Sometimes in life you have a platform. Who knows how big it will be. Who knows which people, if any, will even listen. And most importantly, what do you say? Once given a platform, how do you use it? And who do you use it for?
A lot of times you won't have the words. I don't know whether anyone even reads my blog. But if you are reading, this is a platform of mine. Right now, I have much to say, but I don't have the words.
So I'm borrowing them from beautiful people, all heroes of mine. Get to know their words. Get to know these human beings. Don't miss out on life and people.
"To Write Love on Her Arms is a decision to love and to begin telling a true story. It's the realization of what life can be when we commit to meeting a need. Love can change a life. We can hold back the darkness. Rescue is possible. We continue to write this story, and we begin to offer hope to the many hopeless who walk these dark roads. A Jimmy Eat World lyric has been stuck in my head today, 'Believe your voice can mean something.'" --Jamie, To Write Love on Her Arms
There was a sense of urgency and that really hit me because it's something you almost never see in these days where cool is king. The best songs, the best bands and nights-- they remind you you're alive. They remind you it's okay to cry, okay to celebrate and dream, okay to push and move and change. Okay to believe. I hope you find something true and moving, here or somewhere soon. More important, I hope you find a gang as good as Brooklyn, and moments as bright as the nights in New York City. We were meant for it. --Jamie, TWLOHA
What do you say when there's a girl in the room whose mother was shot and killed while buying Christmas presents? What do you say when you're asked to talk about suffering-- do you tell them you were just on vacation in Europe? We all live with questions, we can all relate to pain, we all get stuck... and we aren't meant to live alone under the weight (and silence) of our questions. It seems we're meant to share our questions, to invite other people into the broken parts of our life, and to learn to meet our friends in the difficult places in their lives as well. --Jamie, TWLOHA
We believe that hope belongs in places where you wouldn't expect to find it. We believe that hope belongs in places where people go. Because we believe that hope is for people. All people. Not just cool people or people who look a certain way or think a certain way. And we like surprises. We're aware of the tension and we're aiming for change. --Jamie, TWLOHA
I suppose that since most of our hurts come through relationships, so will our healing, and I know that grace rarely makes sense for those looking in from the outside. --from The Shack by William P. Young
Take a moment today and remember Martin Luther King. Learn from his life. He was dangerous in the best way. There are things worth fighting for and he fought well. Martin Luther King believed that freedom was justice, that change was possible and that hope was something true. Maybe hope is believing in something before it can be seen. My friend Byron says it begins by believing we're not alone. Martin Luther King spoke to problems and solutions in a day when neither were popular discussion. His voice led a movement that changed the course of history, and his words are no less true today. --Jamie, TWLOHA
I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them. --The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Simple words, containing simple truth. Deep words, containing profound truth. No words at all, containing silent truth. These are honest conversations. Opening up to one another; pouring our your heart; finding this ever-important sense of community. Realizing that you're not alone; that we're all asking the same questions. Finding strength in weakness. Hope in pain. Love in loss. Peace in tragedy. This is more than an organization; more than a movement; more than a revolution. This is an attempt at pure honesty. We all have stories. Stories that we don't tell. Scars that we hide. Pain we can't bear. Whether self-inflicted or not, these things are hard. Maybe it's time to take the weight off your shoulders. Maybe it's time to open up to those around you. Maybe it's time to participate in this life. It's time to find community. To experience what others have to offer. Hope; love; truth; peace; honesty. Honest conversations. Because you're not alone. You haven't been abandoned. These things are temporary. There is more to life than you know. Look up. Remember the stars. --Eric, Honest Conversations
We live in a time where we find that many people are so lonely and lost. We are here to start a movement because we know that every last one of us on earth is loved, by someone, you may find it hard to believe, but I am aware of the love surrounding us, everyday. Love is a beautiful thing. --Anna, These Love Notes
You should never, ever give up on what you want, on what you believe in. If you believe that you can do something to change who you are, or what you have to deal with, or if you want to help change others' lives, do not give up on it. Promise me that you will stay strong and never give up on your dreams. --Anna, TLN
Your story is meant to be told in parts, in pieces, broken because that is the only way, to put things back together again. Your story is meant to come alive, out of the dark places. No need for long explanations or long sentences. It's all about one word at a time. The memories, the confusion, find one word for it. Less is more sometimes, remember that. When silence knocks at your door, turn to a window. Look up at the sky. Close your eyes and breathe in the air. You will be free, you will live. Listen to the singing of the world. There is a song. So today, don't be afraid to step forward and lift your voice. --Allie, Hope in Darkness
You are beautiful. You are loved. Commit to memory, my friends. I talk a lot about a book called Blue Like Jazz. I love how Don Miller writes and slowly unfolds these incredible bits of insightful inspiration. We live in a world that is 'cracked' as Don puts it. A world that seems as if it was intended for something better. But somewhere along the way, something went wrong and the result is hate. Pain. Grief. Depression. People get twisted and do things that hurt others. They act on impulse, not out of love. Not out of consideration. Know that you are an amazing person made for something more. I don't know what that is, but look past the ugliness of life. Hope is there. This world is not a lovely place, but don't get caught up in the darkness and sorrow, that only makes it stronger. Stand up and point your finger up. Fight the sorrow. Keep reminding yourself that you were not made for this. Don't lose yourself. Don't give yourself up to this breaking world. Realize that all the pain, all the hurt and horror, it is not your fault. It is a side-effect of this unavoidable evil. It is contaminating the minds of many. Help fight this. Together we CAN help. "We must hold our hands together against a broken world, to stop the bleeding." There is always hope, and belief in this is the first step. Speak up. You are not alone. Reach out your hand and someone will be there. --Allie, HID
We want to empower YOU to be the change you want to see in the world... We believe that it starts with us. We are the ones who will make the biggest impact in our generation and the world. --Faceless International
We believe that the lesson is in the struggle, not the victory. We are all one, we are all called to love. That's really all it takes. --Open Our Eyes
We are a community of struggle. Some of us are rich people trying to escape our loneliness. Some of us are poor folks trying to escape the cold. Some of us are addicted to drugs, and others are addicted to money. We are a broken people who need each other and God, for we have come to recognize the mess that we have created of our world and how deeply we suffer from that mess. Now we are working together to give birth to a new society within the shell of the old. Another world is possible. Another world is necessary. Another world is here. --Shane Claiborne
"We wake to mystery and beauty but also to tragedy and loss."
--Tori
