Fight for what you think is Right

Heart speaks First by Travis Garland

Standin’ on the other side of the room

With a tear in your eye

Wishin’ that I didn’t act the way I do,

I took it too far this time.

I was filled with emotion

Instead of givin’ you space, threw it in your face

And I, you just wanted me closer,

But I pushed you away...

I made you scream, I made you cry,

I shouldn’t have taken the stars from your sky.

We’re still a team, as much as it hurts,

Remember the devilry words:

My heart speaks first.

So baby whenever it hurts, remember the devilry words:

My heart speaks first.

It’s hard for me to function when I know you’re sad

Like a robot in rain

And even though the hurt you feel was all my bad

It still drives me insane (It's makin' me crazy)

Do you know that I love you, that I need you to be there,

Like a table needs chairs?

My love, after all that we’ve been through, please don’t let it all slip away.

I made you scream, I made you cry,

I shouldn’t have taken the stars from your sky.

We’re still a team, as much as it hurts,

Remember the devilry words:

My heart speaks first.

So baby whenever it hurts, remember the devilry words:

My heart speaks first.

And it’s tellin’ me to, and its tellin’ me to love you,

Love you.

My heart speaks first.

And it’s tellin’ me to, and its tellin’ me to love you,

Love you.

Now I didn’t mean to….

I made you scream, I made you cry,

I shouldn’t have taken the stars from your sky.

We’re still a team, as much as it hurts,

Remember the devilry words:

My heart speaks first.

So baby whenever it hurts, remember the devilry words:

My heart speaks first.

So baby whenever it hurts,

Remember the devilry words:

My heart speaks first.

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Travis Garland's "Heart Speaks First" illustrates the sacrifices and compromises others have to make in order to embrace love. Most people around the world wish to fall in love, especially teenagers. A song like this was made to warn others that love can be complicated, and sometimes, when you don't even realize it, you're hurting the other person. Cultures from all over the world go through this kind of stress at least once in their lives. A life without love is almost empty, is basically what this song is representing. It's saying that if you love someone, don't let go just because you can't deal with them; you have to fight for what you think is right. That's when you succeed in love; when you're willing to fix any problems between you and another person. All cultures around the world have had this kind of relationship; it's not that easy to maintain. No matter where you are or what troubles you have, the one you love is always there for you, ready to catch you when you fall.

Everything Else Fulfilled

Love flies from our souls to another,

Drenched in people's disbelief.

She runs out the door, breaking the hearts of many.


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In the Alchemist, Coelho makes love look like something that's required, in order to achieve certain things you desire. It usually starts out as a yearning, like Santiago and Tarifa in the beginning. Santiago wasn't exactly in love with her, but he did yearn to see her. Tarifa made Santiago feel proud of his job as a shepherd, but at the same time, like he wanted to change himself a bit. It seemed like it was just a crush, and nothing even close to love. Santiago didn't know what love was, then. He thought that he had loved Tarifa, when in actuality, he was afraid to fall in love. In the Alchemist, love is believed to be something that helps a man journey through his destiny. When it's all disappeared, a man can be shattered and may not trust love again. How love affects other cultures is quite amazing; it keeps households together, people happy, and everything else fulfilled.

Wisdom is our Guide

Risks and Obstacles

Santiago, the protagonist in the Alchemist is a very unique character. His life is one that is isolated from the world. A young boy sets out on a journey, to literally follow his dreams. He almost doubted he could make it; he thought he would fail the moment he set to sail. Though Santiago was aware of the fact that he could so easily fail, many thoughts and understanding in the quest got him through. Thoughtfulness, spirituality, and resilience are the three traits that help Santiago to succeed in his destiny.

Before setting out on his journey, Santiago took a lot of time to think about what he really wanted. He asked himself if he really wanted the treasure, and if he didn’t, could he accept the fact that it was just a dream not meant to be followed? It was a matter of thought and understanding things. Even when he was out on his journey, all knowledge he received from the people he met, he thought of carefully. He always thought of his journey, whether the Soul of the World was relevant to him in any way. The more he thought about it, the more he understood that life required a large amount of thinking. Each step required thought, and on his journey to seek his destiny, Santiago did just that. He thought about each leap he was making, being smart and wise as to not fall into any traps.

Having faith in something you might fail in is a difficult trust to regain. Santiago took that risk, and went along his journey trusting his gut to guide him. There were so many obstacles along the way, but Santiago stuck to his soul, his spirit, and never doubted it for a second. He followed the movement of the birds, trying to read something into it. P.95. The quote shows he believes in omens coming his way, and though he may not understand them, he knows to trust God. He has a spirit that won’t die, for it’s achieved when you believe in God.

One way to feel satisfied is to have resilience, and that’s just who Santiago is. Someone who’s determined; not willing to turn anything down. On his journey to achieve his destiny, many opportunities were thrown at him, giving him a chance each time. Though there were many risks, Santiago hated to leave it all just for fear of failure. He knew that if he failed, that would be okay, because not everybody succeeded in life. It was when he could be the most vulnerable that he took a challenge at life, seizing the day. In everything Santiago did, he all but turned anything down.

Achieving your own destiny might be a hard task, but if you persevere, you can succeed without fail. In the Alchemist, Santiago uses thoughtfulness, spirituality, and resilience to help him reach his destiny. A life where there are many obstacles, you have to be strong in order to overcome your fears of things getting in your way. When life gets difficult, don’t let other people take you through life, because each decision someone else makes might change your whole destiny. It’s when you take control of your own life and not let other people drive you through that you know you’re the leader of your own destiny.

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Wisdom assists many people in their lives; I happen to be one of those people. Experiences teach all of us what certain things are like, and whether or not we should fall into any traps on purpose. Wisdom guides us through life carefully, being patient, allowing us to take the time and reflect on our decisions and past mistakes. Your own past tells you what road to take, what obstacles to look out for. When you know what to look out for on your journey through life, other peoples' opinions don't matter as much as what you think. You guide yourself based off of wisdom, because it's a force that makes you take control of your own life. No one knows yourself better than you, and that's why I'm a participant in my own destiny; my journey through life is my own, and no one else's.

Corruption

How does corruption in leadership affect society?

For one thing, if a leader is taking a bribe from someone, they can be disrespected very easily, especially by their own people. If they take a bribe, for example, from someone who their people aren't really fond of, it could turn the tables and make the leader the bad guy. People will be angry, and want him out of the area. Some may try to kill him, therefore it may turn the people in to blood-thirsty barbarians.

It can affect the society greatly or it might not. If the leader accepts a bribe, his people may be raging with anger. Or, if their leader declines the bribe, it makes both the leader and the people more firm in whatever they say. And that makes the society kind of strict and nice at the same time. Although, if the leader accepts the bribe, the society can turn violent and blood-thirsty.

Those are the only ways corruption in leadership can affect any society.