Own Yourself

Mistakes that I’ve made
There’s too many for me to mention
There’ve been times I underpaid
The requisite attention

Times integrity has faltered
Moments fear was the dominant force
My memory is marked
With the bruises of remorse

   But I can’t let the past entomb me in its urn
   Missed opportunities are opportunities to learn
   Failure has taught me so much I needed to know
   I refer to my shortcomings as my ample room to grow
   Now I know…

      You’ve got to… Own yourself!
      You’ve got to… Own yourself!
      You’ve got to… Own yourself!
      You’ve got to… Own yourself!

I feel patronized when others
Offer out their upper hand
They take the legs out beneath me
Helping me to understand

I say I won’t be seen
In someone else’s eyes
I cannot be encompassed
I won’t be recognized  

   It’s just my ego talking, locking me up within its cell
   Everybody has a bucket but there’s only one well
   Into the same soil, we all dig our roots
   Love offers equal leverage to all who plant their boots
   So take a stand

      You’ve got to… Own yourself!
      You’ve got to… Own yourself!
      You’ve got to… Own yourself!
      You’ve got to… Own yourself!

            Every single second is a second chance
            Every single second is a second chance
            Every single second is a second chance
            Every single second is a second chance
            To take a stance

The ground is bound to shake
And the table’s set to turn
The waves are sure to break
And the woods are wont to burn

And the reasons we discern,
The beauty we’re bolstered by,
All the gifts we take for granted
Can spill from our eye

   When hope is running away, provide a post on which to hitch
   When the world is ripping apart, be a stronger stitch
   Sometimes we pull the sled ahead, sometimes we’re holding on behind
   It mustn’t be by our excuses, that we are most defined
   So take command

      You’ve got to… Own yourself!
      You’ve got to… Own yourself!
      You’ve got to… Own yourself!
      You’ve got to… Own yourself!
		
      To break the chains
      To make a change
      To take the reins
      To save what remains
	
      You’ve got to… Own yourself!
      You’ve got to… Own yourself!
      You’ve got to… Own yourself!
      You’ve got to… Own yourself!