"Things I consider rich now: A relationship that feels safe. Friends who genuinely celebrate you. A body you take care of. Money without sacrificing your peace to earn it. Slow mornings. Excitement about your future. Having nothing left to prove.” ~Unknown
"For years I could walk into a room and perform 'normal' so convincingly that most people never suspected a thing. I made the small talk. I laughed at the right moments. I nodded along. And then I went home and collapsed, completely spent, like I’d run a marathon I never signed up for. That’s what masking is, though I didn’t call it that at the time. It’s performing a version of yourself that’s acceptable to everyone else, at the cost of the person underneath.” ~Jimmy Clare
How My Life Got Better When I Stopped Trying to Be Normal:
"Please choose joy. Wear the outfit. Order dessert. Watch the sunset. Laugh often and loudly. Light that candle you're saving. Dance in your kitchen. Celebrate the small stuff. Take road trips. Tell people you love them. Smile at strangers. Do things that scare you. Say yes to adventures—big and small. Life is short. Choose joy whenever you can.” ~Blue Iris
"I’m beginning to wonder if self-awareness can eventually turn into something else. Self-definition. 'I notice this about myself' becomes 'This is who I am.’ And once we decide who we are, we can get pretty good at proving ourselves right.” ~Jill Chernekoff
When You Think You Know Yourself, but You’re Wrong:
"Someone once told me, 'Emotional intelligence is the discipline of sitting with a feeling long enough to understand it before you hand it to someone else,' and that honestly changed how I move.” @Freyy_is
It's okay if you're not ready to talk about it yet. But say that instead of going silent or disappearing. Let the other person know you still care. You just need a little space.
"I’m beginning to understand that mortality can teach the opposite lesson from the one fear has taught me for so long. Fear says, 'Because I could lose this, I need to constantly brace myself.' But another voice is becoming stronger: 'Because I could lose this, I want to fully appreciate it while I can.'” ~Myra Goodman
What One Great Loss Is Teaching Me About How to Live:
“Maybe the question isn’t how we can make life safe enough that nothing terrible will ever happen. Maybe it’s more like focusing on the kind of person we want to be while we are here—the choices we make, the way we love, and the way we respond when life doesn’t go the way we had hoped.” ~Daniel H. Shapiro
When Life Shows You That Nothing Is Guaranteed:
"Intellectual compatibility doesn’t get enough credit. Being able to talk for hours, challenge each other, share what you know, and keep evolving together is one of the best parts of a real connection.” @TafariDean
"My anxiety was a nervous system that had learned a long time ago that danger could show up without warning. It built a whole set of reactions to keep me safe. Reactions that fired on their own long before my conscious thoughts ever got a vote.” ~Rebecca Wells
How to Stop Letting Anxiety Control Your Reactions:
