Freedom to Fail

Have you ever been listening to music on shuffle, not really paying any attention, and then a song comes on. That one song catches your attention. You’re not sure why. You were busy facebooking, reading a blog, working, etc. and now you’ve lost track of what you’re doing because you’re singing along to THIS song. Oh, you haven’t? Well, that’s what happened to me tonight, so bear with me.

I was just sitting at work, typing up a report, and then, out of nowhere, I’m singing "Freedom to Fail" by Jaron and the Long Road to Love at the top of my lungs. Thankfully, I work alone right now, so no one was staring at me when I realized how loudly I was singing along. I don’t know if you’ve heard this song before, but even if you don’t like the lyrics, the beat makes you tap your toes.

What I realized after singing to it 3-4 times in a row (yes, I put it on “repeat 1”) was that the reason this song popped out when no other songs were was because this is where I currently feel I am.

• I am a young woman with my daddy’s ideas (or what I imagine they were at this point in his life).

• I do have my momma’s eyes (but I don’t have a Texas tan).

• I’m constantly moving to new cities.

• I’m always coming up with new dreams.

• I usually decide they can’t come true (just yet) because I don’t have the money for them.

• I would rather walk with nature than do anything I have to pay for, ANY day.

• I believe that one should have no regrets.

Okay, I could pull some more things out, but you get the idea. I AM THIS GIRL! Jaron is singing about ME!!

Then I listened to the song a few more times… Yes, it’s still on repeat. No, I’m no longer at work. Yes, Mom, I got those reports done. As I continue to listen, I realize, this song isn’t just about me. It’s about all of us that chase our dreams. Some people may think we’re crazy, but we do it because that’s our dream!

Sometimes that’s something I forget. I have MY dreams, but they’re just mine. My siblings’ dreams are different than mine. My best friend’s dreams are different than mine. My parents’ may have different dreams for me than I have for myself.

In the end, it doesn’t matter who has what dream, we’re going to chase our own dream (or I hope you’re brave enough to).  That’s what I think this song is telling us. Chase your dreams! We’re lucky enough to have that option.  The important thing is to believe in yourself and remember that sometimes failure is for the best. Yes, I just said that. FAILURE IS BEST.

Sometimes you need to fail. You need to be humbled. I remember applying to jobs after my volunteer year. It was the first time that I was consistently being rejected, or even worse, IGNORED. I’d never felt like such a failure. Then, 2 months before I had to leave Sacramento, I was blessed with an interview and an offer letter. If I hadn’t failed so much, I wouldn’t have appreciated the offer as much as I did.

If we didn’t have so many failed relationships, how would we know when we were finally in the right one?

So when you fail, remember it’s because you have the freedom to dream and to continue pursuing your dream. Failure isn’t there to tell you to give up; it’s there to make you try harder.

I’ve posted the lyrics to the song below. I highly suggest that you actually go look up the song though, and I hope that it puts a smile on your face and allows you to feel as free as I do when I listen to it.

Cheers,

Krystal

What song makes you start singing at the top of your lungs? Comment below.

Freedom To Fail by Jaron and the Long Road to Love

She wakes up with a drink in her hand

She’s got her daddy’s ideas and a Texas tan

And with her momma’s eyes

Could probably kick-start a war

She’s got trouble in the house

Cops in the street

A dozen people saw

But they don’t know what they’ve seen

A girl with the whole world

Is coming apart at the seams

Yeah

She’s had one chance in Boston

She’s had one chance in Vail

Yeah, she’ll run ‘til she’s exhausted

Thru rain, snow, and hail

Now she’s on her way to Phoenix

As another dream sets sail

With a spirit so tough

And the freedom to fail

She may be a prisoner to poverty

But her minds set sail on the big blue sea

There are millions of things she says

Money just can’t buy

Now, there’s a breaking heart in a guy tonight

Six foot one but too tired to fight

He knows he ain’t wrong but he knows

It don’t make him right

Yeah

She’s had one chance in Boston

She’s had one chance in Vail

Yeah, she’ll run ‘til she’s exhausted

Thru the rain, snow, and hail

Now she’s on her way to Phoenix

As another dream sets sail

With a spirit so tough

And the freedom to fail

She looks life in the eye

Says I’m prepared to die

To live

And I may not always get it right

But I sleep in bed at night

Like I did

She’s had one chance in Boston

She’s had one chance in Vail

Yeah, she’ll run ‘til she’s exhausted

Thru rain, snow, and hail

Now she’s on her way to Phoenix

As another dream sets sail

With a spirit so tough

And the freedom to fail

With a spirit so tough

And the freedom to fail