Until you're ready

 It's a terrible thing, I think, in life

to wait until you're ready.

I have this feeling now that actually

no one is ever ready to do anything.

There is almost no such thing as ready.

There is only now. And you may as well

do it now. Generally speaking,

now is as a good a time as any.

~Hugh Laurie

Right person

The right person will know how to hold your love.

The right person will choose you just as deeply as you

choose them. You will not have to quiet the way you

care, you will never feel like you are too much. You

will not have to beg for the love you deserve. One day,

you will be met where you are. One day, you will be

someone's favorite thing, and you will not be confused

--you will not feel like you are fighting for someone

who isn't fighting for you. One day, you will understand

that it never mattered how tightly you held on to the

wrong people, how intensely you tried, because the 

right people were always going to find you. The right

people are always going to stay.

Nobody

"Nobody stays forever."

She shouted.

"I'll be your nobody, them."

He replied.

She's tired

 From Noted

She said she was okay and you

believed her? Let me tell you what's

really wrong with her. She's tired.

That's exactly what she is, tired. She's 

tired of getting hurt, tired of being let

down, she's tired of all the lies, she's tired

of all her flaws and insecurities. She's tired.

She hides

From Poetry Matters

she is a beautiful soul,

but if you met her

you wouldn't know

for her walls are high

and keep her beauty deep inside,

hiding her face from a world

that did nothing

but lie.

it sold her dreams

and made her believe

that they could all

become a reality,

only to find out

it wasn't meant to be,

and now,

she hides her beauty

for no one to see.

~v.m. enriquez

All the pieces

 Bring me all the pieces of yourself

you look away from, every part that

someone else called unlovable.

I want to love you there first.

~Stephanie Bennett-Henry

Struggling

 by Elisabeth Elliot

Sometimes "struggling" is a nice word for "postponed obedience". 

Greener grass

GREENER GRASS

The grass will often look greener elsewhere. And maybe it is, or maybe it's fake? Maybe that grass has been lovingly watered every day, maybe the weather has been just the perfect kind to grow that grass right. What I'm trying to say is, your grass is green enough. And if you water it more and shine some sunlight on it daily, it will only grow greener still. Love your own grass. Everything you love only gets better.

~Donna Ashworth, I Wish I Knew

Ask themselves

Posted by Flying Free

Her comment: Nope, it ain't

From Intentional Today

When churches do their best to make sure perpetrators feel loved and comforted and make the least effort to ensure victims feel safe and supported, they need to ask themselves who they are following.

Cos it ain't Christ y'all

No one

No one is going to love you

exactly like you imagine.

No one is ever going to read

your mind and take every star

from the sky at the perfect

time and hand it to you.

No one is going to show up at

your door on a horse, with a 

shoe you lost.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND?

That's why you have to love

yourself enough, so that any

other love just adds more

candles to the cake you've 

already iced.

~Stephanie Bennett-Henry

Your competition

 From Stoicism Quotes

Your competition isn't other people.

Your competition is your procrastination.

Your ego.

The unhealthy food you're consuming,

the knowledge you neglect.

The negative behavior you're nurturing

and your lack of creativity.

Compete against that.

Strength to see

she makes strong

look beautiful.

even when she

doesn't have the

strength to see 

how beautiful she

really is.

~Joseph Colombrita 

Your smile

LIVING WITHOUT YOUR SMILE

God, your smile.

It used to light up anywhere that you were

It used to make me smile

It used to let me know that everything was alright

It used to remind me of the sun

It used to make my heart so warm

Living without your smile

makes my world feel so cold,

like someone has taken away

the sun from my sky

~Sharyn Marsh

To be

 From Her and Jesus

I had to take you from where 

you thought you needed to be

to a place you didn't want to

see, so that you'd grow into

the person I called you to be.

~God

Dear Nina

 After putting my foot in my mouth when I first saw Nina after the MSU shooting, I prayed about something "better" to say to her. This is what I came up with...

Hi Nina - I was thinking about what I said to you earlier and I hope I didn't scare you more. I was trying to think of something comforting to say but it's hard to know what to say in the situation you went through.

Unfortunately shootings aren't limited to college campuses, as you know. They've happened almost everywhere - elementary schools, movie theaters, concerts, clubs, etc. By saying this I hope you remember that are not extra susceptible just because of being at college. Everyone is at risk because there are evil people in this world no matter where you go. (There I go again, scaring you more 😔)

This definitely literally hit home for you, and the rest of us who haven't been thru it can only imagine how horrifying and terrifying it was, not only for you, but for your parents as well knowing that you and Nick were there there. Thank God you were unharmed.

As you go back to class and "normal" life, remember like I said before that EVERYONE there is just as scared as you are, and it will take time to feel "safe" again. Take your time, take one day at a time, and keep moving on with your life. The best thing to do is to probably jump back into it as soon as you can to let the healing begin. Feel the feelings, mourn what was lost, and cry if you need to. Remember how brave you are and how loved you are and that God is always with you no matter what.

Love you girl😘

One of two things

Eventually, one of two things

will happen; They will realize

you are worth it, or you'll

realize they aren't.

Lose you

Let Then Lose You

You need to let people lose you

Let them go along with the crowd

Let them believe what they want to believe

Let them think they have better

Let them sleep on your worth

Because in due time

they will realize the mistake they made,

and it will be just enough time for you

to accept that you're better off without them.

~Morgan Richard Olivier

Love asks

love asks

"can I help you carry

that today?"

not because you can't 

carry it on your own,

but because you don't

have to.

~topher kearby

The one

 THE ONE

I don't want you to love me because I'm good for you,

because I say and do all the right things. Because I am

everything you have been looking for.

I want to be the one you didn't see coming. The one who goes

under your skin. Who makes you unsteady. Who makes you

question everything you ever believed about love. I

want to be the one who makes you feel reckless and out

of control; the one you are infuriatingly and inexplicably

drawn to.

I don't want to be the one who tucks you into bed; I want to

be the reason why you can't sleep at night.

~Lang Leav

Over apologize

 by Nate Postlethwait

It's tragic how those who over apologize are

the ones who are owed a lifetime of apologies.

Magic

"I don't believe in magic,"

The young boy said.

The old man smiled.

"You will, when you see her."

~Atticus

She's the girl

She's the girl who looks down when you 

stare at her for a little too long, and turns

away if you catch her looking. She's the

girl whose hair gets a little knotted, and 

whose smile isn't always real. She's the 

girl who cries herself to sleep sometimes

and cares a little too much about what you

say. But she's the same girl who laughs at 

all of your jokes - funny or not; the one

who will love you with every inch of flesh

inside of her. She's the girl who will watch

the stars with you at night, and ask how

your day was when you come home. She's

the kind of girl who you'll find asleep with 

a book in her hand at 3 a.m., or the kind 

who leaves your sweatshirts smelling

sweeter than before.

She's the kind of girl who will give you her

heart; so please handle with care.

~Julie Martinez

So old

SO OLD

You're so old

they say

and I laugh

with a deep roar

rising up from my very core

because how could that phrase

ever be anything

but magnificent?

She let herself go

they cry

and I smile

with every tooth in my head

because Mother Nature and I know

what a miraculous act

letting go

truly is.

You've changed

they say

and I am at once

completely fulfilled

and at peace

with my life's purpose

because if I did not come here

to grow

then what was it all for?

~Donna Ashworth

Take the love

TAKE THE LOVE

Take the love you had for me

and turn it into laughter

turn it into blinding light

to shine on you thereafter

Take the love you have for me

and show it to the world

something so amazing

needs to blossom and unfurl

Take the love that made us

keep it burning bright

let that fire guide you

let it warm you through the night

Take the love you shared with me

and spread it out with gladness

my life will not have been in vain

if you can fight the sadness

Take the love my darling

it's yours to carry on

grow that love forevermore

and then I won't be gone.

~Donna Ashworth

The phoenix

 Some nights, the wolf inside of me shrinks to

nothing, she bares her teeth and runs away. The

dragon in my chest rejects me, she's so tired of

being slain. There are nights when the lioness

cowers, says she can't fight it another day...

What about the phoenix?

She sits with me in the darkness. She whispers

we'll rise. Just you wait.

~srwpoetry

Feel everything

 She scares you

because you don't

want to feel

ANYTHING,

and she makes 

you feel

EVERYTHING.

~The Heart Speaks, SGabardi

Good hearts

good hearts.

we will lose the people that we love.

we will love the people who will never

know the depths to which we would

sacrifice it all for them. we will slay

beasts for people who would not slay 

beasts for us. we will bring stars to

hands that are full of darkness and

light the fires of those who have become

weary of glowing. we will lose battles

we thought we would win and win battles

we thought we would lose. we will gain

strength in the most peculiar places.

we will stay as different as we were made

to be - even when it calls for us to walk

alone for awhile. but we will not grow

tired of kindness. that's what good

hearts do.

~ullie-kaye 

Wisdom

there is light in your eyes.

and love in your heart. it's

not naivete. it's wisdom.

you've seen the worst the 

world has to offer and you've 

come out brighter on the other

side. not because those days

didn't hurt. and not because

people haven't left their scars.

it's because you know that

you're stronger now. and that

strength gives you purpose. and

that purpose allows you to spread

your light to others.

so shine on.

and let love be your strength.

~topher kearby

Intercession

by Elisabeth Elliot

Intercession is the hardest work in the world--the

giving of one's self, time, strength, energy, and

attention to the needs of others in a way that no one

but God sees, no one but God will do anything about,

and no one but God will ever reward you for.

See Matt. 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Kindness

 I feel like I want to get this tattooed on myself...

Kindness is not an act.

It is a lifestyle.

Your madness

Beautiful Girl,

you don't even realize

that some people

look at your madness

and see nothing but

brilliance and grace.

~Stephanie Bennett-Henry

She'll love you

 by Kayil York

She'll love you even when you let her down.

She'll love you even when you break her heart.

She'll forgive you for it too, because it's the right

thing to do. Her past has taught her how to keep

the chains from strangling the life from you by

forgiving when you don't get an apology and

letting it go so bitterness can't take hold. But it

doesn't mean you'll still be in the picture.

Because growth is understanding that you can

love someone very much, but not have to have

them around because of how much they hold

you back.

Her ground

 by Kayil York

She stood her ground this time. Because for too long she went by what others said, what they taught, and what they told her to do. This time she took hold of who she was, trusted it, and went with it. Because there comes a time when you need to count on yourself, on who you've grown into so you can be who you are, unapologetically. Bravely. You owe it to yourself to be all that you are.

The camera lies

 Anxiety over pictures of myself have plagued me my whole life. This is profound...

THE CAMERA LIES

If you have ever been frustrated, trying to photograph the

beauty of the moon or a sunrise, then you will know that

a snapshot is a mere recreation of what the human eye

sees. It can't quite do justice to the beauty we behold. The 

same goes for you. Your beauty is in the eye of your

beholder. If you see a photo of you that doesn't look like

how you feel you look, that's exactly what is happening.

Your beauty can't quite be captured by a camera, or a 

filter. It's in the energy, the magic, the light  you send out.

And it's all yours. And it's still there, regardless of what 

the snapshot shows. The camera lies. Or maybe it just 

can't quite comprehend how much you really are.

~Donna Ashworth

A time

THERE WAS A TIME

There was a time I would have set myself on fire, to keep

others warm.

There was a time I would have crossed oceans to reach 

people who wouldn't cross a stream for me.

There was a time I would try, too hard, to be seen by those,

who would simply never see me.

There was a time I felt myself unworthy of a person, who

could actually never be worthy of me.

But not anymore.

You see my friend, there are many ways to spend your time

on this earth

but wasting it on those who are not appreciative of your 

attention, is a crying shame.

Use your time wisely.

Save your best efforts for those who care.

For those who would return the favour or at least

appreciate your attention.

Those who truly value you.

And the rest?

If they do not see you now, they never will.

And they are missing out.

Make this the time that you realise your time is precious

and should only be bestowed on those who bring you

comfort, positivity, support, love or joy.

Or all of the above.

Remember, you are the main act, not the warm up,

and this, my friend, is no dress rehearsal.

This is it.

The curtain is well and truly up.

Shine on.

~Donna Ashworth

Goddess

 From RAWR Women

I still mourn every single time

I wasn't in love with the woman

who was staring back at me in the mirror...

I still mourn the moments

I wasn't proud enough

of the way she overcame

her pain and worst breakdowns.

I still mourn the nights

I have spent worrying that I was not enough.

And I still mourn, my dear,

the way I couldn't silent these voices in my head

telling me that I needed to be

always something more, better or different.

I still mourn it;

because I have learned the hard way

to unleash the wolf inside.

To show the world

that I have a voice to be heard.

And I've learned to be in love

with all my too perfect imperfections;

so in love and at peace with myself

not to be at war with my mind

nor the world anymore.

I broke the cage

of my own thoughts and fears.

And now I am free

I am loved

And I know deep inside

that I have always been more than enough...

May God bless all the women

you had to be

Before

You became the goddess you are today...

They are all you...

love them with Grace.

~Samiha Totanji

Don't lose yourself

Don't lose yourself

helping others to find themselves;

Be the light that stays light,

for those who are ready to see.

~Mark Anthony

try again

 try again.

guard your heart, precious one.

do not let yourself grow cold.

stay soft even when the earth

around you rumbles and roars.

if you cannot move mountains,

move a stone. listen to the stories

of those who have lost everything-

they know the secret to overcoming.

know your worth and do not settle.

settling is for morning dew or

dust after the winds blow through.

carry your crosses. search for light.

make art out of whatever beauty

you manage to extract from the pain.

leave some room for mistakes.

show yourself grace. find the way.

then try again. always try again.

~ullie-kaye

angels

 angels.

you know when the wind blows just so.

when the sky lights up in mysterious

hues of gold and out of this world, blue.

when a song hits your deepest spaces at

precisely the moment your heart needed

to hear it. when a stranger smiles at you

and you walk on sensing you are somehow

fiercely known. when there is a burst

of beauty in the storm. when silence

beckons you with open arms and gives you

the safest place to fall, when you feel

a little braver, and a little more beautiful.

it's because sometimes, angels.

~ullie-kaye

Ordinary Love

ORDINARY LOVE

Some people love in grandness

displaying that bright love

like a fountain of fiery romance

to rain flowers forevermore

upon the apple of their eye

telling the world

this love is extraordinary.

And because this love

is so visibly majestic to behold

it is revered and desired 

by those without it.

But some people love

in ordinary

diligently and consistently

drip-feeding their love

in nurture form

often unseen or unnoticed

rarely celebrated

always reliable.

And because this love is so humble

it can be brushed away as unimportant

yet without it

worlds would crumble

lives would fall apart

and souls would be forever-seeking

their flamboyant mate

whilst passing by their very cornerstone

right under the nose.

I guess what I am trying to say is

there is no such thing as ordinary love

it is all quite amazingly

profoundly

extraordinary

whether it shouts from the rooftops

or whispers in the holding of a hand.

You just have 

to see it

to make it

the wondrous entity

you seek.

~Donna Ashworth

Just weep

 From The Beautiful Kingdom Warriors

"Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."  -Romans 12:15

by Amy Nix

God's response to Lazarus' death was not, "He's in a better place," and it wasn't, "Don't worry, you'll see him again." His response was to weep. That's it. Jesus wept. A Christlike response to someone's grief is to grieve with them. No platitudes or "stoic strength." Just weep.

Freedom

 It takes time to

learn how to be

alone without being

lonely,

but once you do, it's

called freedom.

~Untold Feelings

Never forget

 May you never forget that

when it was hard, and you

were overwhelmed, and felt

afraid, and walked alone,

and felt invisible, and

didn't have the answers,

and couldn't see the way,

and wanted to give up...

you kept going.

~Nakeia Homer

One minute

 One minute after you

die you will be either

elated or terrified

and it will be too late

to reroute your 

travel plans. When 

you slip behind the 

parted curtain, your

life will not be over.

Rather, it will be just

beginning in a place of

unimaginable bliss or

indescribable horror.

~Edwin Lutzer

Chose yourself

You finally chose yourself.

Now what? Now, you keep going.

Keep growing. Don't look back.

There's nothing worth turning 

around for. All the light you need 

is straight up ahead, in your own 

eyes, when you realize that you

have always been worth this

moment, this new you, and that

smile that has been such a

long time coming.

~Stephanie Bennett-Henry

That person

That person you've been searching 

for? It's you. Remember your

magic and all that you are.

~J. Mike Fields

Surfing

 All I can say to this is...Yep

by Andrew J. Bauman

Grief is like surfing.

Except you're blindfolded. In a 

hurricane.

And your surfboard is on fire.

And the people on the shore are

shouting surfing strategies for a storm

they've never surfed.

And then shaking their heads at how

you handle the waves.

~Nicole Langman

Heal

HEAL

With all my heart I urge you to heal. Take back the power that was stolen from you, right the wrongs, slay the demons and open that Pandora's box you're keeping so very tightly closed. You have one life, sweet one, and you deserve it to be beautiful. You deserve to know what it's like to be free of the pain they gave you, and every day you're not healing, you're carrying on a cycle you did not ask for. If I can urge you to do just one thing my friend, it's to heal. Begin. Just be realising how very badly broken you are. And how very brave you've been. That's the key to the box. Turn it. It will hurt for a while but you know about hurt already. It can't hurt more but it can hurt less, and it will. If you just start to heal.

~Donna Ashworth

hold on

 

hold on.

promise me this.

if they all abandon you.

if you are left wandering aimlessly.

if the hurt in your heart takes up

more space than the hope in your heart.

if you have lost everything that you

believed meant something to you.

if you are emptier now than the sound

of your own echo - you hold on.

you stay by your side.

you look to the skies.

you remember your whys.

and you do not abandon yourself.

~ullie-kaye

Respect yourself

 From Kalen Dion Poetry

Respect yourself enough

to deny access

to anyone who doesn't.

No corrupt word

 Kept seeing this so thought it was worth recording...

"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers."

~Ephesians 4:29

The broken

 From I Needed A Viking Poetry

Only the broken

will offer a piece of their soul to you,

for they know,

what it feels like to being shattered into pieces.

~Sulekha Pande

Two people

There are two people

you'll meet in your life.

One will run a finger down

the index of who you are and jump straight

to the parts of you that peak their interest.

The other will take his or her time

reading through every one of your chapters

and maybe fold corners of you

that inspired them most.

You will meet these two people, it is a given.

It is the third that you'll never see coming.

That one person

who not only finishes your sentences,

but keeps the book.

~Unknown, TheMindsJournal

Honor your boundaries

 Honor your boundaries.

You can't be everything to everyone

and nothing to yourself.

~Shane Steele, NaturalOrigin

No betrayal worse

there is no betrayal worse

than ignoring your own intuition.

~iambrillyant

Wanted you

i always wanted you.

even when i didn't

know what i wanted.

even before i knew 

you.

it was you.

you were the chapter

that i didn't know

the words to, but

always knew it existed.

and when i finally

found it and began

to read, i knew i

was home.

~JmStorm

Their own darkness

From I Needed A Viking Poetry

"Have you ever wanted to save

someone from their own darkness so

badly that you are willing to set 

yourself on fire just to light the way?

Even if it melts your flesh and cracks

your bones, you'd be okay with

keeping them warm."

~Odett G.

(My note: I do this with EVERYONE!)

Only you

 ONLY YOU

Only you will ever know the real you.

Everyone else sees a version of you

a version created in their mind

through their filters

using their own

experiences and judgments

to mould you.

You may think they see

what you know

about yourself

but they don't.

Everyone you have ever met

holds a version of you

in their memory.

None of them are real.

It is a special moment

when this truth sinks in

because at last you realise

you've a very unique

thing going on

with yourself.

So many versions of you exist

in very many places

but only you

will know the real one.

Now if that is not a relationship

well worth treasuring

what is?

~Donna Ashworth

Your sunshine

Do not pour 

your sunshine

into someone

who does not

think of you

as their sky.

~gemma troy

Like you

There is little you can do to make everyone like you.

Some people will see the real you, straight away. The you

with the worries, the fears, the kind heart.

Others will only see what you have that is not theirs. Or

who you have. Or a life that sparkles a tad too brightly for

their liking.

In Some People's Story You're An Angel, In Others You're

The Villain.

And that is pretty much that.

If you are spending any time worrying how others see you,

or whether they think you are a good person or not, you are

wasting precious time my friend.

Precious time that is much needed elsewhere.

It is universal truth that you cannot please all of the people

all of the time.

That in fact, the best way to get even close to this goal, is

to stop trying and to just be your authentic self, with

kindness.

Always with kindness.

So, if you have been hurt by an unjust representation of

you in someone's story, take comfort in the fact that it is

not the truth.

And that the right people will see that.

Keep your sparkly little light shining and your people will

find you.

And they will stay.

And you will never have to convince then of who you are.

~Donna Ashworth

Attachment

 From Poetry, Prose and Ponderings

Attachment

is the very

opposite 

of love.

Love says,

"I want

you to be

happy."

Attachment

says, "I

want you

to make 

me happy."

~Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

Someone else's hands

I made a promise to myself

a long time ago, that I will

never put my happiness in

someone else's hands.

I worked too hard to let my

peace depend on someone else.

Not ever again.

~Stephanie Bennett-Henry

Times it was bad

Give yourself

permission to think

about the times it

was bad. The times

he treated you with

indifference. 

Give yourself 

permission to think

about the ending

instead of the

fairytale moments

your heart holds

on to.

~Alfa

The word stay

 From Poetry, Prose and Ponderings

The word "stay"

couldn't find

its way out

of my mouth.

I guess my mind

already knew

If I had to plead

For your presence,

You were

already gone.

~Kay F. J.

Enough watering

You've done enough watering.

It's time to be the garden for once.

~Soulology

Torn between

From I Needed a Viking Poetry

I was torn between 

holding on to what

you promised

and accepting the reality

of you

not being able to deliver.

~r.h. Sin

Inexperienced hands

Your ability to make me

feel like I was less than

I was took a while to

recover from. But after

ripping my own self worth

to shreds for so long, 

I realized that I wasn't

less just because I was

more than your inexperienced

hands could handle...

and that is your loss.

~Alfa

Let you go

One day,

it finally became 

a little too exhausting

to keep holding

onto hope.

So I let you go.

~Samira Vivette

Drowning me

 I used to think I can

save everyone, until

I realized they were

drowning me.

~Word Porn

Never lose yourself

I hope you never lose yourself

trying to love someone else.

It's a long way back.

~Stephanie Bennett-Henry

Enough

Posted by Nona

From Psychiatry with Soul

If you're exhausted, rest.

If you don't feel like starting a new project, don't.

If you don't feel the urge to make something new, just

rest in the beauty of the old, the familiar, the known.

If you don't feel like talking, stay silent.

If you're fed up with the news, turn it off.

If you want to postpone something until tomorrow, do it.

If you want to do nothing, let yourself do nothing today.

Feel the fullness of the emptiness, the vastness of the

silence, the sheer life in your unproductive moments.

Time does not always need to be filled.

You are enough, simply in your being.

~Jeff Foster                                                                                                                                                  

Rare

One day

love will come

in the form of somebody

who wants to give

more than take,

and you will know why

love is rare.

~Mark Anthony 

No waiting room

NO WAITING ROOM

What if you didn't wake up tomorrow and your soul is watching down thinking of all the things you didn't get to do yet because you were too scared, or too shy, or too worried about money.

And all the things you told yourself you weren't good enough for, swam in front of your eyes, fighting for a place in the line, beside the words you didn't say and the joy you forgot to have.

My friend, there is absolutely no room for anything in your day, other than acceptance.

You will never have enough money, or time, and you will certainly never have the perfect body the world told you you need, to be happy.

And before you say it's too late to embrace this thing we call life, no it is not.

You can do it right where you are. Right this minute.

Get outside, breathe, look at the trees, put your bare feet on the grass - hand on your heart to feel that pulse - and that's it.

You're living.

Keep that up.

Wait up for the moon sometimes or get up early to see a sunrise, just because you can.

Jump in the lake. Run, skip.

The things you need to feel alive are free and all around my friend.

You just have to see them.

Let in opportunity and say yes to the invitations that scare you a little, in a good way.

Say no to some of the things you force yourself to do,

knowing they rinse you of your peace.

Life was never supposed to be a waiting room, it was supposed to be a hillside, with paths leading in every direction and mountains as far as the eye can see, hiding adventures and new friends behind them.

Don't let yourself get to the end of this ride without having stopped to smell those beautiful roses.

That's the only thing you need to fear in this life.

Everything else is all part of it.

It's all just a messy, complicated, beautiful and terrifying part of it.

Chin up, throw your arms wide open

and let it be so.

~Donna Ashworth

(May have already posted, but definitely worth repeating)

Mean to others

 Only people 

who aren't happy with

themselves are mean

to others.

Always remember that.

Says

Fear says "what if"

Faith says "even if"

The betrayal

 From Heal.Give.Love.

Love was never the betrayal.

It was never the lies.

It was never the manipulation.

The disappointment

The hurt

The pain

The forgiveness.

Love may have been there, but it didn't stay when

those things started to find their way in.

Keep swimming

THERE WILL BE DAYS

There will be days my friend,

When you feel like you just can't go on.

Just keep swimming.

Breathe in and breathe out and wait for the light of a

new day to dawn.

There will be days, my friend...

When nothing seems to be making sense,

It's not supposed to.

Clear your mind and open your heart, the answers will

come in time.

There will be days, my friend...

When the pain rises up and engulfs you.

Be kind to yourself.

Lay low and let the tears flow like a river, release, open

the floodgates, let it out.

There will be days me friend...

When it feels like the whole world is against you. When

it feels like you cannot do right for doing wrong.

Just sit it out.

Tomorrow is a new day and these feelings will pass. I 

promise.

You see, life is all things, from one day to the next.

It is beautiful at times, wondrous, amazing and joyful -

then it is awful, miserable and heart-breaking.

And the cycle goes around.

It is as it should be.

Everything is as it should be and you, you will be okay.

Have faith.

Keep hope in your heart.

Tomorrow is a new day.

~Donna Ashworth

Toxic cycle

 From Hidden Gems

The toxic cycle

One we know too well, we seem to normalize when it shouldn't be. I think it's because we don't talk enough about the unspoken truths in every part of the story, we just talk about our pain and run with it. We don't talk about the constant circle we end up in when we're begging them to understand our love when it's not us that needs to be forgiven, but we make it our mission to be. We don't talk about the marathons we run to try and keep up with the fantasy we placed. We don't talk about the excuses we make for "love" when there's none involved, just the love we feel, even then, it doesn't seem real. We don't talk about the fact love doesn't conquer all and sometimes it hurts, only because we confuse it with pain. We become toxic to ourselves by letting them dive deeper and take a new piece of us with them every time they puncture the wound that never seems to heal. We tend to place ourselves in the mirror of deception, taking the blame for everything that destroyed us to accept them as who we thought of them to be, not the character they presented constantly. The toxic cycle of trying to make someone understand you're a beautiful soul, but they hold no capacity because they don't see themselves that way.

Self-destruction

 From The Feels The Moon & My Soul

Self-destruction

I had my heart broken

the same way I broke hearts.

I manipulated myself

the same way I let myself be used.

I sat and waited

for the universe to align me

perfectly with the one.

I passed up some

for the wrong ones

I wrecked some

for the broken ones

I wanted to prove my love,

I wanted to be loved

truly, madly, deeply

I couldn't grasp

I was the broken one

and my path of destruction

brought me closer

to the shattered ones.

Can't force

You can't force someone to

keep their word, or to

communicate, or to realize

that something special is

in front of them.

~Keyshia Cole

Same old song

 From Songs for Each Mood II

Same Old Song/The Weeknd

A narcissist's greatest trick is luring in empaths like the pied piper with empty promises of providing the love they desire. The masters of disguise, hiding behind wicked smiles, breaking down walls to get what they want. Empaths struggle with noticing the red flags because they view their relationships through rose-colored frames. Playing by the narcissist's game, empaths put on their capes to save their lover from themselves. In the end, the empath drains their love until there's nothing in their heart to give, while the narcissist moves on to find another victim to lure in with the same old songs.

Waves

 by Samira Vivette

It comes in waves

And most days

I'm fine.

I really am.

I have so much 

to be grateful for.

But it's those nights:

The ones that blindside

me, that catch me

by surprise.

This realization is

enough to drown me.

You're not here.

You haven't been

for a while.

And I still feel like this.

Why?

If it ends

 "what if it ends?"

"what if it does?

It will still be ok.

You will still keep

on living, and moving

forward with your life.

All you can do is love

them where they are at.

Even when they choose

to move on without you."

~Kayil York, You Deserve More

Not too old

 You are not too old

You've just mastered the fine art

of convincing yourself you are.

You are younger than your tomorrows,

Wiser than your yesterdays.

Stronger than your excuses. And

deserving of a chance.

~Broms the Poet, MW Facets

Sacredly

Your boundary need not be an angry electric fence that shocks those who touch it..

It can be a consistent light around you that announces: 

"I will be treated sacredly."

~Jaiya John

Can't afford

Don't be upset when people reject you.

Nice things are rejected all the time by people who can't afford them.

~Bob Marley

Won't always get

 From Hidden Gems

You won't always get that apology you're owed. You won't always get the closure you need. You won't always be felt and understood when it comes to your feelings. How you feel is valid but sometimes people don't understand they hurt you even if the proof is right in front of them. They will deny it because they don't view it the same as you, and that's okay. You don't need an apology or closure from someone who can't admit to the pain they caused you. You will heal and grow regardless. Be patient, embody how you feel because it's real. Don't let their manipulation change that.

Push me away

 From I Was Never Broken

If you push me away,

I promise you,

you won't find me where you left me.

My heart's big,

but not big enough to deal with people

who decide to love me

when it's convenient for them.

Awareness

From Inner Being Whispers

don't be upset that they showed you who they truly are, be grateful that you now have the awareness to move forward with no illusions.

~Iambrillyant 

Give it a chance

 by Kayil York

You're not weak because you chose to love anyway. It makes you brave, because there were a chance that it could have been more than what it turned out to be.

It's better to give it a chance than giving up before you started.