#MusicMonday - "Luck" and "Home" by American Authors

#MusicMonday is dedicated to "Luck" and "Home" by American Authors. These songs have heartfelt lyrics, along with the rest of the songs on their "Oh, What A Life" album. This band has done a great job executing a well produced record that is genuine, catchy and musically robust. Give it a listen, the entire thing, or any song on their album and ride the wave of their musicianship. It's fun and if you enjoy it, you can hit repeat again and again!

How can we make amends when we said all we said?

I call and you don't pick up

How can I say instead that I hope it's for the best?

I won't, and I won't give up

I'm sorry, Mother

I know I let you down

I'm sorry for how I up and left this town

How can we push aside all the bad and make it right

Now you got me all choked up

I'm sorry, brother

I know I let you down

I'm sorry for how I up and left this town

Please just listen 'cause I don't ask for much

I am my own man, I make my own luck

How can we both pick sides when we know nothing's right?

Open up the door that's shut

How can I have my pride and drink away my soul tonight?

Sorrow's filling up my cup

I'm sorry, father

I know I let you down

I'm sorry for how I up and left this town

Please just listen 'cause I don't ask for much

I am my own man, I make my own luck

Well some birds aren't meant to be caged

And I just can't see the light of day

Please forgive me I can't remember

Please forgive me, no one is calling

Please forgive me, I can't believe it

No

Gonna pick myself up, so I don't let this ever grow

Even if I mess up, I won't let this ever go

It's hard to stay

It's hard to stay

'Cause some birds aren't meant to be caged

How can I set us free?

I'm what you taught me to be

Shouldn't that be enough?

It's time that we make amends

Let's forget the things we said

You know we were all just stuck

I'm sorry, mother

I know I let you down

I'm sorry, father

I didn't stick around

Please just listen 'cause I don't ask for much

I am my own man, I make my own luck

Please just listen 'cause I don't ask for much

Just like my old man, I make my own luck

And some birds aren't meant to be caged

And some just won't see the light of day

Please forgive me I can't remember

Please forgive me, no one is calling

Please forgive me, I can't believe it

No

Gonna pick myself up, so I don't let this ever grow

Even if I mess up, I won't let this ever go

It's hard to stay

It's hard to stay

'Cause some birds aren't meant to be caged

Please just listen 'cause I don't ask for much

I am my own man, I make my own luck

Please just listen 'cause I don't ask for much

I am my own man, I make my own luck

I've got these letters tattooed on my arm
That remind me each second of where I come from
And the long hard road to get me back home

Back to my mama who raised me up right
And back to my lady, I held every night
It's a long hard road trying to get home

I'd been gone now for too long

I'm not trying to stop a hurricane
I'm not trying to shake the ground below
I'm just trying to find a way to make it back home

I'm not trying to part the ocean waves
I'm not trying to overthrow the throne
I'm just trying to find a way to make it back home
I'm just trying to get home

I've got this image engraved in my mind
Of a life that I had in a whole different time
It still breathes and lives at the end of the road

I've seen mountains and valleys through my missing days
But I never once parted with how you begged me to stay
I will run down that long hard and treacherous road to get home

I'm not trying to stop a hurricane
I'm not trying to shake the ground below
I'm just trying to find a way to make it back home

I'm not trying to part the ocean waves
I'm not trying to overthrow the throne
I'm just trying to find a way to make it back home
I'm just trying to get home

I've been gone for so long
But my heart it carries on
As it pounds like a drum
On my journey back home

I've been gone for so long
But my heart it carries on
I won't give up

I'm not trying to stop a hurricane
I'm not trying to shake the ground below
I'm just trying to find a way to make it back home

I'm not trying to part the ocean waves
I'm not trying to overthrow the throne
I'm just trying to find a way to make it back home
I'm just trying to get home

I'm just trying to get home

#ThankfulThursday - Edition #14: [DOUBLE DOSE] Father John and Geoffrey Nelson

#ThankfulThursday: Giving thanks for the past, present and future in a series of weekly shout outs to those who have and continue to support VoliteINC.

DISCLAIMER: These #ThankfulThursday posts are in no way, shape or form ranked or prioritized, so if you're not featured here right away, that doesn't mean that you're not important. I've got a lot of gratitude to give, so please stay patient and your time to shine will come :) If there's something special you'd like to say about VoliteINC and/or if you'd specifically like to be featured, please let me know!
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#ThankfulThursday - Edition #14: Father John and Geoffrey Nelson

This week's #ThankfulThursday is a double dose, family edition in honor of Thanksgiving and the top two men in my life. My Father, John has supported me since before I was born and my boyfriend, Geoffrey Nelson is my #1 fan and partner in life.

My Dad has always been there cheering me on in life, from soccer games to graduations and everything in between. When I need help with something, I know that I can go to him for advice and support. He has a very logical and direct perspective that I appreciate. He's taught me the beauty of sarcasm and we've had many great conversations over the years about everything from politics and current news to the intricacies of how wireless internet works and why it is important to put oil in my car. He is my #1 go-to fix it for anything, personal computer guru and someone who has a work ethic that I truly admire. He supported our family by growing in his career based on the merits of his hard work, which allowed him to retire at 55 from a union based City job. I'm proud of my Dad and grateful for who is and what he has taught me.

My boyfriend and life partner, Geoff has been my #1 fan and is always supportive of who I am and what I set out to accomplish. When we originally met, we were really good friends and I have always valued this friendship. Our relationship has grown over the years and he has always been by my side. He is trustworthy, loyal, laid back, hard working and caring. He is always there to pick me up when I fall and the first person cheering me on in both my best and my worst moments. We've built a partnership together and a support system through thick and thin. He sees the best in me, truly loves me in a genuine and respectful way and has taught me the importance of slowing things down in life sometimes. I know that no matter what I do, as long as I am true to who I am, he will always believe in me.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

#ThankfulThursday - Edition #12: Alyssa Canfield

#ThankfulThursday: Giving thanks for the past, present and future in a series of weekly shout outs to those who have and continue to support VoliteINC.

DISCLAIMER: These #ThankfulThursday posts are in no way, shape or form ranked or prioritized, so if you're not featured here right away, that doesn't mean that you're not important. I've got a lot of gratitude to give, so please stay patient and your time to shine will come :) If there's something special you'd like to say about VoliteINC and/or if you'd specifically like to be featured, please let me know! 
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#ThankfulThursday - Edition #12: Alyssa Canfield

Alyssa has been one of Volite's biggest supporters since the minute I told her about this brand. Whenever I see her, she is always genuinely interested to hear updates on how I am doing and what's new with the company. She has always been one of the first to offer to help with promo efforts and has rocked Volite stickers on her laptop and cell phone over the years, spreading the love everywhere she goes. She is always thinking about and sharing new ideas of how to promote the company and has always talked highly of the brand to anyone and everyone she meets, making it a point to find a way to bring up Volite and share what I am doing to grow the company. I've always had a lot of respect for Alyssa and the work that she does to help the youth through various programs. One time, during an after school arts and crafts session, she made me a special Hama bead version of the Volite logo :) I still have it and it means a lot to me. Today is Alyssa's birthday, so I'd like to take a minute to wish her a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY and to sincerely thank her for always supporting Volite. Thank you, Alyssa!

#ThankfulThursday - Edition #9: Shannon Smoot

#ThankfulThursday: Giving thanks for the past, present and future in a  series of weekly shout outs to those who have and continue to support VoliteINC.

DISCLAIMER: These #ThankfulThursday posts are in no way, shape or form ranked or prioritized, so if you're not featured here right away, that doesn't mean that you're not important. I've got a lot of gratitude to give, so please stay patient and your time to shine will come :) If there's something special you'd like to say about VoliteINC and/or if you'd specifically like to be featured, please let me know! 

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#ThankfulThursday - Edition #9: Shannon Smoot

Thankful Thursday this week is dedicated to Shannon Smoot, my ride or die best friend. We met back when we were super young at the beginning of our AYSO soccer days when her Dad was our coach. We've gone to elementary, middle and high school together experiencing the many ups and downs of life together. Shannon has always been by my side and we have often joked about "being in same boat" because we are so much alike and tend to face the same challenges and reality checks in life at the same time. She is a true inspiration to me and a friend who I genuinely trust and respect. Shannon is someone who I look up to as a role model and someone who has taught me so much about myself and about life through our endless conversations that contemplate the many complexities of life. She always strives to do more and be more so that she can walk her talk and truly be the change she wants to see in the world. I am so grateful to call her my friend and to have someone that I know I can always count on. 

Shannon -- Thank you for always being there for me, for truly listening, for giving honest feedback and for always understanding!

#ThankfulThursday - Edition #5: Lauren Johnston

#ThankfulThursday: Giving thanks for the past, present and future in a  series of weekly shout outs to those who have and continue to support VoliteINC.

DISCLAIMER: These #ThankfulThursday posts are in no way, shape or form ranked or prioritized, so if you're not featured here right away, that doesn't mean that you're not important. I've got a lot of gratitude to give, so please stay patient and your time to shine will come :) If there's something special you'd like to say about VoliteINC and/or if you'd specifically like to be featured, please let me know! 

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#ThankfulThursday - Edition #5: Lauren Johnston aka Johnsteez

Lauren is hands down my most loyal friend, who is always up for a good time and will never let you down. She comes from a great family and her Mom, Dad and Sisters are some of the most genuine, good natured and caring people I've met. She is reliable, dependable, organized, spontaneous, creative and an all around down ass chick! She and I have a lot of great memories from our time together at Chico State and she helped create the first business cards I ever had for my company as a school project, back when it was originally called Truestar. She is always there to lend a helping hand or a shoulder to lean on and I am so grateful for our many years of friendship. Lauren is the unofficial, official photographer everywhere we go and she is always capturing candid and posed photos of everyone's good times! Thank you for always being you, Lauren and for showing me what true friendship is all about! <3

Original business cards that Lauren designed for Truestar: