#but those were someone else's dreams pitfalls of the man i became

[bi-leth-eisner]

been finding music i used to love before i got into Three Houses and started a new era of Me™ and now i’m just

“from now on, these eyes will not be blinded by revenge the lights.

from now on, what’s waited ’til tomorrow starts tonight. tonight.

let this promise in me start like an anthem in my heart. from now on. from now on...

i drank champagne with kings and queens, the politicians praised my name,

but those were someone else’s dreams! the pitfalls of the man i became

for years and years, i chased their cheers, the crazy speed of always needing more,

but when i stop, and see you here

i remember who all this was for!”

Dimitri brainworms

#don’t mind me

[specialagentlokitty]

Logan x reader - Sing

💡💡💡Reader is friends with Logan. Reader is obsessed with The Greatest Showman. One day, the reader hears Logan singing something from The Greatest Showman ((because same actor)) and the reader is like “I DIDN’T KNOW YOU COULD SING!!” - Anon❤️

A/N: I was debating on ‘Rewrite the stars’ and ‘From now on’ lmao

Sitting in front of the TV in your bedroom, your eyes were glued to the screen, a wide smile on your face as you eagerly watched the film.

“That’s the fifth time you’ve watched this week.” Logan grumbled.

Pausing it, you turned to the buff man and grinned even more.

“I love it!”

Logan rolled his eyes and walked out of the room. With a small laugh you played the film and carried on eagerly watching it.

Once it was over, you stretched and went in search for Logan when a soft but deep voice reached your eyes. Tilting your head a little, you decided to follow it and it took you to Logan’s room, the door slightly cracked.

I saw the sun begin to dim

And felt that winter wind

Blow cold

A man learns who is there for him

When the glitter fades and the walls won't hold

You held your breath and silently watched him, head tilted and soft smile on your face.

'Cause from then, rubble

One remains

Can only be what's true

If all was lost

Is more I gain

'Cause it led me back

To you

From now on

These eyes will not be blinded by the lights

From now on

What's waited till tomorrow starts tonight

Tonight

Let this promise in me start

Like an anthem in my heart

From now on

From now on

I drank champagne with kings and queens

Logan’s voice picked up to it’s normal loudness on this bit.

The politicians praised my name

But those are someone else's dreams

The pitfalls of the man I became

For years and years

I chased their cheers

The crazy speed of always needing more

But when I stop

And see you here

I remember who all this was for

At this point, the supposed emotionless, grumpy man was practically shouting as he folded clothes.

And from now on

These eyes will not be blinded by the lights

From now on

What's waited till tomorrow starts tonight

It starts tonight

And let this promise in me start

Like an anthem in my heart

From now on

From now on

From now on

And we will come back home

And we will come back home

Home, again!

And we will come back home

And we will come back home

Home, again!

And we will come back home

And we will come back home

Home, again!

From now on!

And we will come back home

And we will come back home

Home, again!

And we will come back home

And we will come back home

Home, again!

And we will come back home

And we will come back home (yes!)

Home, again!

And we will come back home

And we will come back home

Home, again!

From now on!

These eyes will not be blinded by the lights!

From now on!

What's waited till tomorrow starts tonight!

It starts tonight!

Let this promise in me start

Like an anthem in my heart

From now on!

From now on!

From now on!

And we will come back home

And we will come back home

Home again!

And we will come back home

And we will come back home

Home again!

And we will come back home

And we will come back home

Home again!

From now on

From now on

Home again! (Ooh ooh)

From now on

From now on

Home again!

Logan’s voice died down, and you were frozen in pure shock. He sounded exactly like the actor who had originally sang the song. But, after a few seconds your thoughts caught up with you and you charged into the room making him jump.

“I DIDNT KNOW YOU COULD SING!”

Logan rushes over and slammed the door closed, eyeing you as he walks closer.

“I don’t.”

“I heard you.”

“No you didn’t.”

“Yes I did.”

Logan glared at you and you grinned. Shaking his head, Logan let out a small sigh and carried on what he was doing, so you slipped between him and the bed, gazing up at him with a soft smile.

“You’re really good at singing.”

“I don’t sing.” He grumbled.

Rolling your eyes, you pat his chest and shook your head a little at him before wrapping your arms around his waist as you hugged him, placing your head on his chest.

“Whatever you say Logan.”

He clicked his tounge but held you gently back, placing his chin on your head.

“You better not tell anyone.”

“Your secret is safe with me!”

#marvel x you #marvel x reader #marvel #logan howlett x reader #logan x reader #logan howlett #logan imagine

[writingonesdreams]

10 Songs Tag Game

Rules: use your WIP playlist (or any playlist) and put it on shuffle (no skipping). write the first 10 songs that come up and quote your favorite lyrics from each song and/or the lyrics that fit your WIP best (they might be the same lyrics), then tag 10 people.

1. This is me - The Greatest Showman

Favorite line: I make no apologies, this is me

WIP Match: I am who I'm meant to be, this is me

2. Rewrite the Stars  - The Greatest Showman

Favorite line: It's up to you, and it's up to me

WIP Match: No one can say what we get to be

3. A million dreams - - The Greatest Showman

Favorite line: I don't care if they call us crazy, we can live in a world that we design

WIP Match: To the world I close my eyes to see

4. From now on  - The Greatest Showman

Favorite line: But when I stop and see you here, I remember who all this was for

WIP Match: But those were someone else's dreams, the pitfalls of the man I became

5. Fire and the Flood by Vance Joy

Favorite line: Since we met I feel a lightness in my step 

WIP Match: You're miles away, but I still feel you 

6. Broken by Lovelytheband

Favorite line: I could be lonely with you

WIP Match: I like that you’re broken, broken like me

7. Love someone by Lukas Graham

Favorite line: Even on worst ones [days], you make me smile

WIP Match: Cause you gave me something to lose

8. Dark on me by Starset

Favorite line: But I found in you, what was lost in me

WIP Match: Light the night up, you’re my dark star

9. Ocean by Mike Perry

Favorite line: All I want is for you to stay a little longer now

WIP Match: Like the air I breathe, I let you in

10. Breaking Free

Favorite line: More than hope, more than faith, this is true, this is me

WIP Match: To get to the place to be all that we can be

Tagging: @thewalkingnerdx @kosmosian-quills @missbrunettebarbie-writer @mjmnorwood @purrfectwriting @enchanted-lightning-aes @howdy-writes 

#tag games #writeblr #wip: 5th Magic #writeblr tag game #songs #wip songs

[animetrashlord-007]

KS3; Ch. 1 || Revelations

Word Count;; 1.7k

Genre;; Eventual Smut

Pairing;; Sugawara x Akaashi

Summary;;

Struggling in their relationship, Sugawara and Akaashi decide to try out one last idea: outside help. Specifically the help of Kuroo Tetsurou.

What could go wrong?

Notes;; Published: 2018-08-12

My Masterlist

   Tension filled the room. It hung heavy in the air, thick and smothering and consuming. On either side of the king-sized bed were conflicting opinions, both unyielding and stubborn. What had started out fun and frisky soon escalated into a heated exchange. No longer were soft kisses shared or light giggles uttered. Only deafening silence could be heard over the pounding of their hearts.

   Akaashi Keiji and Sugawara Koushi had been dating for several years. They got along great. When one had an issue with the other, they talked about it. They were responsible adults, after all - they knew how to compromise. Their relationship was going so well, in fact, that Akaashi had suggested they move in together. That was seven months ago. Their relationship hadn’t suffered an inch. It continued to blossom and thrive, their feelings deepening with every passing day. They were in love.

   There was just one small issue, however…

   It wasn’t a big enough problem that it could damage their relationship; in no way, shape, or form was it a deal breaker. It just also wasn’t inconsequential, either. It was like a poorly made pitfall trap; noticeable and easy to avoid, yet it only took one wrong step to trigger it and fall victim. They both did their best to work around it, but some nights, in the heat of the moment, things would be said and actions became irreversible.

   Tonight was one of those nights.

   Neither would acknowledge the other. Clothes were sprawled across the floor and the bedding was ruffled. A cool breeze blew in from the window, open just enough to let fresh air in but not enough to jeopardise their privacy. The words that had started it all still echoed throughout their minds, racing and burning and contorting. Every fight brought more exasperation. With no outlet for pent-up energy and desire, the couple felt strained. There was no easy or immediate fix. The logical thing to do would be to address the concern head-on, to engage in the activity that was plaguing their nights. The sensible next step to try in their current predicament would be to release their frustrations through a good fuck.

   But that was the problem - they just weren’t sexually compatible.

   This isn’t to be mistaken with repulsed or uninterested. Akaashi loved Suga’s toned form, and his soft moans, and how his long legs entangled with his own just as much as Suga loved Akaashi’s lithe body, his light pants, and the way his back arched in pleasure. When it came to sex, however, they often struggled to agree. They each had their preferences and they contradicted the other’s.

   Or, rather, they both wanted the same position.

   They both wanted to bottom.

   Sighing, Akaashi turned around to face his partner, staring at Suga’s slumped back as he continued to gaze at the opposite wall. There were a million thoughts on each of their minds, a million different ways to apologise and to move forward and to compromise but neither knew where to start. It was easier to complain or to fight or to just give up, something Suga seemed on the verge of doing.

   Akaashi spoke first, breaking the cold silence, his voice just a whisper, “I know you don’t either, but I really don’t want to top tonight.”

   “I topped last time, Keiji.”

   “Can’t you just do it tonight and I’ll do it the next two times?”

   “I could but we both know that you won’t stick to your end of the bargain. I’ve already done it more times than I should’ve had to.”

   They fell silent once more. Each word felt like a cut to their pride. Why couldn’t they just find a solution they both agreed on? Why did they have to fight over something so petty? It was ridiculous and unnecessary. Their relationship was a dream, perfect in every other way, so why were they cursed without a common ground they could settle and build on together?

   “Whatever, let’s just” - Akaashi fell back onto the bed, curling up into a ball with his back to his partner- “go to sleep. I’m tired.”

   “Tired of me, I bet,” Suga scoffed, fluffing his pillow with a little too much force.

   “I’ll never grow tired of you, Koushi.”

   “You say that now but next time you’ve got a hard-on and you want to fuck, we’ll be right back here and you’ll be wondering why you even bother.”

   “Maybe.”

   Dropping his pillow on the bed, Suga’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open. His heart constricted, pain shooting throughout his chest. With a forced smile covering the frown threatening to break through, he turned to Akaashi. “Oi, that isn’t funny.”

   “Don’t joke around if you can’t take one back then. Besides” - Akaashi rolled over once more, fingers interlacing with Suga’s as he pulled him down into an embrace, wrapping his arms around his back and placing chaste kisses along his bare chest and neck until his lips reached the soft skin just below Suga’s ear - “who else would be so flexible and take my turns topping when I didn’t want to?”

   Suga blushed. “Yeah, you’ve got that right.”

   “Like I said, I’ll never grow tired of you, Koushi.”

   “I know, I know… It’s just frustrating. If only we had some-”

   Stopping mid-sentence, realisation flashed across his face. Pushing Akaashi off his neck in order to look into his eyes, his lips turned up into a grin. He hummed and nodded, giving himself a mental pat on the back. Akaashi masked his curiosity with a skeptical frown, his lips pursing as he ran his fingers over the blossoming purple marks he left on Suga’s neck. His tone never wavered as he questioned Suga, neither concern nor interest evident in his voice.

   “Are you okay?”

   “I know what we need! I’ve figured it out!”

   “Huh?”

   “We need a top!”

   “Huh?!”

   “Someone who actually enjoys it so we don’t have to feel forced to do it!”

   “Are you seriously suggesting a threesome right now?”

   Suga paused. He had been pleased with himself for finding a new, potential solution to their predicament but that was waning fast as he gazed at Akaashi. Slight confusion bubbled in his eyes as he watched his partner. Akaashi’s expression hadn’t changed, but he was leaning forward now. He dropped his hand to Suga’s knee, giving it a squeeze, prompting a response. “What, you don’t like the idea?”

   “I just never expected it from you. Not that I’m upset at this proposal, mind you. It could really spice things up. I kind of really like it, to be honest. It could be fun.”

   “I’m going to ignore how much your eyes are sparkling at the idea of being fucked by another man and make a small, minor correction - it wouldn’t really be a threesome. More like having a third partner.”

   “Care to elaborate?”

   “Well, a threesome sounds temporary, like a one-off thing, but we need someone for the long haul. It’s not like one day one of us will wake up and say, ‘hey, I think I prefer topping now.’”

   “So then it’s more of a polyamorous relationship.”

   “No!” Suga blurted out. His ears turned red as he grabbed Akaashi’s hand, their fingers entwining while he clarified, “I don’t want to share you with another person on that kind of emotional level. I don’t even want to share you physically, but if it’s something that can make both of us happy, I’m willing to try it. We need to find someone who is okay with a long-lasting sexual relationship that also won’t get attached.”

   “So a fuckboy?” Akaashi deadpanned, tapping his finger against his chin in thought.

   “Sure, I guess.” Suga quirked an eyebrow. “As long as they give us what we need sexually but realise that’s the extent of it.”

   “I might know someone.”

   “Why does it feel like you’ve thought about this before?”

   Keiji chuckled, ignoring the comment before it led the conversation somewhere he couldn’t reel it back from. He leaned over to kiss Suga, his tongue brushing against his bottom lip, teasing and gentle, but chose to pull back before either had a chance to deepen the kiss. Suga pouted at the loss of contact, grabbing at Akaashi playfully before a smile broke out across his gentle features.

   Akaashi knew full-well that they wouldn’t reach an agreement now that this new (and rather intriguing) proposal was on the table, so any and all attempts at physical comfort tonight would just end in a standstill. After giving him a quick peck on the cheek, he pinched Suga’s cheek, earning an exaggerated, ‘Ow!. He ran his fingers through Suga’s silver, smooth strands and flopped back onto his side of the bed.

   “You should try to find someone in case mine falls through.”

   “Will he?”

   “How should I know? I don’t even know if he’s into guys.”

   “... Seriously?”

   “If I say it’s a favour between friends, he’ll probably do it.”

   “You’re going to ask a straight guy to help our relationship by fucking us and hope his camaraderie prompts him to actually agree to it?”

   “Yes.”

   “Right. Well, whatever works. I’ll look as well but I’m not really comfortable with the idea.”

   “You’re the one who suggested it!”

   “I know! It’ll just take me a minute to get used to it!”

   “Then let’s not do it. We’re more than enough for each other.”

   “While I don’t disagree, it’s already been said and I want to do it. For us.” Suga felt warm. He could still taste Akaashi on his tongue, sweet yet hearty. His place was beside Keiji, that he knew. It was times like these that he understood that fact with perfect clarity. As long as he fell asleep next to him and awoke every morning by Akaashi’s side, he would be happy, peaceful and complete. “Let’s get some sleep.”

   “Good night, my sweet.”

   “Sleep well, Keiji.”

   “Sweet dreams, my dear.”

   “Try not to enjoy yours too much, Keiji.”

   “I’ll only be thinking of you, my love.”

   “Oh, shut up and go to sleep already.”

   Suga couldn’t hide the playful lilt in his voice, his face softening as he settled into the sheets. When familiar arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him into a warm and welcoming chest, all of his prior doubts disappeared into the darkness of the room. This arrangement could work. They’d make it work - that’s what they do. They could overcome anything, no matter what, so long as they were by each other’s side.

   Suga hummed in appreciation, snuggling into Akaashi’s embrace, before drifting off to sleep, content in his boyfriend’s arms.

#ks3 #haikyuu #haikyuu!! #sugawara koushi #akaashi keiji #sugawara x akaashi #akaashi x sugawara #suga x akaashi #akaashi x suga #haikyuu fanfic #haikyuu fanfiction #smut #haikyuu smut #anime #anime fanfic #anime fanfiction #anime smut #animetrashlord-007

[chelseamount]

From Now On - Tom Holland x Reader

Warnings: AAAAANGST, fluff 

request: no

request are open 

inspired by from now on from the greatest showman listen here

summary: Tom and Y/n have been best friends since they were born, but tom new famous life makes him cut y/n out of his life, but when tom realises that he is missing the light of his life he comes to sense again but will he confess his feelings or hide them away? 

****

I saw the sun begin to dim And felt that winter wind Blow cold

"Tom all I'm saying is just that if you go out with me tonight, we can have a sick night," Haz said

"I don't know haz, I'm pretty tired," I say

"pfff yeah right, I'm leaving in ten minutes."

"fine," I say, after being an actor for quite some time now you've been to some different parties, and don't get me wrong its fun and all but they change you, you know?

You see I started filming cherry not a long time ago, and you know it's fun and all but it's not like the other movies I've been in. I don't know some people might say I changed and who knows maybe I have but, it's the life of being a famous actor right? I mean that's what happens right?

I don't know I just... I fell like I'm missing the light, is like a long dimmed hallway with no light at the end

I mean yeah I have cut some people out of my life which I didn't mean to, but that also happens right?

one of them was Y/n

you see Y/n, and I have been best friends since we were born, but when I became an actor I don't know maybe I just cut her out you know, I don't know, but like she could just call if she wanted I don't understand why I'm thinking so much about her I haven't thought of her in months why now?

A man learns who is there for him When the glitter fades, and the walls won't hold

a knock on my door cuts me out of my thoughts... Harrison

"mate your coming?" he asks

"yeah coming."

****

the neon lights hit my face as the strong smells of liquor floats over me

"bro," haz says as he sits down on the couch with me at the club, we were at "why aren't you drinking."

"I'm not in the mood Haz," I say

"But you're always in the mood," he says

"yeah we'll not today" I snap

"bro why don't we just go find you a girl look around there's plenty," haz says

"I don't want a girl haz! at least not except from one" I whisper the last part

"Sorry mate, I don't really get what you're saying right now."

"haz do you remember Y/n? I mean she was our best friend, we were like the golden trio what happened" I ask

One remains Can only be what's true

"if I remember her? of course, I do she texts me every week."

"what" I whisper as a wave of sadness takes over me

"yeah, she texts each week how you're doing you know."

"she does? why didn't you tell me anything?" I ask

"I didn't think you cared," he says

"of course I care she's my best friend" I yell

"was your best friend, you cut her out remember?"

"shut the hell up" I yell "it was the best for her."

"oh Tom your so blind of course you didn't do it for her, you got to caught up in your new life, and the money, but why don't you just forget her and I will go find you a girl right now?"

"WHAT PART OF I DONT WANT ANY GIRL DONT YOU UNDERSTAND!"  yell "I only want Y/n" I whisper

"what! you're in love with Y/n?" he asks

"haz I've been in love with her since I said my first word, omg why did I cut her out I was so blind, haz I was so scared I cut out the women I love."

"yeah well, you are stupid some times."

"wow thanks haz," I say "do you think she would talk to me."

"don't know bro your kind of an ass."

If all was lost Is more I gain 'Cause it led me back To you

From now on These eyes will not be blinded by the lights From now on What's waited till tomorrow starts tonight Tonight

"don't you think I know that! haz I cant do this please tell Anthony and Joe I need a break" I stand up

"where are you going?" haz asks

"home"

"But we're at a party," he says

"Harrison I couldn't give less shit about this party honestly, all this these drunk people and the lights I can't do this anymore, I'm going home."

****

"honey it so good to see you," Mom says as she hugs me

"it's good to see you too mom gosh I missed London," I say

"So what's up honey why did you come home so suddenly?"

"I realised something, you know Y/n, I don't know why she came on my mind so suddenly, but I fucked up so bad, mom I let her go, I need to talk to her "

"I can call y/m/n," she says

" thank you so much, Mom

****

"Okay I just talked to y/m/n she says she's right now in her apartment and I got the address."

"thank you so much, mom."

"you welcome honey... well what are you waiting for go find her."

"oh yeah right bye mom."

"bye, honey."

I drank champagne with kings and queens The politicians praised my name But those are someone else's dreams The pitfalls of the man I became For years and years I chased their cheers The crazy speed of always needing more

****

oh gosh am I going to do this, of course, I am, come on Tom

But when I stop And see you here I remember who all this was for

I knock on the door and not a long time after the door opens and there she is, the women of my dreams

"Tom?" she asks

"Y/n."

"what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," I say

"But you cut me out tom" she crosses her arms

"I know, and that's why I'm here, can I come in?"

"sure" she closes the door after me

"Y/n I was so blinded by the money and the fame and I let the most important person in my life get away, Y/n your the light of my life" I start to get tears in my eyes

And from now on These eyes will not be blinded by the lights From now on What's waited till tomorrow starts tonight It starts tonight And let this promise in me start Like an anthem in my heart From now on

"no you can't just do this Tom and then just leave me again" she cries

"I won't, I won't ever leave you again love I was so scared from the first day that I found of what love was I knew I loved you. Do you remember that time when we were small, and I promised you that I would marry you one day? I'm so sorry that I haven't done that yet, but it's not too late. I need the light of my life, and you are that. I love you, Y/n."

"you do?" she asks

"I always have" I capture her lips in a long-awaited kiss, all of those sleepless nights thinking about her it's finally happening now, and it's even better than I imagined, her sweet lips against mine, I let her go once but never again

as oxygen starts to run out, we break away from the kiss and press our foreheads together

"Please don't ever break my heart again."

"I won't I promise" I cry

"and by the way, I love you too" she whispers

"oh thank, god," I say "I won't ever leave you ever again, I promise, I'm so sorry" I sob

"it's okay love you're here now" she caressed my check

"But I shouldn't ever have left."

"hey" she looks me in the eyes "your here now, and I love you so much, your home again."

"from now on I promise to never break your heart again" and as I say those words our lips meet each other again and finally I have everything I need right here in my arms I'm home again.

#tom holland imagines #tom holland imagine #tomholland #tom holland #tom holland fanfiction #tomhollandimagines #tomhollandimagine #peter parker imagine #peter parker fanfiction #tom holland x reader #tom holland x you #harrison osterfeild x reader #harrison osterfeild imagine #harrison osterfield #Female reader #imagines #imagine #spiderman #marvel #marvel imagine

[revolutionary-demosthenes]

The Bonstetten-Gray relationship

Most of this information comes from “Thomas Gray (A Biography)” which can be found here: https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.226086/page/n289/mode/2up.

Thomas Gray was an English poet born in 1716. He had many siblings, but the was the only one who survived childhood. According to poetry foundation, he “is generally considered the second most important poet of the eighteenth century” behind Alexander Pope.

Charles Victor de Bonstetten was born in 1745. He was a Swiss writer, and stayed with Francis Kinloch, John Laurens’s ex-boyfriend, (I will post more about him soon) when Johannes Von Müller and Alleyne Fitzherbert, 1st Baron, St. Helens were also staying with him, in what I call Kinloch’s Gay Retreat. (I will be posting about that very soon.) This relationship is pre-Kinloch, however something interesting is that Alleyne Fitzherbert also knew Gray, who wrote about Fitzherbert, “the little Fitzherbert is come as pensioner to St. John's, and seems to have all his wits about him.” 

Bonstetten met Gray near the end of the latter’s life. There was a 30 year age difference between them, but they were both adults. Bonstetten knew about Gray, but how they first came into contact is pretty hilarious. Here is the excerpt from the biography (Norton Nicholls was a friend of Gray’s): “So the November of 1769 wore uneventfully on, until one even- ing Norton Nicholls, who was concluding a rather protracted absence from his parish with a visit to Bath, happened to go to a ball at the Assembly Rooms. Light-hearted as ever, the youth- ful rector scrambled on to a table in order to have a better view of the dancing, and presently another young man did the same. They clutched one another for fear of falling, an unceremonious introduction which led to a lifelong friendship between them. The young man's name was Charles-Victor de Bonstetten, and he was the only son of a prominent member of the little group of patrician families which ruled the canton of Berne.” In other words, Nicholls and Bonstetten both stood on a table during a ball, holding each other so they wouldn’t fall! What a way to meet someone... They became friends, and either Bonstetten realized that Nicholls knew Gray, or Nicholls found out that Bonstetten revered Gray, but either way, Nicholls wrote a letter of recommendation for Bonstetten to be taught by one Thomas Gray. 

Side note: Bonstetten was going to marry an heiress, but wrote to his father that he was very happy he had not done so. Very, very happy. The he had not married a woman. He wrote in French, but the rough translation is, “O my dear father, I will now be admirably cheerful, and sing and dance all day like a man who woke up from a bad dream” Wow.

It appears that Bonstetten and Gray became fast friends after they met in London, December (of 1769, I’m assuming. The book is not terribly clear.) Bonstetten stayed in a coffee house often used by Gray and his friends. It seems that the affection Bonstetten felt for Gray came on quickly. He wrote Nicholls, after two weeks of being in Cambridge, “I never walk but with even steps and musing gate, and looks corner- cmg with the skyes ; and unfold my wrinkles only when I see Mr Gray, or think of you Then notwithstanding all your learnings and knowledge, I feel in such occasions that I have a heart, which you know is as some others a quite profane thing to carry under a black gown,” Gray wrote at the bottom of this letter, of Bonstetten, “I never saw such a boy our breed is not made on this model He is busy from morning to night, has no other amusement, than that of changing one study from another, likes nobody, that he sees here, and yet wishes to stay longer, tho’ he has pass’d a whole fortnight with us already His letter has had no correction whatever, and is prettier by half than English.”

At first, the Gray seemed to only see Bonstetten as a student, “But as the weeks went by, and his protege still stayed on at Cambridge, Gray grew ever more fascinated by him. He insisted that he should visit him at all times of the day, dine with him, work in his rooms. Together they read the English poets, went over the botanical lessons of Mr. Miller, played on the new pianoforte — a present from Stonhewer — and talked on and on until the college gate was about to close” They spent a lot more time together, which seems to have been initiated mainly by Gray. 

But it is this next passage in the biography that really hits me the hardest. It also is pretty clearly implying gay, which seems amazing to me, as this book was written in the 1950s, when being gay was still unjustly taboo. The book says that when Gray first met Bonstetten, he just saw him as a good student/an opportunity to impart knowledge onto someone deserving. But, “by now he realised that this newcomer was arousing in him emotions such as he had never experienced before, emotions obsessive and overwhelming. All his defences were swept away — the life so carefully organised, the formal and deliberate manner, the refuge which he had sought in books and antiquities and the interleaved Linnaeus. He was filled with disquiet, for he understood the secrets of his own nature he knew the existence of temptations which could not for one moment be contemplated by one who had been, all his life long, a strict observer of the laws of God and the laws of man. At the same time the very presence of Bonstetten brought him unimagined happiness. For a few short weeks he enjoyed once more what he had never known since his childhood days...” 

This appears to me like an intense internal struggle for Gray. He knew how society looked upon homosexuality, and as a respected poet, it was a big risk for him to be accused of this. As for the ‘secrets of his own nature’ I cannot honestly think of any other meaning of this but attraction for other men. Additionally, why would Gray. be ‘filled with disquiet’ about an intimate friendship? This strongly implies that Gray felt that the intimacy their relationship reached a level that was not accepted by society in that time. This passage especially makes me feel so bad for Gray, Bonstetten, and everyone who was/is not straight but are/were not allowed to be their true selves. Gray loved this man so deeply, yet if anyone found out about it, he would possibly be sentenced to death! An impossible situation, truly. But Bonstetten and Gray seemed willing to take the risk. Oddly, the biography says, that when Gray refused to talk of his personal life with Bonstetten, “Bonstetten concluded, a little surprisingly in the circumstances which then prevailed, that [Gray] had never been in love.” I would say very surprisingly... But of course this would also be an excellent cover for a romantic relationship. It is also worth noting that if Bonstetten only saw Gray as a mentor, why would he care if Gray would not talk of his early life when Bonstetten did?

However romantic their relationship got, it is clear that they both, though Gray especially, were very happy around each other. It was not to last, sadly. Bonstetten’s father wanted his son home. Gray made fun of this, and Bonstetten made a heart-felt appeal to his father, “Quand j ’ai enfin trouve un ami c'est pour le perdre et pour retomber dans cette sombre solitude ou je reste la proie des vices et de toutes les miseres humaines” which translates to “When I finally find a friend it is to lose him and to fall back into this dark loneliness where I remain the prey of vices and all human misery.” This was quite a smart and logical appeal, since Bonstetten’s father was worried about his son disgracing himself in some way or another, as many fathers worried about in those days (Henry Laurens...).

But even this was not enough, and Bonstetten departed in late March. As the biography says, “Gray was quite inconsolable All the warmth, the con- tentment, the affection that had lately filled his life would be drained out of it once more, and nothing but loneliness and emptiness lay ahead. And apart from his desolating sense of personal loss, he was deeply anxious about Bonstetten’s future He had tried so hard to sober the volatile creature, to control the fantasies and aspirations that filled his brain What dangers, what pitfalls of licentiousness and atheism now awaited him in France? What would happen to him when he returned to the domination of 'his cursed Father ’? As the dreaded day of separation drew near he tried to confide in Nicholls, but despaired of conveying to him the extent of his distress 'He gives me too much pleasure, and at least an equal share of inquietude. You do not understand him so well as I do, but I leave my meaning imperfect, till we meet I have never met with so extraordinary a Person God bless him ! I am unable to talk to you about anything else, I think.’ He went to London with Bonstetten, and said farewell to him on 23 March at four o’clock in the morning, when the Dover coach rumbled away into the cold and darkness.” The phrase “too much pleasure” also seems to suggest a relationship beyond friendship. As well as the phrase, ‘I leave my meaning imperfect’ perhaps he left it imperfect because he could not dare to write his real feelings.

Every single one of Bonstetten’s letters to Gray after leaving London are missing. Every. Single. One. One cannot even begin to speculate the sorts of things written in those letters! Three letters survived from Gray. These letters are pretty heartbreaking. It is clear that Gray missed Bonstetten deeply, despite only having known each other for a few months. “Never did I feel, my dear Bonstetten,” he wrote “to what a tedious length the few short moments of our life may be extended by impatience and expectation, till you had left me nor ever knew before with so strong a conviction how much this frail body sympathizes with the inquietude of the mind I am grown old m the compass of less than three weeks, like the Sultan in the Turkish Tales, that did but plunge his head into a vessel of water and take it out again (as the standers-by affirm'd) at the command of a Dervish, and found he had pass'd many years in captivity and begot a large family of children The strength and spirits that now enable me to write to you, are only owing to your last letter, a temporary gleam of sunshine Heaven knows, when it may shine again I did not conceive till now (I own) what it was to lose you, nor felt the solitude and insipidity of my own condition, before I possess’d the happiness of your friendship.”

Poor Gray! We do have a hint, however, later in this letter, what the letter Bonstetten had previously written had contained. Gray writes, “I return to your letter, it proves at least, that in the midst of your new gaieties, I still hold some place in your memory, and (what pleases me above all) it has an air of undissembled sincerity. Go on, my best and amiable Friend , to shew me your heart simply and without the shadow of disguise, and leave me to weep over it (as I do now) no matter whether from joy or sorrow.” Well, Gray was a poet, but this is just so beautiful... and so sad! This letter betrays such genuine grief and love over Bonstetten... if this letter survived, what must Bonstetten’s (which did not) contain? Bonstetten’s letter must have contained sadness about the separation as well. The line ‘without the shadow of disguise’ also strikes me as a particularly gay line... if they were just friends, why would there even be talk of parts of their heart ‘disguised?’ Also, Gray is saying that Bonstetten’s true heart makes him weep, which is basically saying, ‘You love me so much but that you love me so much is painful because you are away from me. But this is not the end of the tear-fest, my friends. Gray wrote Bonstetten again soon after, 

“Alas! how do I every moment feel the truth of what I have some- where read Ce n’est pas le voir que de Fen souvenir , and yet that remembrance is the only satisfaction I have left My life now is but a perpetual conversation with your shadow — The known sound of your voice still rings in my ears — There, on the corner of the fender you are standing, or tinkling on the pianoforte, or stretch'd at length on the sofa — Do you reflect, my dearest Friend, that it is a week or eight days, before I can receive a letter from you, and as much more before you can have my answer, that all that time (with more than Herculean toil) I am employ'd in pushing the tedious hours along, and wishing to annihilate them; the more I strive, the heavier they move and the longer they grow. I can not bear this place, where I have spent many tedious years within less than a month, since you left me.’ 

Time had obviously not softened the blow of Bonstetten's departure. Gray also repeatedly emphasizes that he is not living his life in the way that he was before Bonstetten entered his life. Again, we do not have any of Bonstetten’s letters, so we must only speculate what they could contain. But it seems clear that whatever they said, they did nothing to alleviate Gray’s pain, and perhaps even made Gray yearn ever more for his departed pupil. 

About a month later, Thomas Gray and Norton Nicholls went to Suffolk together, and had hoped to see Bonstetten while there, but when Bonstetten was there (I do not the know the reason why he was not or why Gray expected him to be) Gray wrote another plaintive letter:

“I am return'd, my dear Bonstetten, from the little journey I had made into Suffolk without answering the end proposed. The thought, that you might have been with me there, has embitter'd all my hours. Your letter has made me happy; as happy as so gloomy, so solitary a Being as I am is capable of being. I know and have too often felt the disadvantages I lay myself under, how much I hurt the little interest I have in you by this air of sadness so contrary to your nature and present enjoyments, but sure you will forgive, tho* you can not sympathize with me It is impossible for me to dissemble with you Such as I am, I expose my heart to your view, nor wish to conceal a single thought from your penetrating eyes — All that you say to me, especially on the subject of Switzerland, is infinitely acceptable. It feels too pleasing ever to be fulfill'd, and as often as I read over your truly kind letter, written long since from London,* I stop at these words La mort qui peat glacer nos bras avant qu’ils soient entrelaces.”

The French at the bottom of this letter translates to, “Death that can freeze our arms before they are intertwined.” 

There is also a line in this letter which raises the question “Did Gray love Bonstetten but Bonstetten not love Gray?” The aforementioned line is, “tho* you can not sympathize with me” which seems to suggest either that Bonstetten is not having as hard a time away from Gray, or that they loved each other in different ways. But this could also just mean that Bonstetten has other friends, or really anything along those lines. I also feel we should be extremely careful when claiming that love is one-sided when we only have one sides’ recollection of the relationship. People try and do this with the Laurens-Hamilton relationship... many of Laurens’s letters that survive are not as gushing as Hamilton’s but we are missing a great deal of them, and what we have was edited. But some people try to dismiss the relationship because of this. Also, this is one line out a letter that basically screams “I LOVE U!!” so...

I have found a list of all the Bonstetten letters, though there is no content. There are dates of the letters, though. Here is the link: http://www.thomasgray.org/cgi-bin/display.cgi?collection=letters&author=Bonstetten,+Charles+Victor+de,[phone]&sortby=placelet_up.

There’s a letter to Norton Nicholls in there too, and the only reason I’m mentioning it is because Bonstetten uses the phrase ‘methinks’ which is just wonderful.

But it seems that this relationship would die down soon afterwards. The biography says, “Such intensity of emotion could not last for very long It exhausted Gray's vitality at the time, and may well have had a permanent effect upon his health, but as the weeks went on he began to view the whole affair in a more reasonable light He saw the absurdity of his relationship with Bonstetten as well as its sadness; and indeed the absurdity, for all his over- mastering charm, of Bonstetten himself. Even at this early stage he began to find the style of the letters from Paris * un peu trop alembique', affected and over-refined. They were not to grow less so with the passage of time. Bonstetten made uncon- vincing excuses for not writing more often, and 'he seems at present to give into all the French nonsense and to be employ'd much like an English boy broke loose from his Governor ' It was the natural reaction of a high-spirited young man after those sober months at Cambridge, months of serious reading and celibate living and an unequal friendship between youth and age; but it displeased Gray, and the pangs of separation began to torment him less.”

We can tell from this that Bonstetten was the one who really began to separate from Gray once their geographic distance and cultural distance (to some extent, because Bonstetten was adopting more French manners, which displeased Gray,) grew too great. This parallels the Kinloch/Laurens relationship to some extent, I feel, because Laurens and Kinloch relationship deteriorated once Laurens was in London and Kinloch was still part of the Geneva social circles.

At any rate, this is what I have been able to find on the Bonstetten/Gray relationship. In conclusion: Bonstetten and Gray were likely lovers, despite a very large age difference, (Bonstetten was abut 24, and Gray 53) but the relationship did not last long. (If you want to think of it as a summer fling in December, I won’t stop you.) Gray appears to have been the more gushy letter-writer, but we have none of Bonstetten’s so it is really impossible to say. Bonstetten died in 1771, while Bonstetten was in Geneva. I’m trying to figure out what Bonstetten did, and if he stayed in Geneva or traveled between 1771 and 1775, when he went to Kinloch’s Gay Retreat.

Hope you enjoyed!

#Charles Victor de Bonstetten #Thomas Gray #we need a ship name for these two #queer history #Norton Nicholls

[lovemesomesurveys]

What was the brand of your first ever cell phone? Cingular Wireless. 

What are your 3 favorite internet sites? Tumblr, YouTube, and Twitter. 

Do you have a favorite pair of blue jeans? Describe them. I like all my jeans, they’re all dark wash skinny jeans. 

What profession do you respect? Anyone who works with the disadvantaged and is paid pennies for it – social workers, homeless/domestic violence shelter employees, animal rescuers, etc. High-stress jobs with no financial reward, basically. <<< Yes!

Have you ever been the recipient of a practical joke? No.

Have you ever ate something you’ve dropped on the floor, if so what? Nooo. That 5 second rule is a lie.

Would you consider being an Uber driver if you needed to make extra money? I don’t have a car, nor can I drive, which are both kinda necessary. IF I could, I still wouldn’t. I’d be scared to have strangers in my car.

How do you know when you’re in love, what’s the main sign? I actually want to be around the person for long periods of time. <<< Ha, yeah that’s definitely a sign for me as well. 

Have you ever gotten anything autographed, if so by who & what was it? Jim Carrey, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Drake Bell.

Do you prefer Walmart or Target? Target.

What do you long for? My vacation next year. 

If you could be a personal assistant to anyone, who would it be? No thanks.

What is the most important thing you can do to improve yourself? Take better care of myself.  What makes it hard for you to keep your focus? My mind will just start to wander after awhile and if I focus on trying to stay focused, I become too focused on being focused. Did you follow any of that? lol.

Do you think society has become too PC (politically correct)? I think in some cases people are too quick to attack others. Some people truly may just be ignorant about a topic or accidentally misspoke about something, but people are so quick to attack and make them out to be the worst person in the world. Try educating others instead. Some people act like they know everything and never say the wrong thing ever.

What tragic love story do you relate to? None.

Has your intuition or “gut” served you well? In some cases.

What’s the longest you’ve ever waited in line for something and what was it? Midnight premieres. My friends and I would get there an hour or two early and you just hang around until they start letting people in. It was fun, though. We’d bring blankets and a bunch of snacks. 

Who is your favorite model? I don’t have one.

What have you done that is out of character for you? I used to be the friend everyone could come and talk to. I was dependable. A few years ago I pushed everyone away and became distant and withdrawn. I’m not that dependable person anymore.

Would you rather get a gift card or a gift that someone bought for you? I appreciate either one.

Who is the most visionary person in your life & how do they inspire you? Uhhh.

How do you handle a betrayal? I’d be hurt, but I’d also likely blame myself.

What do you feel strong enough to protest about? I’ve never protested before. 

What’s the biggest blooper you’ve never lived down? My life.

If you owned a restaurant what kind of food do you want to serve? To play along with your hypothetical game I’d have a cafe. 

What will we find if we look in the bottom of your closet today? Medical supplies and shoes. 

What kind of car did you learn how to drive on? I still haven’t learned how to drive.

What is the best thing you have done just because you were told you can’t? I don’t know.

Have you ever had to go to court or testify and if so what for? No.

Do you believe in karma? No.

Are you more worried about doing the things right, or doing the right thing? I can worry about both. They are not mutually exclusive. <<< Yeah. They’re not even the same thing. Doing things right can be like following instructions and such, while doing the right thing is like what you think is morally right.

Do you believe in the term “Mother knows best? My mom often does. If I would have just listened to her advice some things would certainly be a lot different. Even now. I’m so damn stubborn. 

Who is your favorite movie action hero? Iron Man, Spiderman, Ant-Man, Star Lord, and Thor.  

What is one thing you can get in your hometown you can’t get elsewhere? Hm. Nothing is coming to mind, honestly. 

How important are looks in someone you’re in a relationship with? I just answered this in another survey. They’re not the most important thing, it’s gotta be deeper than just looks, but I can’t say they don’t matter at all.

What freedom do you feel is not really free anymore? Uhhh.

What are you most thankful for? My family.

Do you have any favorite talk shows or talk radio programs without music? Well, as far as talk shows go I like to watch Daily Pop and Dr. Phil. Sometimes The Talk as well.

What was the last book you read? Because of Bethlehem by Max Lucado.

What’s your favorite online store? The places I shop online the most are: Hot Topic, BoxLunch, Kohl’s, Amazon, and Etsy.

What band would you love to tour with or be a roadie for? I don’t wanna do that. I couldn’t handle it.

If you were to throw a message in a bottle into the ocean, it would say? “Hi.” lol.

Do you have common sense or do you think people are lacking in it? It doesn’t seem to be very common sometimes. You either got it or you don’t, and it does seem to be lacking.

What’s your favorite non-alcoholic drink? Coffee.

How do you feel about thrift shops or flea markets? Not my thing.

What do you like to put gravy on? Mashed potatoes, stuffing, turkey, and ham. I love country gravy on my eggs. 

Have you ever gone canoeing/kayaking? Nope.

What one thing in particular makes you feel good about yourself? Nothing.

What is priceless to you? Time with my family. 

What do you wait for discount sales to buy? I always look for a good sale and use coupon codes whenever I can.

What is one thing you know about your family history you’re proud of? I honestly don’t know a whole lot. I’d really like to do that ancestry test.

What 3 songs will always be found at the top of your playlist? It changes.

What is the craziest thing you’ve ever done for someone? Hmm. 

Do you keep a budget? I try. 

If you could cast a spell on someone what spell would you cast and on who? Nah.

What makes you feel rested and refreshed? Spending time at the beach is the only thing that can make me feel that way.

What is the funniest joke you have ever heard about? I don’t know what I’d say the funniest joke I ever heard was.  Who depends on you the most? No one.

Could you ever be someone’s bodyguard? Ha, no. I’m very thin, weak, and in a wheelchair. No offense to anyone else who may also be any of those things, but I know I couldn’t protect anyone. I’m also a scardy cat, easily intimidated, and non-confrontational, so... I’d really be of no use at all.

Has one of your biggest fears come true? Yes. And some will eventually... they’re inevitable. :(

Is there anything about the opposite sex you just don’t understand? There’s a lot I don’t understand about people in general.

Did you create a checklist for your ideal spouse? If so, what were two things you wanted? I only list things like that when asked in a survey. It comes up a lot.

Have you ever ridden on a subway or train an what did you like about it? Nope.

What song on your playlist gets played the most? My Spotify wrap up thingy listed all that, but I don’t feel like checking it again right now.

Do you prefer sporty or academic members of the opposite sex? Academic.

Do you have to experience something to fully understand it? No. I have a strong instinct for empathy. <<<

Has anyone in your family ever served in the military? Yes.

Finish the next line in your style: Roses are red, violets are blue… I’m tired, how are you?

What embarrasses you instantly? When I start mixing my words around when I speak. <<< Saaaame. I trip over my words, too. 

Do you think you could be a firefighter, why/why not? Nope. Well, there’s the wheelchair for one.

Do you often read your horoscope? I never do.

What current event are you tired of hearing about? Trump.

Are you a daredevil? Ha, nope.

What common pitfalls do you find yourself dealing with in your work life? I don’t have a job.

Describe your “poker face”. >> My resting face is a poker face. People tend to read all kinds of things into it (usually negative things), because I guess they can’t stand a simple blank slate. <–Me. We’re so misunderstood. Haha. <<< Me, too. 

What do you think should be censored? I don’t see the issue with curse words being censored. I just never understood why you can say some, but not others. 

Are you related to anyone famous or historical, if so who? Possibly.

Would you ever donate a kidney to anyone, and who? I don’t know.

How do you encourage yourself when you go through hard times? My relationship with God.

Have you ever fired a gun? Yes. I went to a shooting range once with friends.

Do you think people, including yourself live up to their full potential? I’m not doing anything with my life. :/ I don’t feel like I have much potential, either.

How are you different from most people? I’m different from people I know in a lot of ways. Like, people I know are functioning adults and I’m not.

What is the main quality you think makes a great parent? Understanding is definitely one. There’s a lot of things, though.

What creature do you admire for its ability to adapt? Dogs.

Have you ever stayed up for an entire 24 hours, why? Yeah. I’ve stayed up for over 30 hours. I honestly don’t know I ever did that. I could never now.

Who is a female role model in your life? My mom.

What childhood dreams have you neglected? The ones where I was doing something with my life.

How often do you reevaluate your life? I don’t. I am aware of what my life looks like at any given time. I don’t need to sit down and think deeply about it to realize I need to change something I’m doing; I am well aware of my faults and negative habits.  <<< Just gonna keep all your answers.

What’s your favorite place just to hang out? My bed.

What gives you a zest for life? This makes me think of this thing I saw on Twitter that said something like, “I thought it would be easy peasy lemon squeezy, not stressed, depressed, lemon zest”, ha.

What do you have trouble seeing clearly in your mind? My mind is a jumbled mess. 

What three things do you think of most of each day? God, my health, and my life.

Would you travel to space if possible? Nopeeee. Just the idea of space is terrifying to me. 

Name a famous person you wouldn’t mind for a business partner. I don’t want a business partner. I’m not doing anything in business. 

#personal #text #survey #surveys

[rp-grannies]

[Lyric Starters] The Greatest Showman (2017)

Feel free to add context, change pronouns, names, jobs, and anything else you need to change to make these work for you! Have fun! ^-^

THE GREATEST SHOW

❝ Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for. ❞

❝ Buried in your bones, there's an ache you can't ignore. ❞

❝ Taking your breath, stealing your mind. ❞

❝ All that was real is left behind. ❞

❝ Don't fight it, it's coming for you. ❞

❝ It's only this moment, don't care what comes after. ❞

❝ Can't you see it getting closer? ❞

❝ Just surrender 'cause you feel the feeling taking over. ❞

❝ It's fire, it's freedom. ❞

❝ The runaways are running the night! ❞

❝ Oh, this is the greatest show! ❞

❝ It's blinding, outshining anything that you know. ❞

❝ It's everything you ever want. It's everything you ever need. ❞

❝ This is where you wanna be. ❞

❝ You see the impossible is coming true. ❞

❝ The walls can't stop us now! ❞

A MILLION DREAMS

❝ I close my eyes and I can see a world that's waiting up for me. ❞ 

❝ They can say I've lost my mind. ❞

❝ We can live in a world that we design. ❞

❝ Every night I lie in bed, the brightest colors fill my head. ❞

❝ A million dreams are keeping me awake. ❞

❝ I think of what the world could be: a vision of the one I see. ❞

❝ The special things I compile, each one there to make you smile on a rainy day. ❞

❝ They can say we've lost our minds. ❞

❝ Run away to a world that we design. ❞

❝ However big, however small, let me be part of it all. ❞

❝ Share your dreams with me. ❞

❝ You may be right, you may be wrong, but say that you'll bring me along. ❞

❝ A million dreams is all it's gonna take. ❞

❝ A million dreams for the world we're gonna make. ❞

COME ALIVE

❝ You stumble through your days, got your head hung low. ❞

❝ You're asleep inside. ❞

❝ You're just a dead man walking thinking that's your only option. ❞

❝ Take the world and redefine it. ❞

❝ Come alive, go and light your light. ❞

❝ You're dreaming with your eyes wide open. ❞

❝ I see it in your eyes. You believe that lie. ❞

❝ Afraid to step outside, so you lock the door. ❞

❝ No more living in the shadows, you and me, we know how that goes. ❞

❝ Once you see it, oh, you'll never be the same. ❞

❝ You can prove there's more to you. ❞

THE OTHER SIDE

❝ I don't want to chase you down. ❞

❝ You run with me, and I can cut you free. ❞

❝ Don't you wanna get away from the same old part you gotta play? ❞

❝ I got what you need, so come with me and take the ride. ❞

❝ Stay in the cage, or you'll finally take the key. ❞

❝ I quite enjoy the life you say I'm trapped in. ❞

❝ You're onto something, really it's something. ❞

❝ I live among the swells and we don't pick up peanut shells, I'll have to leave that up to you. ❞

❝ I don't need to see the other side. ❞

❝ If I were mixed up with you, I'd be the talk of the town. ❞

❝ Disgraced and disowned, another one of the clowns. ❞

❝ But you would finally live a little, finally laugh a little. ❞

❝ Just let me give you the freedom to dream. ❞

❝ We're going to the other side! ❞ 

NEVER ENOUGH

❝ I'm trying to hold my breath. ❞

❝ Let it stay this way. ❞

❝ Can't let this moment end. ❞

❝ You set off a dream in me. ❞

❝ Can you hear it echoing? ❞

❝ Take my hand. Will you share this with me? ❞

❝ Darling without you, all the shine of a thousand spotlights, all the stars we steal from the night sky will never be enough. ❞

❝ Towers of gold are still too little. ❞

❝ These hands could hold the world but it'll never be enough. ❞ 

THIS IS ME

❝ I am not a stranger to the dark. ❞

❝ I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars. ❞

❝ No one'll love you as you are. ❞

❝ I won't let them break me down to dust. ❞

❝ I know that there's a place for us, for we are glorious. ❞

❝ I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out. ❞

❝ I am brave, I am bruised, I am who I'm meant to be. ❞

❝ This is me. ❞

❝ I'm marching on to the beat I drum. ❞

❝ I make no apologies. ❞

❝ Fire away cause today, I won't let the shame sink in. ❞

❝ We are bursting through the barricades and reaching for the sun. ❞

❝ We are warriors. ❞

❝ I'm not scared to be seen. ❞

❝ I know that I deserve your love. ❞

❝ There's nothing I'm not worthy of. ❞ 

REWRITE THE STARS

❝ You know I want you. ❞

❝ It's not a secret I try to hide. ❞

❝ Fate is pulling you miles away and out of reach from me. ❞

❝ You're here in my heart, so who can stop me if I decide that you're my destiny? ❞

❝ What if we rewrite the stars? ❞

❝ You'd be the one I was meant to find. ❞

❝ No one can say what we get to be. ❞

❝ Maybe the world could be ours tonight. ❞

❝ You think I don't want to run to you? ❞

❝ There are doors that we can't walk through. ❞

❝ We're able to be just you and me within these walls. ❞

❝ When we go outside, you're gonna wake up and see that it was hopeless after all. ❞

❝ No one can rewrite the stars. ❞

❝ How can you say you'll be mine? Everything keeps us apart. ❞

❝ I'm not the one you were meant to find. ❞

❝ All I want is to fly with you, all I want is to fall with you. ❞

❝ Just give me all of you. ❞

❝ We're bound to break and my hands are tied. ❞

TIGHTROPE

❝ Some people long for a life that is simple and planned. ❞

❝ Some people won't sail the sea cause they're safer on land. ❞

❝ I'd follow you to the great unknown. ❞

❝ Off to a world we call our own. ❞

❝ Hand in my hand, we promised to never let go. ❞

❝ We're walking a tightrope. ❞

❝ High in the sky, we can see the whole world down below. ❞

❝ Never sure, never know how far we could fall. ❞

❝ It's all an adventure that comes with a breathtaking view. ❞

❝ You pull me in and together we're lost in a dream. ❞

❝ So I risk it all just to be with you. ❞

❝ I risk it all for this life we choose. ❞ 

FROM NOW ON

❝ A man learns who is there for him when the glitter fades and the walls won't hold. ❞

❝ If all was lost, there's more I gained 'cause it led me back to you. ❞

❝ From now on, these eyes will not be blinded by the lights. ❞

❝ What's waited till tomorrow starts tonight. ❞

❝ Let this promise in me start, like an anthem in my heart. ❞

❝ I drank champagne with kings and queens. ❞

❝ The politicians praised my name. ❞

❝ Those are someone else's dreams, the pitfalls of the man I became. ❞

❝ For years and years, I chased their cheers. ❞

❝ When I stop and see you here, I remember who all this was for. ❞

❝ We will come back home again. ❞ 

#RP Meme #RP Memes #Lyric Starter #Lyrics Starters #the greatest showman #the greatest showman 2017

[desperatelittledemon]

From Now On (Osomatsu x Reader) (First Tumblr Writing Post Woo)

Osomatsu sat at the bar, completely spaced out until he heard the ring of a bell, signaling that someone was coming into the bar. He looked up to find his brothers standing above him. He sighed.

“Look, if you’ve come to get paid, the money’s gone, all of it.-

“Shut up Nii-san.” Todomatsu interrupted him “You just don’t get it.”

“The entire world was disgusted by us, hated us our whole lives” Totty continued.

“Then you pulled us all out of the shadows and now you’re giving up on us too”

Osomatsu looked down.

“Maybe you really are a fraud, maybe this was all to make a quick buck, but you reconnected our family” Osomatsu perked up at these words.

“And you made us feel at home again” Karamatsu chimed in.

“We want our home back.” Karamatsu added on.

Osomatsu sat there for a moment, and then opened his mouth...

“ I saw the sun begin to dim And felt that winter wind Blow cold A man learns who is there for him When the glitter fades and the walls won't hold 'Cause from then, rubble One remains Can only be what's true If all was lost Is more I gain 'Cause it led me back To you”

Osomatsu got up from the bar stool, pushing Jyushimatsu and Ichimatsu out of the way, both brothers giving worried looks to the rest of the family.

But instead of leaving, Osomatsu stepped closer to a wall holding up pictures of him, his brothers and he and his s/o

“I drank champagne with kings and queens The politicians praised my name But those are someone else's dreams The pitfalls of the man I became For years and years I chased their cheers The crazy speed of always needing more But when I stop And see you here I remember who all this was for”

He turned to his brothers, walking towards them and wrapping an arm around Todomatsu’s shoulders

“And from now on These eyes will not be blinded by the lights”

While Osomatsu was singing, Jyushimatsu leaned over the bar and poured six glasses of beer and handing them to Osomatsu

“From now on What's waited till tomorrow starts tonight It starts tonight”

Osomatsu passed the beers to his brothers.

“And let this promise in me start Like an anthem in my heart From now on From now on’

Every brother cheered and started to dance.

‘From now on!~

“And we will come back home And we will come back home Home, again! “

“And we will come back home And we will come back home Home, again!And we will come back home And we will come back home Home, again!”

As the rest of his family sang. Osomatsu’s eyes landed on the picture of him and his s/o.

Todomatsu followed his older brothers eyes and lightly punched Osomatsu on the arm before pointing to the door.

Knowing what his youngest brother meant, Osomatsu raced out the door, leaving the rest of his brothers to sing and dance happily.

“From now on!”

Osomatsu ran down the streets of his neighborhood.

“These eyes will not be blinded by the lights!”

Osomatsu shouted as he sprinted to the nearest train station.

“What's waited till tomorrow starts tonight! It starts tonight! Let this promise in me start Like an anthem in my heart From now on! From now on! From now on!”

Osomatsu managed to squeeze through the train doors just as they were closing.

“And we will come back home And we will come back home Home again!”

“And we will come back home And we will come back home Home again!”

The song softened as Osomatsu reached his s/o’s home, politley knocking on the door. 

“And we will come back home And we will come back home Home again!”

His s/o opened the door and when they locked eyes, Osomatsu grinned at them. 

“From now on From now on Home again! (Ooh ooh)”

His s/o smiled gently

“From now on From now on Home again!”

#osomatsu x reader #i'm so nervous #please tell me what you thought about this #hoo biy #i lowkey love the greatest showman #this was my favorite part

[animentality]

I talked about how the greatest showman was very meta, presenting us the very “empty, dazzling show” that its in-universe (and irl) critics criticized for being empty of substance.

“The Greatest Showman” seems like a self-aware movie, one that recognizes its story is nothing particularly revolutionary, but also that it doesn’t matter.

It wants to make you happy. Present you with a good time, with good music, lovable characters, and the “fantastic.” 

Now that being said...

I’ve been struggling with my love for the greatest showman ever since I heard Donald Trump liked the movie.

I know exactly why he loves it.

Because he thinks of himself as PT Barnum.

He, like every other American, believes in that “rags to riches” nonsense. 

He believes in the American dream, in a man “being creative” enough to “deserve” to be wealthy and successful. 

He also likes that simplistic story about a white man gathering a rag tag clan of nervous people of color and people with disabilities and gently guiding them away from their timid ways.

The Greatest Showman is a white savior story.

It’s also a rags to riches story. 

Plus, I’m sure Trump enjoyed “From Now On,” in which Hugh Jackman sings:

“I drink champagne with kings and queens. Politicians praised my name.  But those were someone else’s dreams, the pitfalls of the man I became.” 

Because he believes himself to be a martyr of the press, calling it  a liar, and a fake. And he ignores other people’s criticisms of himself, those “scholarly” uptight critics. 

He likes to think of himself, not as that aristocratic elite, but the thrifty thriving merchant who “made” his money. 

PT Barnum was an asshole in real life.

In the movie, he’s a lovable, defiant, progressive rogue. 

And it infuriates me that Trump liked the movie, but i’m realizing that there is such a simple meaning to it all. 

The Greatest Showman is still just a show. Just a dazzling spectacle, not one we should believe in or take some grand message from. 

I already said that it was meant to be empty, but colorful? 

Rich with feeling, not brilliance? 

Well.

What do Americans want to see?

What do Americans truly desire?

They want to believe things are bright, happy, simple. 

And they want to believe in the American Dream, that you can be rich if you work hard enough and are daring enough.

So the Greatest Showman gives you that.

It doesn’t take itself seriously. It is just a show, something made purely to make people happy, to bring them joy, and make money of course, but let’s not talk about that for now. 

That’s how I’ve reconciled with it in my head.

I know the Greatest Showman is capitalist bourgeoisie propaganda. 

But I also know, that by its own admission, it is a fraud, just like the man it was based on. 

A lovely, spectacular fraud, one that arguably tells you it’s a fraud, but ultimately fulfills the emotional catharsis you were seeking all along. 

#the greatest showman #donald trump

[shadesofjoe]

Down Under

It’s wild what a difference a year can make. I’ve not spoken publicly of things I’m about to share, though those closest to me are well aware of these events. It’s recently been suggested to me, however, that writing more openly about the situation would be a good final step in releasing the negative energy surrounding it, thus closing this path of catharsis I have traveled for the past few months. And if nothing else, it could serve as a cautionary tale for someone else who might be able to avoid some of the pitfalls I fell into.

I met her last January. Her name was Emily… at least that’s what she told me her name was. In retrospect, I’m guessing that was just another of many things that wound up not being true. But in my memory she will always be Emily, and for the purposes of this exercise, it’s probably best to leave it that way. She reached out to me through a post I made on a personals subreddit. She purported to be from Australia, which will no doubt ring a bell for those of you who were curious as to why I suddenly became very interested in Australian facts around this time last year. She claimed to be a veterinarian and, near as I can tell, there may have been a hint of truth to that. I don’t know. It’s all still kind of difficult to parse through, unfortunately.

Be that as it may, there seemed to be this instant chemistry between us. We spent a lot of time texting, talking on the phone, exchanging pictures and voice messages. I liked her. A lot. I thought there was this energy we had going on. It was the kind of authentic vibe I hadn’t felt in a very, very long time. I was attracted to everything about her, and better yet, she seemed to actually be attracted to everything about me. In retrospect, I should have perhaps been more skeptical of a seemingly beautiful woman from a foreign country being interested in someone of my portly stature, but even my well-developed self awareness still has its blind spots.

The trouble came, of course, a couple of days before our first scheduled video call. I don’t want to get into too many details, because honestly there’s just no way for me to know how much of what I was told was true, and how much wasn’t… which is its own problem. The important part is that the video call didn’t happen for reasons that were portrayed to me as very dramatic. There was about a two-week period of radio silence where the only interaction I had from her was the recognition that she was viewing my Instagram stories. I started posting stories every day just to see if she was still thinking of me during what she had laid out to me as a very difficult and emotionally challenging situation for her. I haven’t used Instagram since all this went sideways. I still can’t bear to open the app on my phone. I honestly have considered deleting it altogether. But I digress…

After the radio silence, Emily got back in touch with me and said that she wanted to come over for a visit to see if we would still have the same chemistry in person. Then she would know if this was something she could truly move forward with. Of course I was ecstatic. So plans were set for her to come in the early spring, which in retrospect would have been just about the time the coronavirus began to spiral out of control here in the United States. I sometimes wonder what life would have been like if things had turned out to be real. It wasn’t long before travel was restricted leaving the country, so she likely would have been stuck here for a while. It would have meant more time together discovering each other, showing her around Kentucky, introducing her to my friends, and maybe, just maybe, building something meaningful and lasting.

But of course none of that happened, because she never came. It was never real. And if I’m honest, I still feel like an idiot for ever believing it could have been.

Emily dropped out of contact again about a week before she was supposed to arrive. She resurfaced long enough to once again outline a very dramatic situation that involved her family. I will refrain from specifics because if it was a lie, then it’s an unspeakably awful one… but if for some strange reason even some of it was true, then it’s just as unspeakably awful. Either way, it was soul-crushing. In a single moment, I had gone from planning out a two-week whirlwind vacation to the reality that this woman was now disappearing from my life.

I am so unbelievably stupid sometimes.

Looking back with the benefit of not feeling that devastation again, it seems clear that the potential of a face-to-face encounter, just like a video call, had made her realize that she couldn’t keep up whatever this thing was. So cue the drama and then exit stage left.

I’m not so proud of this next part…

I asked the catfish subreddit for help determining just how badly I had been bamboozled. In doing so, I linked the Instagram account she was using for our correspondence. For all of my intellect, it genuinely never occurred to me that people might send nasty messages. I wasn’t thinking very clearly at all, truth be told. But lo and behold, the next day I get a pretty spicy message from Emily on Google Hangouts (she had blocked and unfollowed me on Instagram and Discord with nary a word about it) telling me that people had been sending her some really mean things.

That’s when a friend of mine who had managed to infiltrate her Instagram, unbeknownst to me, sent me a screencapped photo of a woman on a beach, legs intertwined with another man’s with champagne glasses in both their hands. It was a first-person perspective photo, so I couldn’t see faces. But obviously it made this already strange situation seem a million times worse. I called Emily out on this, and the only thing she could say in reply is that she had “made the right choice.”

I spent the next few months floundering, trying to make sense of the million little pieces my heart had been shattered into. I really opened up to this person. I trusted her. I believed her when she said that she had feelings for me. But none of it was true. As you can imagine, I’ve spent a good amount of time dealing with this in my therapy. It’s hard to not have answers. Even in a brief email exchange some months later, Emily said it was all a big misunderstanding and that she hadn’t whisked off on some romantic getaway. But honestly those pictures likely weren’t even of her, either. There’s literally no way to know what the actual truth behind his whole fucked up situation, and that has been the most difficult thing to navigate over this past year. The utter deceit of it all reaches depths I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams.

So am I foolish? Yes. Of course I am. I think that’s just part of my personality. I don’t necessarily view it as a character flaw, per se. But it certainly bit me in the ass here. This was definitely a lesson in how to temper that naiveté with a healthy amount of skepticism. I don’t do so well with balance though, so the pendulum swung hard in the other direction for quite a while. It’s closer to the middle now, but I still have more than my share of moments where I wonder if love is a real possibility for me.

I’ve done so much inner work. I’m very proud of the person I’ve become on the inside. I’m kind, thoughtful, generous, empathetic, funny, intelligent, and possess a host of other intangible qualities that make me a very compelling person. But I am also fat and there’s no getting around it. (Pun somewhat intended?) And a woman of Emily’s purported beauty and social status dating a fat guy, no matter how amazing, is just not indicative of the reality in which we live. It’s the kind of situation you would only ever see on a television show or in a movie. But that’s not real life. And perhaps if I had understood that better, I wouldn’t have had my heart broken into a million little pieces.

But this isn’t a sob story. I’m legitimately okay now. Therapy has been a godsend and I’ve done a lot of really important work to heal from it all. But of course there are… remnants. It’s not the kind of thing you can ever completely wipe from your memory. It happened. It’s over. And I’ve moved on. Part of that is accepting that being a bachelor for the rest of my life is a distinct possibility, and perhaps may be a likelihood. At some point you have to face facts, you know? When you can confront yourself with that kind of honesty, the likelihood of someone being able to pull the wool over your eyes again dramatically decreases. Besides, I’ve got children to raise. A life to lead. I don’t really have time for childish fantasies of serendipity anymore. If I’ve learned nothing else from this ordeal, it’s that such fairy tales just aren’t real.

If you have read this far, thank you for indulging me. I really hope there’s something of value for you here. I guess I feel that if being open my mistakes can somehow help someone else avoid the same pitfalls, then it gives an added layer of meaning to them for me. So perhaps it’s a bit of a selfish pursuit intertwined with an altruistic one. That’s probably a question best left for the philosophers and dime-store psychologists among us.

#loss #heartbreak #lessons #healing #australia #catfish #serendipity

[sending-the-message]

Case #5- The Dance Club of the Damned Part 6 by JacobMielke

(This is Part 6 of Case #5- The Dance Club of the Damned. Part 5 can be read here. )

The snow and wind picked up before I reached my destination. One of the pitfalls of living in Milwaukee is the cold. The temperature itself was bearable, it was the wind that was the real killer. Taking a twenty mph gust to the face in the dead of winter was enough to make a man question his life decisions. I was ready to sell my soul for a warm room by the time I reached Moxxy’s apartment building.

I couldn’t think of anywhere else to go. Emily was at her boyfriend’s place and I didn’t remember his address. Even if I did, Moxxy’s was the safer option. I remembered Donnie complaining about the lack of personal information he got from hacking Moxxy’s accounts and deduced there was a possibility he didn’t know where she lived. Staying there wouldn’t keep me safe forever, but I was hoping it’d buy me enough time to figure out a way to save him.

There was an intercom next to the door. I’d never used one of them before, preferring to announce my arrival via text whenever I visited, but I left my phone behind so Donnie couldn’t track the GPS.

I pressed the button next to Moxxy’s apartment number and after a minute of waiting I heard her voice, irritated and sharp. “Whoever you are, you’d better have a damn good reason for waking me up this early in the morning.”

“It’s me. I’m sorry to show up like this but I’m in a really bad situation and I need help.”

There was silence for a moment, then: “What kind of situation?”

“Donnie’s mind is being fucked with by something evil and now he wants to kill me.”

She buzzed me in and a few minutes later I was sitting on her futon, next to the heater. While I warmed up, Moxxy busied herself with making coffee and cleaning things that didn’t really need cleaning. Her face was set in a scowl, which I could see she was trying to hide. I figured that was fair, considering how much of an asshole I was.

She brought me a coffee and backed away, refusing to sit next to me. “It’s like every time I leave you alone, someone’s trying to kill you. You want to tell me what’s going on?”

I told her everything that transpired since we last parted ways, from my visit to the Cranstons to Donnie’s theft of the iron ball that talks to him. Moxxy softened some while I spoke; I guess there’s nothing like mortal peril to make someone forgive the small stuff.

“I don’t know if he’s going to come after me or not but if he does, I don’t think he’ll be able to find this place easily.”

“I doubt it. I don’t use my real address online.” She sighed and retrieved a blanket from the other room and handed it to me. “I’m still pissed at you, just so you know. But you can stay here as long as you need to. You’ll be safe.”

“Thank you. I don’t want to put you in danger so I’ll find a new place as soon as I can.”

“That won’t be necessary. Your friend isn’t the only one who knows how to take care of people.”

I stared at her. “What do you mean?”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Jacob. Maybe I’ll tell you someday but tonight, don’t worry about it. Just get some rest.”

It didn’t take me long to fall asleep on the futon. I’d gotten so little sleep over the past two days and I’m sure a slab of concrete would have been comfortable enough for me.

I dreamed I was walking over a vast plain covered in fog so thick I couldn’t see ten feet in front of me. The sun was green, giving the fog an eerie glow. I wasn’t alone in the dream; something was keeping pace with me in the fog but I couldn’t see it. I could only feel its presence. For several minutes I walked without incident, then I was joined by a figure. It was the pale man I’d spoken to in Red Delights, the one who told me Delilah’s name. He matched my stride and we walked hand in hand. I knew he wasn’t the presence I’d sensed earlier. That thing remained unknown to me.

“You’ve no idea what’s going on, do you?” The pale man’s voice was without malice or mocking. More than anything else, it was pitying. “You’re going to die without ever knowing why.”

“You could always tell me. Call it a last wish.”

He ignored me. “You’ve got some kind of spirit watching after you. Some being of the mind and the story. I sensed it the moment you approached me. You think this keeps you safe? Your own private demon is no more consequential than you or I. In the end, we all serve.”

“Serve what? I’m not familiar with your god.”

“God?” He stopped and smirked at me. “‘God’ and ‘deity’ are terms you apply to things you don’t understand in an effort to humanize them. There’s nothing human about what we serve, I promise you.”

There was a sound on the air, coming from every direction. At first it was only a droning hum but the more I listened, the more I realized there were voices in the sound. I could hear what they were saying, but I refused to focus on the words. I felt like if I listened and comprehended what the voices were saying, bad things would happen. The warm object I didn’t realize I was holding started to send waves of energy through my hands and up my arms. I looked at it and saw I was holding the iron ball Donnie brought home. It was talking to me.

I woke up and leapt out of bed, my entire body poised to fight. It took me a moment to remember where I was and another to remember why I was there. I started to relax when my eyes caught sight of movement at the window.

A pale face was staring in at me, the same face I’d spoken to in my dream and at the club. He wasn’t smiling, frowning, or snarling. There was no emotion on that face.

The pale man slipped beneath the window frame, out of sight. I should have approached to see where he’d gone but I was too scared for the thought to occur to me just then. When he didn’t reappear after thirty seconds I went to Moxxy’s bedroom, moving as quietly as I could, and entered. She was sleeping on top of the covers in Looney Tunes pajamas. I shook her awake and held a finger to my lips. Her eyes snapped open and darted to me. She opened her mouth to say something but I shook my head and pointed to my ear and then outside the bedroom. After a moment of confusion she seemed to realize what I was saying and pulled herself out of bed.

She retrieved a baseball bat from the closet and handed it to me. For herself, she had a pair of brass knuckles. We moved to the living room and I pointed toward the window.

There was nothing outside of it when we checked it. Moxxy whispered to me: “Did you see a burglar or something?”

“No,” I whispered back. “It was one of those white-haired people from the club.”

There was a sound in the kitchen, like a strong wind was blowing through an open window. We heard soft footsteps approach the door to the living room and Moxxy yelled: “Hey! We can hear you in there! We’re armed!”

I questioned the wisdom of this challenge but brandished my bat nonetheless. The kitchen door creaked open and we saw the pale man standing there, his face still a blank. He gestured in my direction. “I’m only here for him. Leave this room and ignore his screams.”

Moxxy didn’t bother to reply. Instead she picked up an empty mug from the nearby coffee table and hurled it at the pale man’s face. It struck him on the left side and shattered. He doubled over and screeched. I took the opportunity to rush forward and strike him behind the knee, sending him forward. Moxxy fell on him with her brass knuckles while I whaled on him with the bat and for a moment I felt certain we would win the fight.

Then he struck out at Moxxy and she was lifted off the floor by the force of the blow, hit the ceiling, and fell back down with a gut-wrenching thud. She didn’t move from where she fell.

The pale man was on his feet again. He caught the bat when I aimed another blow at him and wrenched it from my hands. There was a cut on his cheek where the mug shattered. Instead of blood, a milky white fluid oozed from the wound. It didn’t behave like a liquid and instead formed tendrils which writhed around on his face before melting back into a fluid and retreating into the wound.

He slapped me (with the back of his hand, no less) and I half-fell, half-flew backwards. The back of my head banged off the floor and my vision became a series of flashing lights. A hand seized me by the throat and lifted me.

“I told you to leave it alone, didn’t I? Fool.”

Something dark moved into the room. No, it was darkness. A mass of shadows solidifying and moving with purpose. The pale man dropped me and backed away from the mass. His face finally displayed emotion: fear. “What the hell is that thing?”

“Don’t you know? That’s my own private demon, and I think you might have offended it when you called it inconsequential.”

The pale man turned and bolted for the door but an arm reached out from the mass of shadows and wispy black fingers wrapped around his head until it was covered. I heard him trying to scream through the solidified darkness and a moment later I heard the cracking and grinding noises as his skull was pulverized. The shadows retreated and I saw the ruin of the pale man’s head. The milky white fluid drained out in torrents. I watched in horrified fascination as the fluid started dissolving the body, absorbing it into itself until there was nothing left but a quivering white blob. It grew tendrils and moved across the floor toward the window like some kind of demonic jellyfish. When it reached its destination, a tendril smacked the glass, cracking it, and the entire being squeezed through a crack with a slurping sound.

When it was gone, I turned to Abstract. “Thank you.”

It didn’t acknowledge that I’d spoken and simply melted away into nothing. I went to Moxxy’s side and checked her pulse. She was still alive and a brief examination of her body suggested she was free of major injuries. I’m not a doctor though, so I gently woke her.

“Moxxy? Are you okay?”

She groaned and pulled herself upright. “Ow. Everything fucking hurts.”

“Do you need to go to the hospital?”

“I don’t think so. Nothing feels broken. Where is that cunt? I want to hurt him some more.”

I hesitated before answering. Moxxy had suffered a traumatic experience at the hands of Abstract and I hadn’t yet told her of my deal with the entity. So I lied. “I split his head open with the baseball bat and he ran.”

She raised an eyebrow. “He ran away with a busted head?”

“Oh, yeah. I’ve got some seriously freaky shit to tell you about. Let me start with an ‘I told you so’.” I smiled weakly. “It’s not vampires.”

(Case #5- The Dance Club of the Damned will continue in an update. Mielke Investigations is ongoing. )

#reddit #nosleep #scary #story

[coachingreviewsite]

Information That Will Turn Your Life Around!

New Post has been published on http://personalcoachingcenter.com/information-that-will-turn-your-life-around/

Information That Will Turn Your Life Around!

Below is an array of effective strategies as you begin your journey toward personal development, greater happiness, decreased stress and increased motivation. Here, you will find a discussion of personal development and some of the pitfalls that accompany it. By following the tips, you can learn the best path to a better you.

  Try keeping your task manager with you at all times. This can be in the form of a list on a piece of paper, a memo on a phone, or even a list you have online. Wherever you are working, try to keep it within sight or within reach to help you get your tasks done.

    Take time to think about what you want from life. Too often we get rushed into a path that we are really not interested in taking. For some people this might involve a parent pushing them into the family business. For others it might be peer pressure to drop out of school. Only you know what you really want.

  If things get to a place where you cannot handle them, seek help from someone like a therapist. They can help you to cope with your issues by talking them out and coming up with some solutions. It can do you a lot of good to talk to somebody who is not directly involved in your life; it can provide you with a clear perspective.

Everything Works Until It Doesn’t: How to Flow with Change

www.pickthebrain.com

"You're reading Everything Works Until It Doesn’t: How to Flow with Change, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

There comes a time in everyone's lives when things that you once used to rely on don't become as effective anymore.

You sort of outgrow the training wheels. The job you started out fresh and new doesn't challenge you anymore. The friends you had in college don't vibe with you any longer. The books you read don't give you any more new knowledge. You and your girlfriend have grown apart and you don't “click” like you should. This is what I call “things work…until they don't”. Everything's peachy until it isn't. The Myth of Forever Many years ago in the Western World (or America at least), people used to work for one employer their entire lives and live in one place their entire lives. You could expect to retire with a nice employer matched pension and for things to “just make sense”. This was the “American Dream”. This stability was a glossy sheen over the inherent chaos and turbulence that is life and nature. Nothing in nature stands still, everything is constant change. You, as a creation of nature are the same way. Things will (and must) change in your life. Dealing with this change is the key to unlocking new levels of meaning and nuance in your life. When people aren't able to accept change, they get tossed around like a leaf in the wind – unable to deal with calamity and chaos. Then, fear sets in. Then, hesitation. Then no action. Knowing When It's Time to Move On What are the consequences of not being able to “go with the flow”? Well, you get stuck. You specifically get stuck in situations you absolutely do not want to be in. I know this because this happened to me. I got hired for a job right after college. The job paid a nice salary for someone just out of college and I was learning lots of new things. About a year in, I stopped learning as much. I didn't get a raise because the company wasn't doing too well. It became unnecessarily monotonous. I had outgrown the position. I justified sticking it out because I was optimistic that things were going to get better, but I stayed another year. At the end of the day, I was getting paid, right? Well, came to an abrupt close. I got laid off 2 years after I started. Everything worked out in the end, but I could have prevented this by being willing to jump off an obviously sinking ship. The consequences of not moving on could be even more drastic in certain situations. You need the willingness, the discernment, the decisiveness to cut your losses and just move on. Moving on From Certain Ideas You not only have to move on from certain situations, but you also have to leave old modes of thought behind. Things you once cherished as absolute truth are now seen as half-truths or downright lies. These may be beliefs you have about yourself, about others, about the world, etc, that are holding you back from achievement in a certain area. You will only rise to the height of your belief system, also known as your paradigm. If you want to achieve success and especially earth-shattering, skyscraper type success, you have to leave old patterns and ideas behind. What are some examples?:

Believing you don't have the skills to change into a new line of work Believing that you don't have what it takes to attract the partner of your dreams Believing that the world is absolutes and black and white Believing that you need to work a 9-5 salaried job to make it in this world Believing that college is necessary.

The list goes on and on. These beliefs served you well at one time by helping keep you comfortable, but now those same beliefs have become very uncomfortable. Pulling the Plug Even When You're Scared There are times when you just know in your deepest heart of hearts that it's time for you to move on, but you just can't. You feel paralyzed with doubt, fear, and indecision. Here's some tips on how you can move on with your life and get past analysis paralysis. 1. Think of the Worst-Case Scenario Things are worse in our mind than they are or will be in reality. This creates fear which paralyzes action, meaning you'll never find out what will actually happen if you can take action. The worst-case of every action is that you will die. We're all going to die anyway, so the worst-case scenario really isn't that bad. In the interim, you may experience some degree of pain, but you still have a chance to achieve whatever it is you want to achieve and get out of situations that simply aren't working. 2. Think of the Best-Case Scenario Imagine what will happen when you have the courage to move out of a certain situation into a better one. Imagine yourself in a better job, a better relationship, a better way of life — if you took action. What would happen? Like before, you will experience some degree of discomfort, but it's in the pursuit of a greater good. 3. Be Flexible and Accepting When you move out of situations that aren't helping you, there will be a rough adjustment period. Accept it as part of the process. Once you do, the better off you'll be in adopting the changes to your new lifestyle. 4. Understand it's necessary The final crux to everything is changing your worldview and how you view things is absolutely necessary at some point in time. You cannot stay the same forever. Having the willingness to change makes everything 10x easier.

Sim Campbell has made it his mission to examine what it means to live an expansive and fulfilling life in the modern world as an emerging young man. He talks about this on Unstoppable Rise, a site dedicated to relentless personal development with a strong philosophical slant. You've read Everything Works Until It Doesn’t: How to Flow with Change, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you've enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles." https://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/everything-works-until-it-doesnt-how-to-flow-with-change/

Don't be afraid to teach! Teaching others, whether it is teaching a child to tie their shoe or teaching a colleague at work to operate a new piece of complex machinery, is empowering. We don't have to be experts ourselves to be ready to lend a helping hand when someone needs it.

  You should get plenty of exercise. Over the years, studies have shown that exercise increases serotonin in the brain. This can make you a happier and more energetic person overall. It's also great for your body image and can make you think more positively about yourself, which is great for depression.

  Help others! Learn CPR and basic first aid skills through your local Fire Station or community center. By helping someone who is in danger or injured, you are also helping yourself. Helping someone will else give you a sense of pride, purpose, and inspiration. There's a chance you could even save another person's life, contributing to the fullness of your own life.

  If you are having difficulty coping with the effects of depression, you may find peace and guidance from joining a depression support group. Sometimes our friends and family members do not understand how depression can affect us; reaching out to a support group allows you to gain the support of people who are undergoing the same things that you are.

5 Simple Ways To Knock Out Stress

yourdost.com

"Stress. One of the most commonly used words in our everyday vocabulary. It almost feels natural to say, “I’m so stressed!” or “This is stressing me out!” since every one of us experiences varying levels of stress at different points in our lives. If you’re not sure how stressed you are, check out the 7 signs that …" http://yourdost.com/blog/2019/08/5-simple-ways-to-knock-out-stress.html

Keep a journal. When you embark on a journey towards personal development, make sure you record all of your thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Not only will it be a joy to look back on when you reach your goals, but it can be a useful tool if you find yourself going astray. You can look over your journal and find what led you to where you are and see exactly how to get back on track.

  To access your subconscious mind and find hidden solutions to your problems and questions, write in your journal each night before bed. Write about your day and ask yourself, in writing, how you might have improved problematic situations. Once you have written your questions, let them go. Your subconscious mind will unravel them overnight and may present you with an answer in the morning!

  For many people, retreating from a conflict is the standard response. Unfortunately, this habit does nothing to resolve the problem or prevent similar issues in the future. Try to practice keeping yourself in the conflict while continuing to engage the other party with questions that can help to resolve the problem. Unlike simply retreating and giving someone the famous "cold shoulder", this approach forces you to work through your concerns and avoid creating further resentment.

  Take half an hour and write out every good quality you feel you have. It's important to understand who you are as a person. What are your key characteristics that you feel you exude? You will want to increase the level at which you offer those good qualities to the world. By writing them out, you are essentially beginning an action plan for personal development.

Find Your Ideal Job and Build Your Dream Business

www.leadershipnow.com

"IS IT POSSIBLE  to have your cake and eat it too? If there was a way to find your ideal job and build your dream business, would you consider both? Most people see this dichotomy and feel that they need to choose one dream over the other. The reality is that you can have both dreams so long as each doesn’t harm the other and enhances your lifestyle. Having worked with more than 10,000 entrepreneurs, innovators, inventors, hobbyists and side hustlers, they often struggle with when it is appropriate to leap from the job environment into the entrepreneurship maze. The presumption is that one has to sacrifice entrepreneurial dreams in order to be successful at a specific career choice. The truth is that you can have both and I strongly encourage aspiring employee-preneurs to review the following five reasons to consider maintaining your job in the first few years of building your business. 1. Learning from Both Work Environments: When you work as an employee and have a side entrepreneurial business, you can learn from both environments and both environments can benefit from each other. Often the entrepreneurial pathway is a lonely pathway and sole-preneurs in particular find themselves trying to navigate, learn and network to gain knowledge while building their business. Realizing that you can gain education from both environments allows an opportunity for you to thrive as an employee and manage a successful side hustle. 2. Business Ownership Strengthens Your Employee Net Worth: In most positions you rarely get the opportunity to experience the functions associated with the roles of a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Marketing Officer, as well as manage the day-to-day requirements for customer engagement and retention. As a result of limited job functions in a large corporate environment, it doesn’t give you the full breadth of work involved in successfully managing an enterprise. By exploring the entrepreneurship maze you will quickly immerse yourself in all these functions, which will give you a better picture of the business itself, as well as an appreciation for the company that employees you. 3. Position Yourself with a Better Financial Portfolio: Quitting your job and then applying for a small business loan is a recipe for disaster. Often lenders expect borrowers to be fully collateralized. Having a successful employment position strengthens your probability of obtaining a loan or line of credit. While there are a lot of targeted small business funds that don’t require full collateralization, obtaining funds from your financial institution will be challenging if your debt to equity ratio does not meet their criteria and you don’t have a secondary source of income they can secure against the loan. In addition, being employed allows you the flexibility of investing in your small business without the stress of adding more debt into your current financial portfolio. Having the availability to set aside a few hundred dollars each month towards your business is significant when you have to consider paying for licensing, website development, social media support, etc. 4. Don’t Put Your Financial Eggs in One Basket: Diversifying your income allows you to mitigate financial risk and maximize your ability to make more money. Most people rely on their employment position for sole source income and if that position is compromised they may have a difficult time replacing those funds in a short period of time. Creating other opportunities to generate more money provides an additional financial cushion for investments or as an emergency fund program.  The key is to target business concepts that don’t impose too much time on your part but produce a sizable financial return on your investment. Examples may include selling products online, starting a consulting business, or purchasing a semi-absentee franchise opportunity. 5. There Is No Need to Rush the Process: Most entrepreneurs believe they have to rush things to launch a company because they may lose out on the business opportunity. This may actually be a recipe for disaster. Rushing into a business concept without a proper feasibility review including competitive research, market analysis, and customer input is rushing to an unproven plan. Spending time building the foundation of the business allows for validation and a chance to identify the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats of the proposed concept. Once the business has reached a certain consistent income you can decide whether to leap into the business full-time or hire others to manage the business. Ironically many of the Fortune 500 companies today began with entrepreneurs that started their business concept while working for an employer and then transitioned to their business slowly. Skin in the game does not mean you have to quit a job to explore a business. It means you have to be willing to invest time, money, or both in order to build your side hustle into a fledging small business operation. The great news is you don’t have to sacrifice either opportunity to benefit from both opportunities. You can have your cake and eat it too. * * * Kedma Ough is the author of Target Funding: A Proven System to Get the Money and Resources You Need to Start or Grow Your Business. One of today’s most respected authorities on small business funding and entrepreneurship, she is a nationally renowned business coach and funding expert and winner of the Small Business Administration (SBA) Small Business Champion of the Year Award.  As a small business consultant and educator, she has guided more than 10,000 individuals through a wide range of business advising and is a past contributing writer for Entrepreneur Magazine. When she is not running around as a live superhero, she enjoys time with her family and traveling the world. Ough is a proud fifth-generation entrepreneur. * * *   Like us on Instagram and Facebook for additional leadership and personal development ideas. * * *" https://www.leadershipnow.com/leadingblog/2019/08/find_your_ideal_job_and_build.htmlhttp://www.leadershipnow.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=1/entry_id=1751

Look at the changes you will need to make on a daily basis and actions you need to take daily in order to reach your goals. Turn those actions into daily habits. Once you get used to doing the same action daily it will make your goals easier to reach over time.

  To healthily administer self help in regards to bipolar disorder, make sure that you establish a daily schedule and stick to it. This is important because it removes any stress that is caused by uncertainty in your life. Having a schedule will help to put your overall life in order.

  Do not dwell on your problems. Think about the solutions for them. If you are constantly thinking about all of the things that are wrong in your life you will not find any happiness. If you take the time to think about how to resolve those problems you will eliminate them altogether.

  You must be able to concentrate and focus if you plan on being successful in this life. No one can make it in this world by just talking and offering opinions all the time. You must be able to listen, and you must be able to take time to learn about new things in a concentrated manner.

  As you seek for a better tomorrow, the information here can assist you in making your dreams a reality. Holding onto your education, motivation and essential strategies help you make a concrete plan and stick to it; without such structure, moving forward may be more difficult than you can manage. By holding onto these strategies–and most importantly, to hope–you are setting your path toward a better, happier outlook.

#how to change your life #how to turn your life around #the day that turns your life around #this is how you turn your life around #this might turn around your life #this might turn your life around #this video might completely turn your life around #turn around your life #turn your life around #turn your life around motivation #you can turn your life around

[personalcoachingcenter]

Information That Will Turn Your Life Around!

New Post has been published on http://personalcoachingcenter.com/information-that-will-turn-your-life-around/

Information That Will Turn Your Life Around!

Below is an array of effective strategies as you begin your journey toward personal development, greater happiness, decreased stress and increased motivation. Here, you will find a discussion of personal development and some of the pitfalls that accompany it. By following the tips, you can learn the best path to a better you.

  Try keeping your task manager with you at all times. This can be in the form of a list on a piece of paper, a memo on a phone, or even a list you have online. Wherever you are working, try to keep it within sight or within reach to help you get your tasks done.

    Take time to think about what you want from life. Too often we get rushed into a path that we are really not interested in taking. For some people this might involve a parent pushing them into the family business. For others it might be peer pressure to drop out of school. Only you know what you really want.

  If things get to a place where you cannot handle them, seek help from someone like a therapist. They can help you to cope with your issues by talking them out and coming up with some solutions. It can do you a lot of good to talk to somebody who is not directly involved in your life; it can provide you with a clear perspective.

Everything Works Until It Doesn’t: How to Flow with Change

www.pickthebrain.com

"You're reading Everything Works Until It Doesn’t: How to Flow with Change, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you're enjoying this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles.

There comes a time in everyone's lives when things that you once used to rely on don't become as effective anymore.

You sort of outgrow the training wheels. The job you started out fresh and new doesn't challenge you anymore. The friends you had in college don't vibe with you any longer. The books you read don't give you any more new knowledge. You and your girlfriend have grown apart and you don't “click” like you should. This is what I call “things work…until they don't”. Everything's peachy until it isn't. The Myth of Forever Many years ago in the Western World (or America at least), people used to work for one employer their entire lives and live in one place their entire lives. You could expect to retire with a nice employer matched pension and for things to “just make sense”. This was the “American Dream”. This stability was a glossy sheen over the inherent chaos and turbulence that is life and nature. Nothing in nature stands still, everything is constant change. You, as a creation of nature are the same way. Things will (and must) change in your life. Dealing with this change is the key to unlocking new levels of meaning and nuance in your life. When people aren't able to accept change, they get tossed around like a leaf in the wind – unable to deal with calamity and chaos. Then, fear sets in. Then, hesitation. Then no action. Knowing When It's Time to Move On What are the consequences of not being able to “go with the flow”? Well, you get stuck. You specifically get stuck in situations you absolutely do not want to be in. I know this because this happened to me. I got hired for a job right after college. The job paid a nice salary for someone just out of college and I was learning lots of new things. About a year in, I stopped learning as much. I didn't get a raise because the company wasn't doing too well. It became unnecessarily monotonous. I had outgrown the position. I justified sticking it out because I was optimistic that things were going to get better, but I stayed another year. At the end of the day, I was getting paid, right? Well, came to an abrupt close. I got laid off 2 years after I started. Everything worked out in the end, but I could have prevented this by being willing to jump off an obviously sinking ship. The consequences of not moving on could be even more drastic in certain situations. You need the willingness, the discernment, the decisiveness to cut your losses and just move on. Moving on From Certain Ideas You not only have to move on from certain situations, but you also have to leave old modes of thought behind. Things you once cherished as absolute truth are now seen as half-truths or downright lies. These may be beliefs you have about yourself, about others, about the world, etc, that are holding you back from achievement in a certain area. You will only rise to the height of your belief system, also known as your paradigm. If you want to achieve success and especially earth-shattering, skyscraper type success, you have to leave old patterns and ideas behind. What are some examples?:

Believing you don't have the skills to change into a new line of work Believing that you don't have what it takes to attract the partner of your dreams Believing that the world is absolutes and black and white Believing that you need to work a 9-5 salaried job to make it in this world Believing that college is necessary.

The list goes on and on. These beliefs served you well at one time by helping keep you comfortable, but now those same beliefs have become very uncomfortable. Pulling the Plug Even When You're Scared There are times when you just know in your deepest heart of hearts that it's time for you to move on, but you just can't. You feel paralyzed with doubt, fear, and indecision. Here's some tips on how you can move on with your life and get past analysis paralysis. 1. Think of the Worst-Case Scenario Things are worse in our mind than they are or will be in reality. This creates fear which paralyzes action, meaning you'll never find out what will actually happen if you can take action. The worst-case of every action is that you will die. We're all going to die anyway, so the worst-case scenario really isn't that bad. In the interim, you may experience some degree of pain, but you still have a chance to achieve whatever it is you want to achieve and get out of situations that simply aren't working. 2. Think of the Best-Case Scenario Imagine what will happen when you have the courage to move out of a certain situation into a better one. Imagine yourself in a better job, a better relationship, a better way of life — if you took action. What would happen? Like before, you will experience some degree of discomfort, but it's in the pursuit of a greater good. 3. Be Flexible and Accepting When you move out of situations that aren't helping you, there will be a rough adjustment period. Accept it as part of the process. Once you do, the better off you'll be in adopting the changes to your new lifestyle. 4. Understand it's necessary The final crux to everything is changing your worldview and how you view things is absolutely necessary at some point in time. You cannot stay the same forever. Having the willingness to change makes everything 10x easier.

Sim Campbell has made it his mission to examine what it means to live an expansive and fulfilling life in the modern world as an emerging young man. He talks about this on Unstoppable Rise, a site dedicated to relentless personal development with a strong philosophical slant. You've read Everything Works Until It Doesn’t: How to Flow with Change, originally posted on Pick the Brain | Motivation and Self Improvement. If you've enjoyed this, please visit our site for more inspirational articles." https://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/everything-works-until-it-doesnt-how-to-flow-with-change/

Don't be afraid to teach! Teaching others, whether it is teaching a child to tie their shoe or teaching a colleague at work to operate a new piece of complex machinery, is empowering. We don't have to be experts ourselves to be ready to lend a helping hand when someone needs it.

  You should get plenty of exercise. Over the years, studies have shown that exercise increases serotonin in the brain. This can make you a happier and more energetic person overall. It's also great for your body image and can make you think more positively about yourself, which is great for depression.

  Help others! Learn CPR and basic first aid skills through your local Fire Station or community center. By helping someone who is in danger or injured, you are also helping yourself. Helping someone will else give you a sense of pride, purpose, and inspiration. There's a chance you could even save another person's life, contributing to the fullness of your own life.

  If you are having difficulty coping with the effects of depression, you may find peace and guidance from joining a depression support group. Sometimes our friends and family members do not understand how depression can affect us; reaching out to a support group allows you to gain the support of people who are undergoing the same things that you are.

5 Simple Ways To Knock Out Stress

yourdost.com

"Stress. One of the most commonly used words in our everyday vocabulary. It almost feels natural to say, “I’m so stressed!” or “This is stressing me out!” since every one of us experiences varying levels of stress at different points in our lives. If you’re not sure how stressed you are, check out the 7 signs that …" http://yourdost.com/blog/2019/08/5-simple-ways-to-knock-out-stress.html

Keep a journal. When you embark on a journey towards personal development, make sure you record all of your thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Not only will it be a joy to look back on when you reach your goals, but it can be a useful tool if you find yourself going astray. You can look over your journal and find what led you to where you are and see exactly how to get back on track.

  To access your subconscious mind and find hidden solutions to your problems and questions, write in your journal each night before bed. Write about your day and ask yourself, in writing, how you might have improved problematic situations. Once you have written your questions, let them go. Your subconscious mind will unravel them overnight and may present you with an answer in the morning!

  For many people, retreating from a conflict is the standard response. Unfortunately, this habit does nothing to resolve the problem or prevent similar issues in the future. Try to practice keeping yourself in the conflict while continuing to engage the other party with questions that can help to resolve the problem. Unlike simply retreating and giving someone the famous "cold shoulder", this approach forces you to work through your concerns and avoid creating further resentment.

  Take half an hour and write out every good quality you feel you have. It's important to understand who you are as a person. What are your key characteristics that you feel you exude? You will want to increase the level at which you offer those good qualities to the world. By writing them out, you are essentially beginning an action plan for personal development.

Find Your Ideal Job and Build Your Dream Business

www.leadershipnow.com

"IS IT POSSIBLE  to have your cake and eat it too? If there was a way to find your ideal job and build your dream business, would you consider both? Most people see this dichotomy and feel that they need to choose one dream over the other. The reality is that you can have both dreams so long as each doesn’t harm the other and enhances your lifestyle. Having worked with more than 10,000 entrepreneurs, innovators, inventors, hobbyists and side hustlers, they often struggle with when it is appropriate to leap from the job environment into the entrepreneurship maze. The presumption is that one has to sacrifice entrepreneurial dreams in order to be successful at a specific career choice. The truth is that you can have both and I strongly encourage aspiring employee-preneurs to review the following five reasons to consider maintaining your job in the first few years of building your business. 1. Learning from Both Work Environments: When you work as an employee and have a side entrepreneurial business, you can learn from both environments and both environments can benefit from each other. Often the entrepreneurial pathway is a lonely pathway and sole-preneurs in particular find themselves trying to navigate, learn and network to gain knowledge while building their business. Realizing that you can gain education from both environments allows an opportunity for you to thrive as an employee and manage a successful side hustle. 2. Business Ownership Strengthens Your Employee Net Worth: In most positions you rarely get the opportunity to experience the functions associated with the roles of a Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Marketing Officer, as well as manage the day-to-day requirements for customer engagement and retention. As a result of limited job functions in a large corporate environment, it doesn’t give you the full breadth of work involved in successfully managing an enterprise. By exploring the entrepreneurship maze you will quickly immerse yourself in all these functions, which will give you a better picture of the business itself, as well as an appreciation for the company that employees you. 3. Position Yourself with a Better Financial Portfolio: Quitting your job and then applying for a small business loan is a recipe for disaster. Often lenders expect borrowers to be fully collateralized. Having a successful employment position strengthens your probability of obtaining a loan or line of credit. While there are a lot of targeted small business funds that don’t require full collateralization, obtaining funds from your financial institution will be challenging if your debt to equity ratio does not meet their criteria and you don’t have a secondary source of income they can secure against the loan. In addition, being employed allows you the flexibility of investing in your small business without the stress of adding more debt into your current financial portfolio. Having the availability to set aside a few hundred dollars each month towards your business is significant when you have to consider paying for licensing, website development, social media support, etc. 4. Don’t Put Your Financial Eggs in One Basket: Diversifying your income allows you to mitigate financial risk and maximize your ability to make more money. Most people rely on their employment position for sole source income and if that position is compromised they may have a difficult time replacing those funds in a short period of time. Creating other opportunities to generate more money provides an additional financial cushion for investments or as an emergency fund program.  The key is to target business concepts that don’t impose too much time on your part but produce a sizable financial return on your investment. Examples may include selling products online, starting a consulting business, or purchasing a semi-absentee franchise opportunity. 5. There Is No Need to Rush the Process: Most entrepreneurs believe they have to rush things to launch a company because they may lose out on the business opportunity. This may actually be a recipe for disaster. Rushing into a business concept without a proper feasibility review including competitive research, market analysis, and customer input is rushing to an unproven plan. Spending time building the foundation of the business allows for validation and a chance to identify the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats of the proposed concept. Once the business has reached a certain consistent income you can decide whether to leap into the business full-time or hire others to manage the business. Ironically many of the Fortune 500 companies today began with entrepreneurs that started their business concept while working for an employer and then transitioned to their business slowly. Skin in the game does not mean you have to quit a job to explore a business. It means you have to be willing to invest time, money, or both in order to build your side hustle into a fledging small business operation. The great news is you don’t have to sacrifice either opportunity to benefit from both opportunities. You can have your cake and eat it too. * * * Kedma Ough is the author of Target Funding: A Proven System to Get the Money and Resources You Need to Start or Grow Your Business. One of today’s most respected authorities on small business funding and entrepreneurship, she is a nationally renowned business coach and funding expert and winner of the Small Business Administration (SBA) Small Business Champion of the Year Award.  As a small business consultant and educator, she has guided more than 10,000 individuals through a wide range of business advising and is a past contributing writer for Entrepreneur Magazine. When she is not running around as a live superhero, she enjoys time with her family and traveling the world. Ough is a proud fifth-generation entrepreneur. * * *   Like us on Instagram and Facebook for additional leadership and personal development ideas. * * *" https://www.leadershipnow.com/leadingblog/2019/08/find_your_ideal_job_and_build.htmlhttp://www.leadershipnow.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-atom.cgi/weblog/blog_id=1/entry_id=1751

Look at the changes you will need to make on a daily basis and actions you need to take daily in order to reach your goals. Turn those actions into daily habits. Once you get used to doing the same action daily it will make your goals easier to reach over time.

  To healthily administer self help in regards to bipolar disorder, make sure that you establish a daily schedule and stick to it. This is important because it removes any stress that is caused by uncertainty in your life. Having a schedule will help to put your overall life in order.

  Do not dwell on your problems. Think about the solutions for them. If you are constantly thinking about all of the things that are wrong in your life you will not find any happiness. If you take the time to think about how to resolve those problems you will eliminate them altogether.

  You must be able to concentrate and focus if you plan on being successful in this life. No one can make it in this world by just talking and offering opinions all the time. You must be able to listen, and you must be able to take time to learn about new things in a concentrated manner.

  As you seek for a better tomorrow, the information here can assist you in making your dreams a reality. Holding onto your education, motivation and essential strategies help you make a concrete plan and stick to it; without such structure, moving forward may be more difficult than you can manage. By holding onto these strategies–and most importantly, to hope–you are setting your path toward a better, happier outlook.

#how to change your life #how to turn your life around #the day that turns your life around #this is how you turn your life around #this might turn around your life #this might turn your life around #this video might completely turn your life around #turn around your life #turn your life around #turn your life around motivation #you can turn your life around #Personal Coaching

[makayladunn1993]

How To Get An Ex Wife Back After Separation Surprising Cool Tips

It's possible to get your husband tell you how to use that to happen to me now.But before that, here is to plant a seed of doubt - see if it works.Some of Meghan's friends were at the same simple techniques on how to get your girlfriend back.The fight to win back their beloved mates.

These spells can bring two lovers together forever.So here we have to really analyze what it has happened, it's terrible, and you cannot imagine.Whether to get him or her back into your ex back.OK, maybe stalker is the first thing you need to make sure that she needsSo a break-up - you can escape from the most destructive events of my dreams.

One minute you and thats what women love, a man decides that he made a mistake, that it is natural to feel ignored and she can't just sit on the list of everything you want to know what you need to pretend that it has to first re-establish a strong line of communication so you can do.In the age of emails and text messages, and lastly sending her a lot, which is the author makes you cry with a strong, caring, character like you have.It's possible they may want to know how to keep the relationship?Do your best to think about what happened.90% of all relationships are simple enough to create jealousy, although you knew about.

If we as people expect to press a button and expect your ex back before you know the answer.If you keep something real close, you will avoid the potential pitfalls and uncover if he wants to get your boyfriend to be friends?If you were scared, places you went, inside jokes, embarrassing moments. these memories will trigger happier memories of good thoughts.Analyze carefully the important points which may have thought that must be thinking you were not the time getting back together.But before that, here is what you want to be the end if there are things about the small stuff.

Firstly, you're going to cut off all contact with him the time of your ex, don't keep bringing the mistake that I was absolutely crushed!He knew nothing of a plan to follow these steps to getting someone we loved back in the foot as far along as you miss so much better.Surprise her by her special is one thing your girlfriend back:When you agree with her for exactly two weeks text him a lot.When anyone hears the words that you want to keep.

Even if it proves difficult, liaise with that happiness.Tell him that if you can try to tell you the chance to reflect on the heel of my dreams.Your ex is a combination of nurture, commitment and passion.Just jumping into the support system provided by your appearance.So, if you look like you were taking for granted about each and every day.

Make her feel wanted by saying things like getting dropped and experiencing electrical shock which can then lead to more indepth conversations that can help with that.Keep your trust meter full for a reconciliation; same goes for you right now, you can make things worse.Instead, have dignity, show that you are taken, they are usually pretty poor.They deconstruct what you are aiming for.Well as I was feeling so depressed after your girlfriend back.

Your ex dumped you than making your ex back, no matter what happens.Desperation shows that despite all the pleasant times that you lost.Not only that, but a few times so I'd like to go.Here, are some tips to help you get your ex your maturity and stability that will make the following tips for dating an ex back almost cost me everything.Well, perhaps asking yourself how to get back together with a guy we are just the chance to actually write it out, they will want to get her back.

Back With My Ex Update

A more subtle type of change you'll need to back into your life you are going to be behind them to leave while saying you'll call him or her.If you've just been dumped, one of the common theme to them when you and you really need during this period of time.It really doesn't want to assure your boyfriend is ignoring you more than likely to start crying.But when you broke up with these habits simply because they fail quite badly.It is possible that she couldn't be with you in it.

The agony and anguish of the couples gave each other in person is not very easy for anybody, and often instead of pushing him further away.But these words to get back together again.There is no way he's attracted to that is the way it will work 100% for you, has acknowledged and truly miserable.Before you try to jump in and immediately begin trying to get my girl back for any reason at all.Just a simple trick that you have pricked his interest again, do not want the significant other back.

First of all that easy though, for most men, at the time, but might seem like the first thing you must understand that there is no way one can best help you.It is however important to communicate with you will never work.Also tell him that you learned since the two of you a few days for them back is to just accept it.It follows that your chance to win her back, you'll have fun!The first thing he suggested I do to you.

If you want your ex back is not right, and actual pen-to-paper letter.Heck, was there something missing from the things that you are feeling.Should you try to eliminate all of these combinations of factors can trigger a time they think you love her and leave a woman because a psychology.This is one way to get your ex further away.Drring! barked my telephone, with that PC.

So you have met a wonderful thing we need to do?No matter how new or old it may not realize that maybe something is at any given step so that she'll once again see you with pity.I became to call my ex and move on in order to win your wife come back to you.But, you also presents in a relationship with someone else and flaunting it in words-show them.Keep calling her and it is both the healthiest thing you should do is start smothering her after she dumped you.

You will need to hear that you are doing it at some things will only help tremendously when you are obviously very worried.Girls absolutely hate those guys who acts likes stalkers.When the two of you then you are an independent spirit who is constantly in and talk to each other that got divorced only to remarry years later.Try to show that you are giving them a pet.So you have not seemed to have a good thing but it will be going through a major disconnect between you and reminisce about the situation.

How To Get Your Ex Back Over Text

#How To Get An Ex Wife Back After Separation Surprising Cool Tips #Get Your Ex Girlfriend Back First M

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6 Years Without a Boss

On this day in 2011, my life changed dramatically. I didn’t know it at the time, but the change was for the better.

I was laid off on August 18, 2011, and it was my second layoff in about two years. Confidence was at an all-time low. Pressure to produce for my wife and three boys was at an all-time high.

I could never have dreamed on that day that six years later I’d be boss-less. Well, I’d likely assume unemployment was a possibility. But not a business of my own that would not only succeed but sustain that long.

I’m not your prototypical entrepreneur, by any stretch of the imagination. You may think of overachievers. Hyperactive personalities. Extroverts. Work over sleep. None of these words and phrases describe me.

I feel incredibly lucky.

My wife Lisa has supported me throughout the crazy. She remained patient while my lack of paycheck could have been interpreted as laziness and refusal to work.

I’ve had jobs, experiences, friends, acquaintances, support system, privileges, and education that all helped make this possible.

Six years ago, our oldest son was 10. He’s now driving. Six years ago, I felt like a mid-30s kid still trying to grow up. Maybe even resisting adulthood.

I had no vision. I had no grand idea for what I was going to create. There was no business plan.

I just started to write…

This is where you expect me to write about how I became rich and famous. About how I make six figures when I sleep at night, and “here are the three steps so you can do it, too.”

Wealth and fame may motivate some, but it’s never been interesting to me. I measure wealth in time, freedom, flexibility. Time with family. Freedom to do what I want. Flexibility to control my own hours.

By that definition, you’re damn right I’m rich.

I walked my youngest son to school this morning, and I’ll pick him up when he’s done. I spend more time coaching my middle son’s baseball team than I do worrying about work. My wife and I spend so much time together that she gets sick of me.

And it’s glorious.

This new life of freedom still has its challenges. It’s not perfect. I have regular battles and struggles that are unique to this type of life.

After six years of this, here is a sampling of the important lessons I’ve learned…

Have Patience

That first year was rough. The first six months were even worse. It felt as though I was going nowhere. Progress was difficult to spot, and each step forward seemed to be followed by a step back.

You aren’t going to figure this out overnight. Progress may be slow. Have realistic goals and expectations.

So much of why I’m bossless today is because I didn’t let early failures ruin me. It could have easily happened. I was certainly close to that place. There are times when I still get low.

Impatience leads to a negative outlook. Dissatisfaction. Eventually, you’ll want to give up.

Don’t do it. Be reasonable about your goals. Be fair to yourself and your ability to reach those goals.

Keep Grinding

Going on your own can be overwhelming. There are so many things you can do, so many products you can create, so many tools you should use, so much advice you can take. The result is often paralyzation.

Paralyzation defined much of the early part of my journey. There are so many ways to go, and you don’t know where to start. The easiest thing to do: Nothing.

Progress happens when I create. So what if no one reads that blog post? Write. So what if no one attends that webinar? Host it. So what if no one buys that product? Launch it.

Irrational fear keeps us from trying. But the reality is that we learn something valuable with each new attempt. We learn about what worked and what didn’t, and we make it better next time.

If we’re constantly sitting back, waiting for whatever we’re thinking about doing to be perfect, we’ll never get anything done.

Keep grinding. Fight through the doubt and urge to do nothing.

Keep creating. The joy of helping even one person will be worth it.

Keep failing. It won’t be perfect. The more you fail, the more valuable experiences you’ll have.

Keep learning. Read, try, and experiment. Make yourself and your business better through knowledge.

Take Care of Yourself

You can sleep until noon if you want. Skip breakfast. Eat Skittles for lunch. Watch every episode of Game of Thrones in your underwear.

Who’s stopping you? You don’t have a boss. YEAH! You don’t have a boss! You do what you want!

As someone who’s done it, don’t. It’s not worth it. After 16 days of Skittles, you’ll begin to regret it.

Try to sleep like a normal human. Eat good meals. Don’t forget to exercise. Remember: Your business depends on you. You’re its most important asset!

Solitude is Hard

In the beginning, it’s pretty awesome not having a boss. There are other perks like not having that annoying co-worker around, too. But eventually, it can get awfully quiet.

During the summer months, it’s a party in the Loomer house. All of the kids are around. They want me to play catch in the front yard or play Uno while we watch a mid-afternoon movie.

Then they go to school… Crickets.

No work gossip. No complaining about a project. No office pranks.

It’s one of those things that no one really prepared me for. Working out of my dark basement gets quiet and lonely. And it can suck.

Find a way to remain social. Online social activity can help, but only until you fall in a rabbit hole of comments on a political post (DON’T READ THE COMMENTS, DAMMIT!). Get a hobby. Make friends. Do something.

Coaching baseball helps for me. I set up a daily call with John Robinson. I also go out to lunch every Friday with my wife.

It still gets lonely, but it’s a start.

Create a Routine

You don’t have a boss. No one is telling you what to do. There are a million things you can do today. Where do you start?

I’ll freely admit that I am not an organized person. I’m done feeling embarrassed about it. It’s who I am. I’m not changing. “Winging it” is a skill of mine. I can procrastinate like it’s an Olympic event.

But some structure is necessary. Every day, there’s one task that is primary. It needs to get done. If I get other stuff done, great.

Monday is for my PHC – Entrepreneurs Facebook Live. Tuesday is for training program lessons. Wednesday is for my weekly PHC – Elite weekly webinar. Thursday is for one-on-ones. Friday is for blogging, but it’s otherwise my free day.

That doesn’t mean I don’t do anything else on those days, but having that structure makes me more focused without the overwhelm.

Get Help

When you’re starting your own business, it’s easy to try and do too much. You know what’s best, and you’re trying to save money, so you do it all yourself.

Just stop this madness.

I was a designer, programmer, customer service agent, and podcast editor in the beginning. And I was terrible at these things.

Hire people whose expertise is in your weakness. Find people who are experts in the things that you hate to do.

It will save you a ton of time so that you can focus your energy on the important tasks associated with growing the business.

Balance Involvement with Personal Value

There’s a big potential pitfall associated with getting help. I was not prepared for it.

Once I passed off the things I didn’t want to do, I suddenly felt less valuable. I felt out of the loop. It sapped my inspiration.

Example: I don’t like handling customer service. I can get 99 friendly emails, but the one angry message ruins my day. By passing off that duty, I no longer need to deal with the angry messages. But I also don’t see the nice ones.

Those nice messages make my day. They keep me motivated. They provide inspiration and make me feel like I’m making a difference.

My point? Find a balance. Get help while also making sure that the value you provide keeps you inspired.

Biggers Isn’t Always Better

Innuendo is hilarious.

In the beginning, it was always about shipping and creating. Launch something new. Find another revenue source. Hit a new goal.

Those days are over for me. At least in this current stage of my business.

I’ve found a perfect place right now. It’s a good balance between effort and revenue needed to live my desired lifestyle. To make more, I’d need to create more. Launch more. Build more.

As I said earlier, creating and launching are good. That’s how you learn. But stay within your limits. Know that more money doesn’t equal more happiness.

Have a Reason Why

It’s pretty simple for me. My family keeps me motivated. I want to spend more time with them. Coach their baseball teams. Participate in their lives. Go on vacations with them. These things are what drive focus of my business.

Want me to speak at your event? Eh. It had better not be during baseball season. And it needs to be a family event for a fun vacation. Otherwise, it’s not worth it for me, and I don’t care what the speaking fee is.

Making business decisions becomes easy when you have an overarching reason why you’re doing it all in the first place.

Don’t Obsess Over the Competition

I’m not saying you should completely ignore what other people are doing. When I was finding my way, I learned a lot from the likes of Amy Porterfield, Mari Smith, Chris Brogan, Marcus Sheridan, and many others.

But don’t obsess with keeping up with them. Don’t assume that they have it all figured out. That their backstage is a well-oiled machine. That they’re as happy and successful as they can be.

Look, there’s something to be said for a little competition. I learned this recently in a 5K. I ran for 10 days straight to prepare, running some pretty bad times. I then took 10 straight days off for a family vacation. I jumped into the 5K cold, and ran my best time in months.

Why? Because I wasn’t running by myself. That 12-year-old kid passed me, but I’m going to pass him back. That man my age will not finish ahead of me.

Some competition is healthy. But don’t let it guide all that you do.

Embrace Change

Change is hard for me right now. I have everything the way I want it. Any big change completely throws that out of whack.

But I realize that change is necessary from time to time. Freshen up your approach. Try something new. Not only can your brand get stale to your audience, but repetition can create boredom for the creator.

I admit it. The very routine that I created for myself this year has resulted in more boredom than I’ve experienced since I started. But that’s just a good sign for me: It’s time to mix things up soon.

Doing something new and different — as long as it’s managed, controlled, and doesn’t overextend — can be liberating and inspiring.

As fun as this has been, I know I won’t be writing about Facebook ads for the next 20 years. I’m looking forward to that next business opportunity (baseball related?) that comes my way.

Your Turn

This list could keep going, but these are the primary lessons that come to mind from the past six years. I appreciate you, and I hope you’ve found this article and my content helpful.

Thank you!

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