#Overcoming challenges

[dy-mph-na]

Poem I wrote this morning, because I got kicked out of the shelter I was staying at. Girls have been picking on me- they took used oil and mixed it in with my food, told everyone I do witchcraft when I am very devout Christian, and other lies. Spiritual warfare at the finest, I set a boundary and the girl who this was all coming from got mad at me, the staff sided with her; they're afraid of me suing them... Apparently these were all "accusations" but everyone in the shelter was coming to me telling me about what she was doing. Its okay. I'm grateful to have God with me, and you guys. :) The staff had the audacity to call me privileged, I am a homeless woman, who is a survivor of abuse. A male staff member watched me get dressed too, which made me uncomfortable. They never called the cops, they were going to but I have proof of all these claims; they hung up the phone and kicked me out instead.

anywaysss... yep...

[writethestory365]

[askgildaseniors]

Prepare for an exciting new edition of the FYI podcast with Paul Tully as he welcomes Scott Rocco, a dedicated musician, actor, and writer from New York, to the dynamic metropolis of Los Angeles. Scott discusses his background in a close-knit Italian family, tracing his roots back to a blue-collar community with plenty of imagination but no professional artistic endeavor. He recalls the critical moment at Woodstock '99 when he felt compelled to pursue his aspirations after witnessing amazing performances that lit a fire inside him. Discover how Scott transformed his passion into a way of life, balancing survival work with artistic endeavors, and why he feels putting your heart and soul into everything you do is crucial.

Scott highlights the importance of endurance, describing how an artist's successes and failures are only stepping stones to growth and self-discovery. As an independent artist, he reflects on the challenges of the music industry while staying true to his craft. Scott emphasizes his belief that music is the highest art form, explaining how it transcends boundaries, touches lives, and fosters a deep sense of community.

Join us for an episode full of honest insights about following your passion, community value, and art's profound influence. Scott’s journey serves as a reminder that pursuing creativity with dedication can inspire personal transformation and meaningful change in the world.

[fizermusic]

It's okay to reach out.mp4 by,Autumn Hart,

[normalestwriter]

BakuDeku Collection

New work on AO3: Don’t Let Go — BakuDeku

https://archiveofourown.org/works/65166202/chapters/167614252

Summary:

After the war, the whole of Japan tried their best to forget what happened. And it’s fine, they’re entitled to want to move on or whatever. But that left the ones that actually suffered feeling… lost.

Bakugo could feel it. The way the world kept spinning, but he had no fucking clue what he was still doing in it. Turns out a near-death experience is not as easy to forget as he would’ve liked to think not even two months ago. He’s always been all about being tough, being above everyone else…

This time, even his ego feels muted by this deep melancholy that has taken over. The only warmth he ever knows these days comes from sharing the same space with Izuku. Why? Because he understands. He knows what this hurt is, and how it’s eating them both alive.

Izuku’s different lately, angry, confused… he lashes out a lot. But feeling as lost as he does, Bakugo can only remain by his side, hoping one day, things don’t feel I as shitty as they do now.

******

Canon Divergent

Notes:

My first BakuDeku fanfic ever, hope I didn’t botch anything. If you notice certain details from the actual canon pre-war have been slightly stretched this way or that way to fit my narrative, please pay it no mind. But I will make the disclaimer that this counts more as an AU than as a canon compliant fanfic, so if you don’t like that kind of thing, beware.

Characters also may feel a little ooc from time to time. This is my interpretation of them, and I try to be as consistent with personality as possible.

Created a page on Tumblr to promote my stories. So far there is 20 stories I have already written down in drafts, I’ll be posting one weekly, alternating between ZoSan and BakuDeku. Please check out my other works if you’re interested and follow me so I can keep you posted! Generally, I’ll be posting on Wednesdays, today was just particularly challenging!

**It will be posted in full by tomorrow morning

Look me up on AO3: IJustGoNormalSometimes

[rebellenotes]

A Reflection on Habits, Pain, and the Right to Heal

I’ve always found it fascinating how our childhood shapes us as adults. It’s so puzzling to me how incidents we think we’ve acknowledged and dealt with can still haunt us subconsciously.

One example is my compulsive need to poke my head out of the shower every few minutes to make sure no one has broken into the apartment. Sometimes I even have to lock the bathroom door, even though the apartment front door is locked and I live alone. Who’s coming into the bathroom while I’m showering?

Yet I know it became a habit after my seven year older brother continuously snuck into the bathroom while I was showering when we both lived with our parents to scare me. I never used to lock the bathroom door. Then he started sneaking in to scare me by punching the shower curtain out of nowhere. I thought I could stop him by locking the bathroom door. He started picking the lock to sneak in and do the same thing. So I started my habit of peeking out of the shower. That started when I was in my early teenage years. As I’m writing this, I’m 22, and I still do it.

It’s ridiculous, isn’t it? I know logically that I’m safe. I know my brother isn’t about to pick the lock of an apartment he doesn’t even live in (and that is 3 hours away), just to punch my shower curtain for old times’ sake. But habits like this aren’t logical—they’re survival instincts your brain refuses to let go of. Even when the “threat” is long gone, your body remembers.

I think about this a lot: the way our minds and bodies hold on to these echoes of the past, even after we’ve told ourselves, “That was years ago. I’m fine now.” But am I fine? Sure, my brother’s antics seem harmless when I tell the story now—he’d probably laugh and call me dramatic—but at the time, it was terrifying. It was that kind of sharp, primal fear that makes your heart race and your fight-or-flight instincts kick in. And for a teenage girl, trapped behind a flimsy curtain, it felt like an invasion. Straight out of Psycho.

I wonder how many other little quirks I have that are rooted in experiences like that—things I don’t even think about anymore but that still affect how I navigate the world. Maybe the way I instinctively glance over my shoulder when I walk home at night after being harassed by a man who had an interest in violent hobbies, or how I startle when someone raises their hand towards me for a high five, because that hand looks awfully similar to the one that once hit me in my face out of nowhere.

These habits become so ingrained that they start to feel like a part of who you are, but they’re really just shadows of who you used to be. Shadows of a version of yourself who needed to stay alert, to be prepared for anything.

But how do you move past it? How do you convince your brain that it’s safe to relax now? I’m not sure I have the answer yet. Maybe it’s just a matter of time. Or maybe it’s about learning to have a conversation with those shadows, acknowledging them instead of trying to push them away. Like saying, “Hey, I see you. I know you’re here because you were trying to protect me. But we’re okay now. You don’t have to work so hard anymore.”

And maybe, one day, I’ll stand in the shower and feel like I can close my eyes without worrying. Until then, I guess I’ll keep peeking out. Old habits die hard, after all.

Perhaps habits can teach us to be more understanding. But being understanding doesn’t equate to excusing or forgiving someone. It can merely act as an explanation, and we can all have compassion for even the most horrible people. Or rather, as I’d like to think of it, we have compassion for their tragic experiences. If we understand why people are the way they are, how their experiences shape their lives, then aren’t we getting closer to understanding humanity, which is, debatably, one of the biggest questions out there.

It’s a strange paradox, isn’t it? The idea that understanding someone doesn’t mean condoning their actions. You can hold compassion in one hand and accountability in the other. I think about this a lot, especially when reflecting on my own habits and the experiences that shaped them. If I can trace my quirks and fears back to specific events, can’t others do the same? Doesn’t everyone, in some way, carry the weight of their own shadows?

But here’s where it gets tricky: where do we draw the line? At what point does understanding someone’s past stop justifying their present actions? It’s one thing to say, “I get why you’re like this,” but another entirely to say, “And it’s okay for you to keep being this way.” The balance is delicate, and I think it starts with the acknowledgment that everyone’s humanity is messy and imperfect—including our own.

I’ve tried to apply this lens to myself, too. Instead of berating myself for being overly cautious, I’ve started to look at these habits with curiosity. What are they trying to tell me? Maybe my tendency to peek out of the shower isn’t just a leftover fear—it’s a reminder that my mind and body are capable of keeping me safe. Maybe the shadows of my past don’t just haunt me; they teach me. They remind me of resilience, of boundaries I’ve learned to set, of the ways I’ve grown.

That understanding, though, doesn’t mean I want to live like this forever. I don’t want to carry these shadows into every shower, every dark street, every raised hand. I want to learn how to set them down, gently, like putting away an old coat I no longer need to wear. Maybe that’s what growth really is: not banishing our pasts, but learning how to coexist with them without letting them define us.

But that’s easier said than done, and I think I have somewhat of an unpopular opinion on this matter, because I believe we, as conscious humans, should exercise our right of feeling sorry for ourselves. And while maybe it is a “hot take,” I don’t think it’s that hard to understand. By simply experiencing and focusing on the hurt we’ve endured, we get an outlet for our emotions, which in turn can help us heal in the long term.

Saying something like that unfounded, is of course… diabolical. But it’s not unfounded. Studies have proven over and over again that letting out your feelings, whether through talking, writing, or even crying, is an essential part of processing trauma and moving forward. Bottling things up doesn’t make the shadows go away—it just pushes them deeper into the corners of your mind, where they quietly take root and grow. Acknowledging your pain, even sitting with it for a while, is not weakness. It’s human.

And let’s be real: our society doesn’t make it easy. We’re constantly told to “move on” and “stay positive,” as if emotions are hurdles to leap over instead of waves to ride. But ignoring what’s underneath doesn’t make it disappear. It’s like covering a crack in the wall with a fresh coat of paint—eventually, it’ll resurface, bigger and more complicated than before.

Feeling sorry for yourself gets a bad rap because people conflate it with self-pity. But there’s a key difference. Self-pity is wallowing without purpose, a kind of stuckness that doesn’t move you forward. Feeling sorry for yourself, on the other hand, is an acknowledgment: “I went through something hard, and it’s okay to feel hurt about that.” It’s a step toward self-compassion. It’s saying to yourself what you might say to a friend: “That really sucks. No wonder you feel this way.”

But you know what’s even more of a hot take? Sometimes, I think self-pitying is necessary too. It sounds counterproductive, doesn’t it? Like I’m advocating for a wallowing pity party. But hear me out—there’s a difference between indulging in self-pity as a means of staying stuck and using it as a stepping stone toward understanding and healing. Sometimes, you have to let yourself feel the full weight of everything before you can put it down. You can’t clean up a mess you won’t even look at.

And the reality is that by looking in disdain at self-pity, we’re denying people their right to hurt. And it is a right. Because it’s a core part of us as humans. Someone who has tripped and broken their leg, screaming in pain, is going to pity themselves, because the pain isn’t merely a physical sensation. Pain is so raw and innate that it becomes us, and sometimes when the pain gets so extreme, you pity yourself without shame because what else can you do?

But when the pain isn’t physical—when it’s emotional or psychological—society expects something different. We’re told to bottle it up, to keep it together, to be “strong” and “resilient,” as if those traits are defined by our ability to suppress our own suffering. Worse, when the source of that pain is something like assault, harassment, or trauma, shame piles onto the already unbearable weight.

For victims of sexual assault, this shame can feel like a second attack. It sneaks in quietly, whispering lies like, “You should have done something differently,” or, “This was your fault.” Society, in all its victim-blaming glory, reinforces this. Questions like, “What were you wearing?” or, “Why didn’t you fight back?” shift the blame onto the survivor, creating a feedback loop of guilt and shame that can take years—sometimes a lifetime—to untangle.

And when you’re already battling that shame, self-pity feels dangerous. It feels like giving in. You tell yourself you don’t deserve to feel sorry for yourself because, somehow, you’ve internalised the idea that what happened was your fault. But it wasn’t. It never was. And yet, that shame sits there, festering, making you believe that even feeling hurt is a kind of indulgence you’re not entitled to.

But here’s the thing: self-pity, in those moments, is not indulgence—it’s survival. It’s a small, quiet rebellion against the shame that’s trying to silence you. It’s a way of saying, “I didn’t deserve this. I was hurt, and that matters.” It’s reclaiming your right to grieve for what was taken from you, to acknowledge the weight of what you’re carrying, and to validate your own pain in a world that might try to minimize it.

I think about how this cycle of shame keeps people trapped. How it convinces them that their trauma is their own fault and that they should be strong enough to “get over it” without ever letting themselves feel the full depth of their pain. But healing doesn’t work like that. You can’t bypass the hard parts. You can’t skip over the anger, the sadness, the self-pity, and expect to come out whole on the other side. Those emotions aren’t roadblocks—they’re stepping stones.

It’s infuriating to me how deeply shame is ingrained in these experiences. It’s not enough to go through something horrific—you’re then expected to carry the weight of society’s judgments on top of it. And while I wish I could wave a magic wand and erase that shame for every survivor out there, the truth is that the work of healing is messy and personal. It’s about learning, slowly and painfully, that the shame doesn’t belong to you. It never did.

So, yes, sometimes you’ll feel sorry for yourself. Sometimes you’ll cry for the person you used to be, the innocence you lost, the trust that was shattered. And that’s okay. That’s necessary. Because every tear you shed, every moment of self-pity you allow yourself, is a step toward reclaiming your narrative. It’s a way of saying, “This happened to me, but it doesn’t define me.”

Shame wants to silence you. It wants to make you believe that your pain is a burden and that your healing isn’t worth the time or effort. But feeling sorry for yourself? That’s defiance. That’s taking back your story, one small step at a time. And if anyone tries to tell you otherwise, remind them that healing is not a straight line—and neither is being human.

[rainyfestivalsweets]

3/29/25

I made it to JJ.

I hurt my back afterwards, putting on my shoes.

It fucking hurts.

I went to an Escape Room for a friend's birthday.

We went to dinner at Longhorn. I have a lovely luxury dinner. I tried not to overeat but I was full when I left even though I boxed half my steak.

I brought the water in from the car when I got home. Put biofreeze on my back.

Realized I was halfway to 10k steps.

Gave myself a mental pass due to the back injury. Until a friend called for a gab session and I thought.... walk n talk.

I hopped on the treadmill. Slow.

When the call was over, I played a little pokemon & checked on my eggs.

Grabbed my book and read on the treadmill.

Long story to say.... I made it. I had the mental fortitude to do the thing today. With as wonky as everything else can be sometimes, today I pushed thru some obstacles while giving myself compassion and grace.

Also.... recommend the book "How to keep house while drowning." Touched on many things I never would have considered for adhd, coping, depression, etc.

Proud of myself!

[dreamydespair]

Existential

I was kicked and I was pushed

Tasted the blood of my existence

For I was bullied and I was burned

Which led to my resistance

[adiyo]

Nurturing Yourself First: The True Power of Self-Care

Self-care isn't selfish; it's the most important commitment you make to yourself. Nurture your mind, body, and soul—because when you pour into yourself, you’re better equipped to pour into the world around you.

[kingofkingsschizo]

This is what I wanna say publicly, fuck everyone that thought I wasn’t doing enough to satisfy what they thought I should be doing in my life comparing there achievements over me. Fuck them I don’t work a “normal” 9 to 5. Fuck them I didn’t need ablest around me. Yeah I went to school and got a degree and couldn’t work due to my symptoms. Guess what though, you all underestimate me.

I’m Wally aka DEFIANT a schizophrenic artist and I created to some a whole life time of work in less then 2 year by creating over 500 songs and counting. I never gave up on my god and he never gave up on me. Don’t listen to the Stigma and others ignorance. You are capable of still achieving

wallyakadefiant.bandzoogle.com

This music is dedicated to some mutual I met here on tumblr.

[digitalgirlguide]

um… yea hi!!! 🙈💓 I just have to say that first things first I love ur blog!!! ☺️ it’s just so aesthetic and pretty!!! you tie everything together really well. so kudos!!! secondly, um… I was wondering if you could do a post on how to stop self-destructing? or if you could give any tips on that? it would be most appreciated!!! thank u!! 😇

hello my love!!

thank you so so much for your kind words and my apology in getting back to you.

and here are my top tips to stop self destructing (but i'll make a longer post soon!)

practicing compassion with myself - it's okay to make mistakes, it's okay to not feel like you have it together. but you have to soothe yourself first and tell yourself that YOU GOT THIS, and it will only get better from here

making healthy habits & modifying my routine - i know we all say your routine should be rigid but sometimes it feels like it overwhelms me! whenever im in a self destructive mood i start with easy tasks and slowly build up my energy to get towards my bigger tasks

emotional outlets - finding ways to channel my emotions and honour them. i used to ignore my emotions off anger,frustration etc., and kept it all bottled up but that led to self destruction. journaling, praying, going to the gym or playing cozy games helps me redirect that energy towards something until it passes. then i can regroup.

i hope this helped!!

[jacobnordby]

Does life seem impossible? That’s normal for most of us at times, and it can help to witness others who have overcome “impossible” challenges to inspire ourselves to stay the course and be creative.

** Not my original content — sharing with gratitude to the creators of this clip.

[zee-aka-pretty]

something something how role-playing is a good substitute for chatting with AI something

[fizermusic]

It's okay to reach out by,Autumn Hart,

[motivexesmotivational]

"Turn Challenges Into Stairways to Success"

"Challenges aren’t obstacles; they’re opportunities to rise higher. Each step you take brings you closer to your full potential. Learn how to embrace challenges with courage and turn them into pathways to success."