#I'm trying to learn to embrace parts of myself that 13 year old me would have mocked me for

[churchydraws]

Is lunar ticklish? Like is his stomach ticklish?

I don't see why he wouldn't be! I imagine that the Daycare Attendants' shell skin is made out of a material that's soft to touch and capable of feeling things so people and children feel more comfortable around them cuz it makes them seem more "human"

[a-pretty-nerd]

Watching Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles makes me wanna be a kid again.

It makes me want to go back in time and look at my 13yr old self and say, "You do what makes you happy! You hear me? Don't listen to anyone! ESPECIALLY your mother! Cringe isn't real and never was! Shave half your head! Wear boy's clothes! The heavy eyeshadow looks great! Be the little menace you were born to be!"

As someone in their early twenties, rottmnt has helped me realize exactly how precious those years in your life are. And how much I wasted them by trying to act more mature than I was. By allowing the people around me to pressure me into behaving like a mini-adult when I was only 16. I wish I would have let myself be a kid and enjoy the things I didn't let myself enjoy.

I was 13 when tmnt 2012 aired and I really liked it. I tried to express my interest, but apart of me felt embarrassed. I was under the impression that I was "too old" for these kinds of cartoons. (Yes because Black Butler was so much better? Recovering emo kid.) The 2010s were a dark time, my children. You see, I was a girl. And girls my age weren't supposed to like immature boy shows like that. Icky! So my love for tmnt remained hidden for many year.

UNTIL rottmnt graces my silly little screen. Idk if you know this about me, but 2D animation will ALWAYS win over 3D in my opinion and OH MY BANANA PANCAKES was I head over heels for the rottmnt art style. It takes so much influence from the cartoons I grew up with but has such a fresh and interesting take on an old model like tmnt. I'll rewatch the show and notice something new in the animation everytime. Maybe a new face animation I didn't catch before, or a reference, or a funny little bit happening in the background. I'm sure I'm insufferable to watch it with.

It's the stories that get me everytime. The characters are so well written and the acting is PEAK. You really get the sense that people ENJOYED working on this show in every department. And on top of that, it all makes me feel like rottmnt has finally embraced something I feel has been missing from tmnt for a while now. Childhood whimsy.

Yes, the original comics are dark, yes I would watch the hell out of a more adult/mature Muntant Ninja Turtle show, BUT TMNT is about four TEENAGERS fucking around and finding out! Let the children act like children! Looking back at the older adaptations has really made me realize how serious they were trying to be. AND FOR WHAT? WHY MR. BAY!? WHY DOES THE 17YR OLD TURTLE NEED A TATTOO?? WHY!"

I digress. Watching rottmnt at the tender age of 23 has made me realize that not only are they actual children, but they're showing a whole bunch of real life kids what being a kid looks like. Being a kid looks like the lair games, where sibling compete in fun activities, or bicker over pizza toppings. Being a kid looks like hyperfixating on a video game. It looks like having a fun snow day with friends. Like learning how to communicate without putting anyone out. Like learning responsibility in a way that doesn't look like taking care of your alcoholic parent- I MEAN SAVING THE PLANET FFROM THE KRANGGG!!!

Needless to say, this silly little show has helped me heal a part of my inner kid I didnt even realize was even broken. It helped me process my childhood from a new angle, and finally mourn the loss of a proper childhood. Watching the show makes me feel like I've reclaimed all the "cringe" things I didn't let myself have as a kid. And the best part is, I'm not alone.

-Cowabummer ✌

[tiffanytheswiftie]

So every year on my birthday I kind of like to recap my year, and since I'm turning 29, I decided to model this year's after the Elle article Taylor Swift did at 29 entitled "30 Things I Learned Before Turning 30."

@taylorswift @taylornation

1. It's okay if people don't get my interests.

Over the years, I sometimes tried to hide my interests because I was worried people would think they were weird or wouldn’t understand them. It always seemed like a lot of my interests fell out of the “ordinary” interests of those around me. But I’ve learned that’s okay, and it’s okay if people don’t get it. If I enjoy it, that’s all that matters. Like the song says, if it makes me happy, it can’t be that bad.

2. I can love my body while also wanting to make it healthier/look better.

I have struggled with body image and my weight for the majority of my life, and I have always believed the biggest struggle was the mental aspect of it all. I thought I could only appreciate my body once it got to how I wanted it to look (which, it never has). I hated it. However, I realize now that the best way to improve it, is to love it, and appreciate it for what it does for me already.

3. It's not malicious to cut out toxic people.

Cutting out toxic people is hard, but necessary. I’m not calling someone up and saying, “I’m never talking to you again,” or completely ghosting them, however I no longer involve them in most aspects of my life. It’s freeing and better for my mental health.

4. Traveling is so important.

It’s no secret that I love traveling. I want to visit every continent (minus Antarctica), experience different cultures, see history, and experience new things. It’s important to open up my mind and broaden my horizons, and something I recommend everyone to do. It’s good to meet people from all over the world who live different lives and come from different lifestyles and philosophies. Plus, traveling is just so fun! Like Donna says in Mamma Mia 2, “life is short, and the world is wide, I want to make some memories.”

5. My path can and will change often.

When I first started trying to decide on a major for college, I seriously thought about at least 12 different career paths. And what I chose wasn’t even included in those at the time. Point is, my path will change often. My dreams will change often. And that’s okay! It doesn’t mean I failed, it just means my path has shifted onto something different. My initial dream may have just been setting me up to go down a certain path.

6. My life isn't on a timeline.

Honestly this is probably the hardest lesson I had to learn. Everyone, myself included, seems to put life on a timeline. I thought by a certain age I had to have a degree, I had to be married, I had to have kids, I had to have traveled to a certain amount of places, etc. and if I didn’t then it just wouldn’t happen. I hear people talk about other people and where they are in life. But no one’s life is on a timeline, and everyone’s big moments will happen differently. The only time it’s ever really “too late” is when I’m dead. And I’m not dead. I’m very much alive.

7. I need to be able to look forward to things.

Sometimes life can seem monotonous. Every day looks the same, and it can really wear me down. I always try to make sure I have something to look forward to. It could be something big, like a trip or Christmas, or something small, like watching a new movie. Either way, I keep a countdown app in my phone, and I look at it on days I feel like my life is doing nothing. I always make sure there’s something I can look forward to.

8. It's possible to be both brave and terrified.

My mantra in life has always been “Fearless.” I got it from a Taylor Swift quote when I was about 17 years old that says, “Fearless is not the absence of fear. It's not being completely unafraid. Fearless is having fears. Fearless is having doubts. Lots of them. Fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you to death.” While I’ve always loved that quote and have used that word to overcome fears, it took me awhile to actually be able to fully embrace the idea of being fearless.

9. Water is good for the soul.

Drink water. It’s not only good for the soul, it’s good for staying alive. Hydrate before you die-drate. There’s nothing more satisfying then getting a big gulp of cool water.

10. I shouldn't care what people think of me.

This is something we’re preached our entire lives, yet often we still worry about the people who judge us. And that’s crazy. I only get one life and going through it worried about what someone thinks of me is a stupid way to live.

I think I can best sum this lesson up with the words from Sebastian Stan in Houston, “Don’t care about what other people say about you, just really don’t give a damn…you have to ultimately go ‘I’m doing this’ and people aren’t going to like that. Not everyone’s going to like what I do. So…who gives a f***? You know, if it feels good to you, and you’re helping somebody, or you’re not harming anybody, you’re being kind, you’re being considerate, then that’s it. That’s all you need.”

11. If someone judges me for my appearance, they are the ones with a problem.

One thing that has hindered me through the years is my fear of someone judging my appearance. I’ve let it affect every aspect of my life. For so long, I wouldn’t go to certain events, talk to certain people, participate in certain activities, travel certain places, date, go to restaurants, do fun things like dancing or swimming, etc. (and some I still don’t) because of being afraid people would judge how much fat is on my body. And I recognize that’s not a good way to go through life, and if someone judges me for that, they are the ones with the issue, not me. In the words of Brianna Wiest, “Focus on what your body does more than what it looks like doing it.” And I’ve been trying to live those words.

12. I need to live in the present, not the future.

I tend to freak myself out by thinking either too far ahead or about things that haven’t (and might not) even happen. I think about what age I’ll be in 10, 20, 30 years. I’ll think about what might go wrong with something at some point. It’s not healthy, I will drive myself crazy overthinking about this. One of the biggest things I’ve learned is to live in the now. It’s good to have future plans or be prepared for the future, but never forget to live in the present. Focus on the now. Live now.

13. It's good to try different things to figure out if I'm interested or not.

It’s so good to try different things out to discover if it’s something I enjoy or not, something I want to pursue or not, etc. It’s so easy to sign up for a class, look up a tutorial, or just get out and try. I have tried a lot of things in my life that ended up not being what I decided to put all of my energy into, but that’s a good thing. I don’t have to ask myself “what if?” and some of it I still enjoy doing as a hobby.

14. Writing is good for my mental health.

If you follow me on any social media, or are reading this right now, then you probably know that I tend to write things out often. I enjoy writing. It’s one of the ways I express myself, and it’s good for me. It’s therapeutic. I write when I’m excited, happy, or sad. I write out poetry or songs or just short little essays. I enjoy it, a lot, and I’m glad I’ve embraced it.

15. Read as much as possible.

Reading is good for so many reasons. It makes me smarter, it makes my brain more active, and it takes me into different worlds. It also lets me experience things or understand things I might not have otherwise. It helps to stop my mind to slow down and focus on one thing. Reading is important for everyone. It can be a novel, a short story, a magazine, whatever. Just read.

16. A good night's sleep can make a huge difference.

Trying to get a good night’s sleep just makes the next day better and is good for my mental and physical health overall. I’ve had crazy sleep schedules, sometimes from work hours but mostly because I’m an anxious night owl who pushed myself to stay awake and watch movies rather than going to sleep. I honestly feel better now that I’ve got myself on a better sleep schedule.

17. I should push myself out of my comfort zone but also know my limits.

I would have missed out on a lot if I hadn’t pushed myself out of my comfort zone, and I hope to do it even more in this next decade. It’s good to run towards some of the things that terrify but fascinate me. However, it’s also good to know that everyone has limits. It’s good if I can recognize situations or places that always make me feel uncomfortable and to try and keep myself out of that environment.

18. Music and concerts are therapeutic.

Music has been a part of so many aspects of my life (as it is for many). It’s played on road trips, at parties, at big life events, in my room, in the movies I love watching, and the list goes on. It’s no surprise that music is therapeutic and something so many people can relate to and love. One of my favorite parts about music is getting to go to concerts. Taylor Swift, Julia Michaels, Aly & AJ, Miranda Lambert, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato, and Selena Gomez are just some of the artists I’ve been lucky enough to see in my life, and whose concerts let me really let loose, and just be in the moment and feel all the feelings. And that’s great, and something I hope I get to experience quite often in the next decade and beyond.

19. It's important to be knowledgeable about the world.

This can be looked at in two different ways.

On one hand, learning about other cultures and places is interesting and important on opening up the mind and broadening horizons (kind of like what I stated about traveling). It’s cool to see how people live, talk, what customs they have, etc. and to recognize that while we’re all different, we also all have a lot of things in common.

On the other hand, it’s important to be knowledgeable of the issues in the world. It’s good to know what big concerns there are and learning about them so I can see where I stand on it as well as knowing what I can do to help people. For example, with refugee crisis, knowing what is going on in their country and what they are facing so I can look into what I can do to help provide assistance (such as donating, raising awareness, praying, etc. We can all do something). It’s important.

20. Be active in politics and be respectful with politics.

Being active in politics is vital to helping shape the present and future. Being educated about issues, empathizing with people, being aware, opening up my world to be bigger, and having an open mind is all important when approaching politics. It’s also imperative that I make sure I am always respectful when doing this. If I disagree with someone, I don’t attack them. If someone attacks me, I ignore them. If you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes. Don’t play stupid games.

21. Dog videos and cat videos will always make me feel better.

There’s not much to say about this except it’ll always make me happy and dogs and cats are so cute and deserve all the best things in the world. Also please send any and all dog and cat videos my way.

22. It’s so good to get to meet people from different backgrounds, lifestyles, cultures, etc.

Through traveling and living several different places, I’ve been lucky enough to meet people from all over the world. This has opened up my mind and has helped me to be able to recognize the different issues people face. It has helped me see so many lifestyles and values and I have learned a lot about the world through these people. I am thankful for them.

23. Being open about mental health is so important.

I have social anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder, AKA anxiety and depression. I’ve talked about this a lot in the past few years, however it took me awhile to get to that point. I was first diagnosed at 17 and it wasn’t until I was about 25 that I finally was able to be open about it and talk about it (and I have to thank Jared Padalecki for being a huge reason I was able to do that through his words and Always Keep Fighting campaign).

Mental health isn’t just about diagnosable disorders, though. Everyone has mental health, just as everyone has physical health. Mental health is just as important as physical health and should be treated as so. It’s okay if a couple days need to be taken to feel better. It’s okay to not be okay, as cliché as that sounds. The more open people are about mental health, the more awareness there will be, and that will lead to healthier minds.

24. Encouraging friends is something that should be done daily.

Let me repeat that, ENCOURAGING FRIENDS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE DONE DAILY. Everyone needs encouragement. Uplifting others is the easiest thing a person can do that can make such a big impact. Uplift them, encourage them. I am genuinely so proud of so many of my friends, and I try to tell them that often.

25. Watching movies will always be my joy and therapy.

I watch a lot of movies. A lot. And it’s because I genuinely love them. I find so much joy and entertainment being able to escape into different worlds and lives and situations for a couple hours. I also turn to them when I am sad or dealing with anxiety and depression and need something to help me. They are therapeutic. They are fun. I am thankful they exist, and I don’t care if that sounds weird to someone (see #1). I also love learning about them and knowing different aspects of them, such as how a scene was filmed or how an actor approached the character. Random challenge: when watching one of your favorite movies, take yourself out of the story for a minute and just watch the characters on screen as actors. It’ll blow your mind on how talented they are.

26. Creativity can be expressed in a lot of ways.

I’m a relatively creative person and sometimes it feels like I can’t find a way to express that, which makes me go crazy. I used to think I had to have a specific and grand outlet in order to express creativity, but that’s not true. I can express my creativity in the clothes I wear, the things I write, in painting or making bracelets, in photography and videography, or even in every day conversation. There are so many ways to express it, and none of them are wrong or not enough. I’ll do me and you do you.

27. It's good to have people who inspire me, but I shouldn't put them on a pedestal.

A lot of different people inspire me. Some are family, some are friends, some are musical artists, some are actors, some are YouTube creators, some are activists, some are just random people on Instagram or Twitter or wherever, and the list goes on. And it’s great to be inspired by other people. It’s nice to have people to look up to or who inspire me to be myself or express myself. However, it’s always important not to put them on a pedestal. Nobody is perfect. We’re all people.

28. Be kind, be empathetic, be patient, but stand up for myself.

Kindness, empathy, and patience are all things we should strive to have. I always try my hardest to be kind to everyone (sometimes I fail, like everyone, but I try). I have realized I have a lot of empathy, which is great and I’m thankful that I have that. I’m working on patience with myself, but I do try to be patient with other people. However, I also need to know when to stand up for myself. Sometimes people mistake kindness for weakness and try to push me down; I shouldn’t let them do that. I can still be kind while standing firm.

29. I may never understand a struggle someone's going through but that doesn't mean it's not real.

Often times when people talk about their struggles, I see others say, “well I have never experienced that or have seen that so it must not be true.” And that’s a poor way of thinking.

For example, as a white person, I’ll never fully understand the struggles and obstacles that racial minorities face. But it’s so, so important I still recognize that those struggles and obstacles exist and do my part in trying to help improve them. Another example is that a man will never fully understand the struggles and obstacles I face as a woman, but they should still recognize that those things are real.

30. I know that age is just a number and turning 30 next year just gives me a new decade to look forward to.

And last but not least, turning 29 shouldn’t be a scary thing. Age shouldn’t make anyone sad or feel like they have failed at life or something for not reaching a certain point (see #6). People put too much emphasis on age sometimes and it’s ridiculous. I’m 29. I’ll be 30 next year. It doesn’t mean anything except that I’m given a new slate to start a new decade of my life, and that should excite me, not scare me. So here’s to 29, I hope my last year in my 20s is great…but I have a feeling my 30s will be even greater.

[over40andlivinglike30]

Where do I start? I can't start at the beginning because that would be mostly a boring recap of my life,  so I'll start at the beginning of the end or more so at the end of the vanilla part of my life.  I'll set the scene... just for some perspective,  I guess I'll start this off as 'that night'. .. That night was the night I'd had enough of trying,  and when I say trying I'm talking about everything I could come up with to turn my love of 13 years on.  Sexy lingerie,  texts,  toys, pics,  even introducing another person,  none of it worked... that night I'd just come to the end of my rope.  I finally asked the question that I already knew the answer to.  I didn't want to believe it,  or more so admit it.  But I said it.  And once I did everything changed.  There was no coming back.  In a heated moment I just blurted it out. 'We don't even have sex anymore!!'. The response,  which deep down,  I already knew,  'we don't have sex because I don't love you anymore'... now we can skip the next few months of me crying myself to sleep,  questioning why I wasn't enough, all the things I must have done wrong. The feeling of being worthless,  when I believed that he was my forever person. I just wasn't his,  and while trying to accept that,  that's when I entered my, well,  my fuck you phase,  my I am amazing phase,  my there's guys out there that do find me attractive phase.  I'm not undesirable,  I'm not a boring woman who does nothing but iron your shirts and cook and clean for you,  I'm more than that, and this is your loss not mine.  And this is where my life changed.   A 40+ year old woman who decided she could be whoever she wanted to be.  She was smart,  had a great career, her kids were grown she was in the prime of her life and decided she was going to enjoy every single moment,  she was going to find herself and learn to laugh again.  So when she accepted that the relationship was over,  she embraced her new power. This is where she became the woman with no fear,  no boundaries,  she could be and do whatever she wanted now... with a little help from strangers who had no idea that the were helping her along the way.  So this is where it all began for me,  the moment that I knew I was going to enjoy every second in front of me,  with a little help from a stranger...enter Honeymoon. CHAPTER 1.  HONEYMOON  I still wonder sometimes if he knows how much he helped me to open my mind to new experiences,  to somehow make choices that some would judge.  One encounter with him and everything changed for me, it was like he awakened a part of me that had never  been explored, but had been locked away for years screaming out to escape. He was young,  but he was different. He was kind,  but still had a powerful dominant presence,  I didn't fall in love with him,  I guess I loved that I couldn't, there was no commitment involved,  no risk of being hurt,  of course there was an attraction to him, and yes there were feelings for him,  but in a different kind of way, he was just perfect for what I needed at the time,  and yes,  I know that sounds selfish,  but  it wasn't really like I was using him to satisfy a need,  I think we were both doing the same thing and that's why it was so easy.  It's difficult to explain, but he was special, to me that is. I think to him I was probably nothing,  as we all are to someone,  but regardless of how he saw me,  I'll be forever appreciative for how he made me think and feel.  I felt like I could tell him anything,  even though we were complete strangers.  He helped me start my new chapter.  The night I met him,  was one of those nights,  you know those evenings where you have no plans,  no intentions,  but all of a sudden you are in the right place at the right time.  I remember the moment I met him.  A young guy,  full of confidence,  maybe a tiny bit of cockiness in his demeanour,  he made me laugh,  he was the first guy in a very long time who made me feel attractive, but yes, I know the game guys play and I do remember walking away thinking to myself,  it was just a group of guys pl