some wise words from Pac

I've been reading Tupac Shakur's The Rose That Grew From Concrete, which is a book of his poetry, to help me become a better writer, specifically of poems.

This morning, this particular poem stood out to me and kicked off a few other thoughts from Pac...

The Power of a Smile (4 Renee)

The power of a gun can kill
and the power of Fire can Burn
The power of wind can chill
and the power of the mind can learn
The power of anger can rage
inside until it years u apart
But the Power of a Smile
especially yours can heal a frozen Heart

My words now...If you’re looking to lift your energy, a genuine smile will do the trick. Whether you smile at a stranger or someone you know, there is something contagious about your smile.

Your smile alone will naturally elevate your energy.
The smile you receive in return, especially if you make eye contact with the other individual, will lift your energy even more.

Your smile is a cheat code to getting out of a funk—use it liberally.

Speaking of smiling:

“Here's a message to the newborns waitin' to breathe
If you believe, then you can achieve just look at me!
Against all odds, though life is hard we carry on
Livin' in the projects, broke with no lights on
To all the seeds that follow me, protect your essence
Born with less, but you still precious
Just smile for me now!”

- Tupac on Scarface's "Smile"

And finally, while not related to smiling, but still very important, Pac was talking about pursuing your authentic life a long time ago—I just found this quote but know I’ve somehow been carrying it with me,

“Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside while still alive. Never surrender.”

All I see is Pac saying, “keep pursuing!”

See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,

JC