Teach Me How To Love with Musiq Soulchild

Words by Te-Erika

The first verse of the lyrics of Musiq’s emotional R&B ballad Teach Me read:

I was told the true definition of a man was to never cry
Work til you die (Yeah)
Got to provide (Yeah)
Always be the rock for my fam
Protect them by all means
And give you the things that you need, baby
Our relationship is suffering
Tryna give you what I never had
You say I don’t know how to love you, babe
Well, I say show me the way
I keep my feelings deep inside
I shadow them with my pride
I’m trying desperately,
Baby, just work with me


Here’s a man who speaks on a subject that few men ever would; his internal battle with what society has told him he should be versus what he knows he needs to do in order to make his significant other happy.

His problem lies with the fact that he can not love her completely simply because he has never been shown how to love. Somewhere along his childhood he was raised instead of loved. He was conditioned instead of loved. He was taught instead of loved.

We must remember that as we attempt to guide our children into an honorable adulthood, discipline is important, strength is important, but LOVE, pure love, is the greatest lesson we will ever teach them.

When a child learns to love without fear, by experiencing fearless love, that child is armed with the most important tool necessary for success. Who can resist a gift given in love? Who can turn away from a service offered with love? Who would dare to turn their back on the warmth of a sincere smile and a heart that is willing to love unconditionally?

Many hustle to achieve success. Many struggle to achieve success. But those whose perfect love for what they desire guides them to success, experience the fullness of the combination of love and success, which is bliss.

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Tonight Is The Night The World Begins Again

Words by Te-Erika

Today is the day.

This is the hour.

Now is your time.

You have been wallowing in mess, overcome with grief and feeling powerless about your situation. You may not even believe that you deserve a second chance. You may feel like there’s nothing out there for you. You may be thinking that this pain is all there is to life.

You’re wrong.

Have you cried yourself to sleep at night asking yourself, “What’s wrong with me?”

Do you find yourself taking the blame when others disrespect you?

Have you stopped praying because you feel that prayer is useless against the attacks of those inflicting the pain?

Are you unsure about whether or not you can make it through another day?

You can.

There’s a fighter inside of you armed and ready to be released. There’s a promise of Better Days ahead if you decide that you deserve it.

PULL yourself up out of your slump by sheer determination. PLAN your way of escape. FORGIVE yourself for staying in the situation. MOVE forward with your plans as though the road behind you is falling away.

Allow this song of hope from the Goo Goo Dolls to ease your mind as you continue your day. When night falls, it is your signal to make a choice about the rest of your life.

Through faith and self-love you will walk away, heal and be free.

“Tonight’s the night the world begins again.” Lyrics from Better Days by the Goo Goo Dolls.

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Embrace Your Fantasy with Mariah Carey

Words by Te-Erika

Music is a driving force. The music that you listen to everyday feeds your soul and lingers in your subconscious. The accompanying lyrics soon become your mantra as their message engraves itself into your mind and spirit.

While it is okay to let loose and have fun, be careful of what you are meditating on daily. Ask yourself, “Is this good for me? Will this keep me focused on pursuing a bright future for myself and my family or will it shift my attention away from my positive evolution?”

Some artists believe that music is just for entertainment purposes. They use their gift of creativity to make a quick dollar, desensitizing the masses to their greater good by celebrating life threatening behaviors and ill gotten success.

There are others, like Mariah Carey, who uses her talent as an expression for her ultimate fantasies. We sang along happily to the upbeat tempo in the song Fantasy as we reached to define our own. The uplifting tune Hero taught us that we should hold onto our dreams and not be afraid of who we are.And here is the rest of it.

But it was the song Dream Lover that expressed Mariah’s true desire for the perfect mate. She dared to dream out loud, announcing to the world that she hoped for a spectacular man by defining his most wonderful qualities.

Whether it’s your dream job, your perfect medium of self expression or true love, don’t be afraid to shout it from the rooftops. Don’t worry about jinxing your heart’s desire. Your words of faith will release the dream into the universe and it will return to you even more magnificently than you could have ever hoped for.

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Celebrate Yourself With Whitney Houston

Reviewed By Te-Erika

If you're over 25 years old, you've either wanted to be Whitney Houston or marry Whitney Houston at one point in your life. At the beginning of her career she burst onto the scene and stole our hearts as we were moved by her beauty and captivating voice.

These days Whitney is breaking free from a troubled past, allowing herself room to grow and move forward. There's no need for a comeback, those of us who recognize her spirit know that she never left us.

More than 20 years after she recorded the smash hit, The Greatest Love Of All, we can still receive its message loud and strong---

The greatest love of all
Is easy to achieve
Learning to love yourself
It is the greatest love of all

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Celebrate Who You Are With R. Kelly

Reviewed by Te-Erika

R. Kelly has had his fair share of public hits and misses in his often tumultuous personal life. But as far as music is concerned, he's all gold.

R. Kelly is the only artist that can star in an explicit sex video and then turn around and make you want to give your life to God with his next album. The genius of his music stems from the perfect expression of inner conflict between his strong desire to be in right standing with God and an equally strong desire to feel on your booty.

We battle with those feelings everyday but most of us would never dare to admit it. He exemplifies a true renaissance artist in that he shows us different sides of who he is, both imaginative and realistic, as well as freaky and inspirational. I applaud his efforts to give his gift honestly according to where he is emotionally in life. His albums are records of his transition and a celebration of each step in his evolution.

I appreciate him for giving us I Believe I Can Fly as well as I Am Your Angel with Celine Dione, but it's his single, The World's Greatest, that I listen to when I need a reminder of how great I really am.

Thanks R. Kelly.

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