This post is a little bit different than the other ones that I’ve shared because, after all, I’ve only ever written one song in my life, and that’s what I’m sharing with you today. If you’ve read Be Unstoppable, you might get a better understanding of the theme of the song. The song’s name is “It’s Up to You,” and like anything that I’ve ever succeeded in in life, I’ve done it with teammates: Jamie Saylor and Tim Huffman.
I started songwriting with Jamie and Tim while we were serving at Zac Brown band’s camp that they have outside of Atlanta. It’s called Camp Southern Ground, and we were working with some vets who had PTSD and we were helping them pick up from their bootstraps and teach him how to start a business. At the end of that experience, they were teaching them how to write songs. Songs are a great way to get the stress that you might be confronting out on the table and deal with it face-to-face.
The song that you’re about to hear is a story of my life—Part I is about the first time my mom talked to me about something transformative, Part II is about my dad and I driving cross-country before I reported for SEAL training, and Part III is about my passing along these stories and lessons to my own sons. In every one of these events, the message you will hear is that it’s all about being up to you. At the end of the day, I can help show you the path, but you have to do it—you’re the one that’s actually got to make it happen. I can be your swim buddy, but only you can take the actions. That’s why the entire theme of the book Be Unstoppable is “It’s up to you.”
I hope you enjoy the song. I hope that it also changes your state of mind. That’s what music does for me. Every once in a while, I just turn on this song, listen to it and sing it to myself. It’s recently completed—and a big shout out to my teammates Jamie Saylor and Tim Huffman for being unstoppable with me in creating this song. Enjoy and GO BE UNSTOPPABLE!
It all started when the doctor said
He ain’t gonna make it
Momma stood up and stared him down
No sir, you’re mistaken
Momma, what do I do
She said, boy, it’s up to you
It’s up to you, just look inside
It’s up to you, to choose your life
Anything you want to do
It’s up to you; up to you
Tens years gone, the world has changed
I’m going off to war
Me and Daddy, one last ride
In that old, beat up Ford
He knew I’d never be the same
And he had one last thing to say
He said It’s up to you, just look inside
It’s up to you, to choose your life
Anything you want to do
It’s up to you; up to you
Feelings of doubt whisper in your ear
Try to make you weak and filled with fear
Find your strength in the words of truth
Deep inside of you
You know it’s up to you, just look inside
It’s up to you, to choose your life
Anything you want to do
It’s up to you, just look inside
It’s up to you, to choose your life
Anything you want to do
I said that anything you want to do
It’s up to you; up to you
It’s up to you; up to you
Here I sit, with my son
Asking me what should he do
Daddy’s words ringing in my head
Son, it’s up to you