Lyrics Overstand - Dead Prez

Overstand

Are we addicted to the struggle or committed to success?
Are we focused on the positive or holdin' onto stress?
Not sayin' thing’s perfect but in many ways I’m blessed
Learnin' how to take the negative and flip for the best
Everyday bring challenge, every challenge is a chance to advance
The power is right in our own hands
From a youth full of rage, to a wise grown man
Here I am, life is beautiful now, I overstand
I’m lookin' forward through my rear view mirror in hindsight
Gotta be more than just a G if you keepin' your mind right
Better be ready for the battle or focused on my fight
I ain’t sittin' on no sidelines watchin' them highlights
I’ma be in the game playin' to win but learnin' from setbacks
Strengthen my weaknesses and masterin' what I’m best at
Power of refinement until you get right and exact
It’s all in your mind, but that depends on where your head’s at
Life is a chess match and lessons come from your mistakes
Try not to end up in checkmate no matter whatever it takes
Long as you’re breathin' then you can be problem solvin'
Stayin' involved, evolved, world keeps revolvin'
For the cause be all you can from the mornin' to the sunset
You never have no regrets
Took the journey to the edge of your fate and then lept
Not just understandin' but overstandin' is the objective
Just let me be what I am
Take my destiny in my hands
By my actions you can judge where I stand
And I hope one day you’ll overstand
Change come from the inside out
No fear, live free, let the truth ride out
I’m steady, shakin' off the shackles of the old me
Wakin' up daily, meditation, feelin' so free
They hate to see you change
But they don’t understand
Unless you see for yourself, then you won’t comprehend
The caterpillar don’t care what you think about him
He was born to be fly, his nature gonna bring it outta him
By the struggle I was never broken, I was broken open
I tapped into a source that was omnipotent
Had to shift my focus to my higher purpose
Ain’t nothing weak about broke, it takes a fighter’s courage
People say they want a revolution
But steady holdin' on the slave ideas, afraid of evolution
In life we live and learn, it’s practice, theory, practice
Wisdom is organically grown, its not pre-packaged
We think we found the absolute truth
But only to discover it’s a labyrinth, we go from one maze into another
So many chambers and angles, peelin' the onion layers
Within it all I see the same gang, just different players
So I rebel from the prison cell of the pigeon hole
And dare to be myself, original
A man lives on principles --I don’t posture to be popular
Born to be a leader not just a blind follower
It’s family before the dollar, your priorities in order
And like Bruce Lee say: «Be the water, be the earth, be the wind and the fire.»
Elevate, take it higher
It’s instinct, fulfill your needs and your desires
But we go to be compassionate, considerate, the people’s advocate
Eradicatin' ignorance through experience
The more you live, the more you learn and you grow
It has a positive effect on all the people you know
I hope that you will overstand
{look at things without any opinion
Otherwise you’ll never look at reality
Look at things without any philosophy, without any prejudice, without any dogma,
creed or scripture
Just look, without arrogance
And see the cause of ignorance, and overstand}
{Change is necessary to evolution
The universe contains incredible diversity
And you cannot experience it all within the confines of one comfortable
lifestyle
Look ahead to what you will think of your life at it’s end
You will probably not want to look back and say it was cozy and dull
Thus, react positively to what seems to be disaster
Remember that what seems now to be disaster may be an important step toward
evolution
And may even be identifiable as such at some point in the future
Every great loss takes you out of a rut and starts life anew
Be grateful for the time you had and your former happy state
And look forward eagerly to the new phase
Information age.}