Today’s Bloganuary prompt is to divulge my favorite quote. My favorite is actually a line from a song.

You’ll never shine if you don’t glow.

Smash Mouth – All Star

Back in 1999, I was not in a good place. I was battling depression and trying to keep myself from falling into a darkness too deep to crawl out of. I was disappointed in myself. I felt I’d made all the wrong turns in my work life and was destined to never succeed.

That summer, a goofy song made its debut and became a radio hit. Smash Mouth released All Star, a fun, upbeat somewhat silly song. But the silliness held some wisdom in its words, and those words caught my attention.

Your brain gets smart, but your head gets dumb.

So much to do, so much to see

So what’s wrong with taking the back streets?

You’ll never know if you don’t go

You’ll never shine if you don’t glow

Hey now, you’re an all-star, get your game on, go play

Hey now, you’re a rock star, get the show on, get paid

And all that glitters is gold

Only shooting stars break the mold

Somehow those words wrapped around my soul and started pulling me back to the brighter surface of life.

I would drive around in my car, knowing that the song would be played many times, as radio stations love to wear out a popular song. When it would come on, I’d crank it up and sing loudly.

You’ll never shine if you don’t glow.

My soul wanted desperately to glow.

Life didn’t instantly, magically get better because of this song, of course. My world was still the same as it was. But those words burned through me, day after day, until I no longer felt lost in the dark. Life’s down moments can be handled if you aren’t lost in the dark.

I chose to glow.

I carried on.