Out of The Darkness

This song has been another favorite of mine, especially over the years. It's basically about exactly what the title says it's about, it's about coming out of the dark to the light, finding strength. Sometimes all we can do is keep moving forward, we can't stop moving forward even if it's hard, even if it's just going through the motions for a while, or we'll just be stuck in the dark. I think it's always easiest for me to explain the meaning behind my lyrics if I just write them out and what each piece came from.

Verse 1 Take one day at a time One foot in front of the other They propel me forward, heading where I need to go (I wrote this opening line because at the time was when I really learned that some things just needed to be taken one day at a time. Sometimes all we can do is to keep going. Although things weren't easy I tried to get one foot in front of the other and I knew if I did that eventually they would lead me where I needed to go to be okay, even if it wasn't quickly.) The road may be long, it may be bumpy I may stumble and fall to the ground But I won't stop, can't stop Just keep on moving, keep on, keep on moving ​(This part was basically just confirming that sometimes we are well aware that the road ahead will have bumps and we have potential to fall, but it doesn't mean that we shouldn't try. I love the quote "Strive for progress, not perfection" because I think so many times it's easy for us to feel like if we can't get things perfect why are we even bothering with them. Really though, the whole point in life is to try and learn from our mistakes along the way, we just need to always keep moving so we can grow) And I can move mountains ​(This part came from my family's family scripture growing up. 1 Nephi 3:7 in the Book of Mormon. Nephi is commanded to do something difficult and seemingly impossible but he knows with the Lord's help he can do anything. Whenever my dad would ask us kids what it meant growing up after reciting it the typical answer would be, "If the Lord says you can move a mountain, you can move a mountain." How much meaning there is behind that! We have been asked to come to this earth to be tried and tested, and if we have faith in Him, and continue to move forward, even if it's a little, we have the potential to move mountains.) Chorus Then it's out of the darkness, into the light I'm seeing a brand new day Everything's changing, nothing's the same But I know it's all okay ​(Sometimes we get complacent. It's easy to get into bad habits and out of old ones. Sometimes at first when we are making a change for the better, big or small it's a bit uncomfortable, but we can always have faith that it's all going to turn out okay in the end. ) I'm finding strength in places I never knew that strength could be So it's out of the darkness, into the light I'm starting to see ​(The big realization in this song for me was that I had strengths that I had never had before at a certain point in my life. Things I never thought I would have strength in were starting to develop in me. I grew a strong testimony at that point in my life that we are imperfect, and whatever strength we don't have on our own because of our own limitations, the Savior has already made up and is waiting to help us and give it to us.) Verse 2 My strength is coming as I slowly start to believe I feel a change in the wind, could this really be? ​(It was such a relief to feel my spiritual strength come back. Not to say I ever went wayward or anything, but I think like I said, I just got a bit complacent. But because of that when things got hard it was hard to get that strength and comfort I needed. The more I exercised my faith, the stronger I became.) The road may be long but I know that I'm strong I can do hard things so I'll ride out of the dark and into the light ​(My motto at the time became 'I can do hard things'. It was just a feeling of pure, endurance, like I was ready to push through whatever came my way with the best I could.) Chorus Then it's out of the darkness, into the light I'm seeing a brand new day Everything's changing, nothing's the same But I know it's all okay I'm finding strength in places I never knew that strength could be So it's out of the darkness, into the light I'm starting to see Bridge Yeah I may bend but no I'm not breaking I can feel myself finally awaking With a greater strength than I have ever known ​(EVERYONE has moments of weakness, hardships, and trials. But I think the thing we all need to remember is we all make mistakes, but just because we make mistake or go through hard things that test our faith does not mean we need to break. We all will be bent at one point or another, some of the things that bend us are out of our control, but I think we always have the choice to break or to hold strong.) Chorus Out of the darkness into the light I'm seeing a brand new day Everything's changing, nothing's the same But I know it's all okay I'm finding strength in places I never knew that strength could be Now I'm out of the darkness, into the light, I'm finally free ​(Because let's be honest here, as restricting as doing the things we should do, and continuing to strengthen our faith can seem, it's the only things that can truly set us free)