akwadame-blog

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I’d always liked the idea of how you grow from experiences. The idea that life changes you and molds you into someone new - but what happens when you outgrow everything around you? It’s like when you’re sitting in a room of people that you love, and everyone is smiling and yelling like crazy people, and that used to be you too, but it’s not anymore; and all you can do is sit and watch. You’ve done more growing than anyone else in the room, and you’re finally realizing that they aren’t going to catch up. The world you’re living in just doesn’t fit you anymore. The people around you don’t fit, this life doesn’t fit, and you know it’s time to move on.

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Dear Teenagers

Dear 13 year olds: it’s the beginning of your teenage years. Don’t stress, you’ll make it out alive. There’s a lot changing about you, embrace that change and don’t make decisions too quickly. You’re doing just fine.

Dear 14 year olds: You’ve just started high school. You’re stressed that people are gonna hate you and that everyone is gonna judge you. Don’t sweat it. Most people feel like that. Click with the people you can and take it from me, get to know your teachers. You’re doing just fine.

Dear 15 year olds: people are starting to tell you to keep an eye out for job openings, telling you to save up to get you license when you turn 16. Suddenly everyone wants you to grow up quicker than before. Don’t push yourself too hard. Embrace your life right now. Life is moving at the same pace all the time, so should you. You’re doing just fine.

Dear 16 year olds: life is getting really scary right now. Everyone around you seems to have a job and have their license and you don’t have one and/or the other yet. Your parents are always so mad about it and claim they just want the best for you, but only you really know. Listen to what your mind is telling you. Take life at your own pace. You’re doing just fine.

Dear 17 year olds: you (may) have a job now and it’s really stressful. Balancing school and work isn’t easy at all. Don’t stress too much. Push yourself as much as you can but never any further than that. Too much stress makes no progress. Now it’s time to think about your future too. Or so they say. You don’t need to listen to them. Your perfect school and career are waiting for you but you don’t need to jump in right away. You’re doing just fine.

Dear 18 year olds: you’ve just graduated high school and now you’re a legal adult and things are different. Very very different. Take the changes as they come, as well as you can and at your own pace. Going to university/college? No one cares what you look like, no one cares about how much you’re eating. They’re too focused on themselves to judge you. So do what’s best for you, when you can. You’re doing just fine.

Dear 19 year olds: in some places, now it’s legal for you to drink. It’s possibly your first or second year of college/university, don’t drink too much please. The alcohol will not help and forgetting everything for a few hours isn’t worth how you’ll feel the next few days. Please take care of yourselves. University is a new experience, you’re finally free and alone, embrace it but don’t take it for granted. You come first. Love yourself. You’re doing just fine.

Dear all teenagers who may be struggling and terrified of their future: everything comes in time. Don’t fear it. Embrace it. You are loved beyond compare. You’re doing just fine. I promise.

As someone who is getting ready to exit teenage years, I wanted to make something for the teenagers of this generation. Because it’s scary, and only hearing bullshit from adults all day is exhausting.

Adults yes you can reblog this and I encourage you to. Please show love to teenagers. They need it as much as anyone else if not more.

[akwadame-blog]

Capricorns have a tenacity and intensity that is pretty strong and apparent for an earth sign. A good way to separate a cap from the other earth signs is while they seem down to earth and mature, theirs a twinge of intensity about them that’s very noticeable

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“Unease, anxiety, tension, stress, worry–all forms of fear–are caused by too much future, and not enough presence. Guilt, regret, resentment, grievances, sadness, bitterness, and all forms of nonforgiveness are caused by too much past, and not enough presence.”

— Eckhart Tolle (via lazyyogi)

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You deserve to be with someone who is proud of you, and is proud to be yours. You are worthy of good things - don’t let anybody tell you otherwise.

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(1/3)  “I was the easy one to pick on.  I was born blind.  I didn’t walk until the age of four.  I repeated kindergarten, first, second.  They just called it mental retardation back then.  They tried to place me in hospitals.  And the other kids in the housing projects would torment me.  They’d call me Bozo and Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion.  They’d chase me with broken bottles.  I felt worthless.  I felt like a thing.  My only protector was my older brother Hank.  He had learning problems too but he was a male so he had power.  He was state champion in running and cross-country.  Whenever he practiced, he’d let me follow behind him and carry his towels.  Eventually I got to where I could keep up with him.  No other girls were running back then.  There weren’t any female sports teams.  So people would look at me like I was crazy.  They’d say: ‘That’s Rita’s daughter.  She runs.’  A lap around the projects was one mile.  I’d run it three times every night.  It gave me solace and peace.  None of the punks who picked on me could keep up.  I grew really strong.  I had rough edges on me.  Word got around: ‘Put your hands on Loretta, and she’s gonna eat you up.’” (Special Olympics World Games, Abu Dhabi, UAE)

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Try not to believe the lies being told to you by your mental illness.

You are not unlovable or undeserving of love.

The world and the people in it would not be better off without you.

It’s not going to be like this forever.

You are valuable, and that value is inherent to you as a person - it’s not about how much you can contribute or what you can do.

You are not a burden.

You are not worthless.

You don’t have to compare yourself to others.

Making one mistake is not the end of the world, nor does it change any of the above things.

There is nothing wrong with being true to yourself, because the authentic you that you are is beautiful and worthwhile.

I know it can be hard. But please try to remind yourself of these things every so often. You don’t have to accept what the bad thoughts say as fact, because they’re lying to you.

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“It was a problem with my memory.  I couldn’t remember things.  Everyone else my age was moving forward, and I kept staying behind.  My heart was very sore.  I loved school.  I wanted to be a doctor and a lawyer just like everyone else.  I kept asking God: ‘Why is this happening to me?’  I tried my best.  I even went to night school.  But eventually my teachers said they didn’t want to waste my time.  They sent me to a school to learn handwork.  That’s where I learned about Special Olympics.  I was an angry young man back then.  I could not accept my situation.  But one day I met Arnold Schwarzenegger when he came to South Africa for an event.  I told him my entire story, and he said: ‘Look here, I am the Terminator, but today I am your friend.  Listen to me.  You are not strong in academics, but that is just one thing.  It’s nothing to worry about.  You are a very strong man.  You can’t hate yourself for the rest of your life.  It is time for you to move on.’  From that moment I began to accept myself.  I now have everything in life except for academics.  I work hard.  I have a house.  I have a family.  I have a career as a soccer coach.  My son attends the same school where I work, and he’s very smart.  I make sure he does all his assignments.  When he struggles, I bring him to his teachers so they can lift him up.  I tell him: ‘Tumi, I never finished school.  But God is amazing.  He has made you strong where I am weak.’” (Special Olympics World Games, Abu Dhabi, UAE)

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“Be yourself. Life is precious as it is. All the elements for your happiness are already here. There is no need to run, strive, search, or struggle. Just be.”

— Thích Nhất Hạnh (via goodreadss)

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““How often, you wonder, has the direction of your life been shaped by such misunderstandings? How many opportunities have you been denied—or, for that matter, awarded — because someone failed to see you properly? How many friends have you lost, how many have you gained, because they glimpsed some element of your personality that shone through for only an instant, and in circumstances you could never reproduce? An illusion of water shimmering at the far bend of a highway.””

— Kevin Brockmeier (via naturaekos)

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““People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.””

— Thich Nhat Hanh (via naturaekos)

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““If you hear that someone is speaking ill of you, instead of trying to defend yourself you should say: “He obviously does not know me very well, since there are so many other faults he could have mentioned””

— Epictetus (via naturaekos)

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“For things to reveal themselves to us, we need to be ready to abandon our views about them.”

— Thích Nhất Hạnh, Being Peace (via goodreadss)