always shine)
But tomorrow will find a way
All the other times

’cause we are beautiful no matter what they say
Yes, words won’t bring us down, oh no
We are beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can’t bring us down
Don’t you bring me down today

Don’t you bring me down today
Don’t you bring me down today

You are perfect to me.

by

Pretty, pretty please don’t you ever ever feel like you’re less then, perfect.

Lyrics

Perfect by Pink
Made a wrong turn
Once or twice
Dug my way out
Blood and fire
Bad decisions
That’s alright
Welcome to my silly life
Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood
Miss “no way it’s all good”
It didn’t slow me down
Mistaken
Always second guessing
Underestimated
Look, I’m still around…

Pretty, pretty please
Don’t you ever, ever feel
Like your less than
perfect
Pretty, pretty please
If you ever, ever feel
Like your nothing
You’re perfect to me

You’re so mean
When you talk
About yourself
You are wrong
Change the voices
In your head
Make them like you
Instead
So complicated
Look how big you’ll make it
Filled with so much hatred
Such a tired game
It’s enough
I’ve done all i can think of
Chased down all my demons
see you same

Pretty, pretty please
Don’t you ever, ever feel
Like your less than
perfect
Pretty, pretty please
If you ever, ever feel
Like your nothing

You’re perfect to me
The world stares while i swallow the fear
The only thing i should be drinking is an ice cold beer
So cool in lying and I tried tried
But we try too hard, it’s a waste of my time
Done looking for the critics, cuz they’re everywhere
They don’t like my genes, they don’t get my hair
Stringe ourselves and we do it all the time
Why do we do that?
Why do I do that?
Why do I do that?

Ooh, pretty pretty pretty,
Pretty pretty please don’t you ever ever feel
Like you’re less then, perfect
Pretty pretty please if you ever ever feel
Like you’re nothing you’re perfect, to me
You’re perfect
You’re perfect
Pretty, pretty please don’t you ever ever feel like you’re less then, perfect
Pretty, pretty please if you ever ever feel like you’re nothing you’re perfect to me

Upcoming Events

October 25: Stoop Storytelling Show, Baltimore MD