#being articulate is hard! its a skill! one you can practice and learn!

[master-gatherer]

"just because you can't articulate it doesn't mean you're wrong" true but also if you want to communicate you have to find some way to articulate it. Not just b/c other people need to understand your ideas, but so you can stress test your ideas to make sure you're not wrong

B/c you can still be wrong, you see. But you won't know where you went wrong unless you can articulate what you're thinking

[asha-mage]

WoT Meta: Prophecies, Fated Lovers, and Robert Jordan's knack for finding the nuance underneath the myth

One complaint I've never understood about the way Jordan writes romances is the persistent claim that he over uses the 'prophesied love' trope.

In part for me, I think it's a little bit folks not seeing the forest for the trees. WoT is fundamentally about the relationship between myth and reality: the place where the fallen angel meets the disgruntled academic, the bitter accountant, and the man who never got over being too short. It's a story where the messiah is real and dealing with chronic pain and PTSD from his stigmata. Where a legendary High Queen has to deal with both marching armies to the apocalypse, and the irritating banal realities of being pregnant at the same time. Of course Jordan digs into the idea of prophesied love- it's a huge theme in folklore and mythologies the world over. Jordan wants to dig into what it really means for there to be a person out there that you are destined to be with: that is a match for you, decreed so by the universe itself....and that you get absolutely no agency and choice in choosing. If anything Tumblr, which adores the 'red string of fate'/'soulmark'/'soulmates share pain'/'world is black until you look into your soulmates eyes' (to name a few of the more prevalent ones- some of which Tumblr practically invented), should be super on board for the parade of fated lovers to be found in WoT. It's nothing short of baffling to me that their not more fondly viewed.

And I think that is tied to the follow up complaint: the criticism that Jordan 'uses prophecy love as a replacement for a romance arc'. But that is something that is just. Patently untrue.

Cause the thing is that is how soulmates are often used...in the majority of soulmate au fanfics you find here and on AO3- an excuse to get the really hard part (two characters realizing they are right for each other and love each other, then having the communication skills to articulate that so they can start a relationship) out of the way, so the author can focus on the fluff or angst or other part they and the audience want to get to. And that's fine! But that's not at all what Jordan does. Just like he does with the Prophecies of the Dragon, or Elaida's fortellings, or even just most of Min's viewings- Jordan takes the idea of the prophecy soulmate, this person decreed by some higher power to be Perfect For You and being right about it, and digs deeper, shining it in different lights and attacking it from different angles. Jordan gives the concept of the soulmate teeth, explores the spines and the sharp points of it: is it real love if it's fated and not your choice? Can you trust your own feelings, or are they fate's design working against you as surely as Aphrodite worked against Helen or Eros against Apollo? What is it like, to see someone one day, and know, beyond a shadow of a doubt that you would love this stranger? This question mark? This wildcard?

Rand's relationships with Min and Aviendha, as well as Mat and Tuon's courtship are great examples of this conundrum. Min and Aviendha have completely opposite reactions to the same information that demonstrates their unique strengths and weaknesses as characters and people, while Tuon and Mat's courtship is all about two people who know they will marry trying to figure out what that means, without ever confronting the reality of those prophecies directly.

Min, as befits a Seer who has learned time and time again that her viewings can not be changed, has resigned herself in an almost fatalistic fashion to all of them, and to loving Rand no less. Min knows that she, and two others, will love him, and she accepts its inevitability the same way she accepts Colavere's death, or Logain's glory, or the shattering of the White Tower. What is, is, and there is no sense or point in struggling against it. What concerns her a great deal more is what she doesn't know- she doesn't know if Rand will love her in return, she doesn't know the identity of the other two women who will love him, and she doesn't know if he will fall in love with one or both of the others but not her. Add to that Min's own insecurities about how she stands out and doesn't fit what her society deems 'proper', between her crossdressing, and her offputting manners, and it makes perfect sense that she's worried about making Rand love her. She doesn't mind sharing him- she hates the idea of being in love with a man who doesn't love her in return, of being stuck like 'Elmindreda' of the stories, sighing and pining endlessly for a man instead of being able to act, to take control of her own fate. 

So she takes control: she learns to flirt from Leane, works hard at making herself desirable, and also indispensable: with her visions, her advice, even just her emotional support to Rand when he otherwise has no one else. The irony is that whenever Rand thinks of Min prior to her return to his side in LoC, it's about how much he liked her earthy honesty and lack of wiles: how she was earnest and made him feel at ease, and didn't 'spin his head like a top'- and that's still what he loves about her after they get together: the fact that she isn't fooled by his front, that she sees him clearly and refuses to be driven away the way so many others are so easily. The point is that Min never had to change, and in the ways that matter she didn't- she only thought she did because of her own fatalism.

Contrast that with Aviendha, who, after learning about being destined to fall in love with Rand, does everything in her power to prevent that outcome- because she is a warrior, a soldier, who has never yet met a problem that could not be killed, endured, or retreated from. Aviendha values nothing so much as her honor and her word- she has promised to keep Rand safe for Elayne and what greater act of dishonor could there be in that situation then not just failing in that promise, but despoiling (and she does view it that way) said man herself? So she is awful to him in the hopes of poisoning the well of affection or at least keeping him far enough away that she is never tempted. Aviendha hurls contempt and anger at him, berates him, does everything short of trying to stab him in an effort to make him hate her, and it doesn't work. Despite all her efforts to keep her thorny wall up, they are literally made for each other and can not help but be drawn together time and again. Despite all her efforts to insist, to him and herself, that she hates him, she can not hide entirely that the opposite is true: that she likes him, sees his strength and courage and resilience, and is a little in awe of his generous kindness. 

This is why she vacillates wildly between wanting desperately to get away from him in The Fires of Heaven, to not wanting to leave his side: they are two planets caught in each other's gravity, with about as much chance of escaping each other. When she resorts to the last recourse of a soldier- retreat- and runs headlong into a blizzard that would surely kill her, Rand follows to try and save her life and she can deny the truth that she loves him no longer, nor can she resist taking him, even knowing that to redress that balance, she will one day have to offer her life to Elayne (as she attempts to do in LoC)- though fate still has other plans in store.

But in many ways the apex of this, the relationship that really shows Jordan's deconstruction of this trope, is Mat and Tuon. Before they ever lay eyes on each other, each is given a prophecy that they will marry the other: not that they'll love each other, not that they will be able to trust each other, not even that that will like each other: just that they will marry. And their strange courtship is a result of this knowledge, as each attempts to suss out the other, to try and understand them without ever overplaying their own hand. Each believes that the moment they admit their prophecy they will destroy any chance of real connection or understanding.

To Tuon, if Mat learns he is destined to wed her he gains something she can not abide: power over her, leverage that could be used to subvert her own plans and visions- because nothing matters more to Tuon than control, especially over herself. So she keeps her 'fortune' secret and tries to figure out: What will it mean to be married to Mat? Will he be a pretty trophy? A liability? A threat to her Empire? Will she have to kill him once she gets her heirs?

To Mat, if Tuon learns of his prophecy, she gains the power to take away his freedom, to snare and collar him and bind him to her, because that's how Mat deep down views marriage: as a binding cord, a loss of freedom, and nothing matters to Mat more than freedom. So he keeps his *Finn gained knowledge secret and tries to figure out: What will it mean to be collared by Tuon? Will she she treat him as a pretty and plaything the way Tylin did? Will she try to use him against Rand and the Westlands? Will she make him a slave and sent him to be beaten anytime he disobeys her? Will he have no choice but to fight her one day, this woman he is going to swear to spend his life with? Will he have to kill her the way he did Melindhra, and carry that guilt of mariticide on top of all else?

So the two stay in their strange limbo, because as long as they don't admit it out loud to the other, they can pretend they are still two people forced together by happenstance, and (each thinks) they can continue to try and understand and figure out the other, to find out where this inevitability of their marriage will really leave them, and if there can be even the faintest possibility of love in such circumstances. And that limbo- that protracted refusal to act as if they are under fate's direction- is what allows them to build a genuine bond of trust and respect for each other, and to start seeing the other person with the clarity that love requires. All this, so that when Tuon finally does play her hand, and reveal the truth....it's obvious they've long since fallen in love with each other (even though Tuon won't admit that to herself), and come to trust each other (even though Mat won't admit that to himself).

And the thing is- all of Jordan’s prophecy romances are written like this: from Egwene seeing that loving Gawyn might be both their downfalls in LoC and seeking him out anyways, to Perrin misinterpreting the 'falcon and hawk' viewing and thinking Faile is a danger to him when she's the love of his life, to Galad and Berelain not even being AWARE they’re fated to fall in love and just....do, at wild first sight (Another classic folklore/mythology trope). They also never find out:  always remaining unaware that the Pattern had long since decreed that they would be together and being incredibly funny/annoying about it. The prophesied love is an example of classic Jordan: taking a common, maybe even ubiquitous premise, and asking those complicating questions that allow him to write it as something much more nuanced and interesting and fascinating. And he gets no credit for it, send tumble.

[grison-in-space]

"that ability to just modify your perspective and step into the context someone else is wrestling with and listen, that's such an upsettingly rare skill for knowledge workers and healthcare workers... if you ask people why they're struggling, you can fix it and build a better process!"

You might be interested to know that when I was in pharmacy school, those patient interviewing skills mentioned by you and clockworkcrow in that reblog chain about provider burnout were taught to us as a set of techniques known as "motivational interviewing." It's not really in the scope of the personal vs systemic interventions that that reblog chain is about, but one of the revelational takeaways that I got from learning them was the idea that the healthcare provider cannot assume that their goals for care line up with the patient's; sometimes, the patient really doesn't care about the treatment or its outcomes because they have different goals of care in mind, and eliciting those goals during interviewing (because a lot of the time people are not at all articulate about what they want out of life) is a kind of ongoing step one.

I'm also curious if you or the MDs in this discussion have ever encountered ambulatory care pharmacists practicing the approaches that clockworkcrow talks about? I ask because listening to patients, identifying patient-specific blocks to care, and addressing them was something we were taught to do in pharmacy school (because our program pushed us toward ambulatory care). But since I didn't go into ambcare after graduating, I'm unsure both how much of an impact it has/how widespread such practices actually are, and whether ambcare practitioners actually, on the whole, put their money where the educators' mouths are. Can ambcare clinics actually make a systemic difference?

Oh! I had no idea they taught y'all those skills, but then I don't actually think I've ever had a conversation with a pharmacist about meds beyond a perfunctory question about whether I know what side effects there are. In general I am not used to pharmacists, doctors, or other medical professionals like psychiatrists taking a lot of time to really listen to me. Some of that is probably that all my main health complaints are things that feel normal to me and some is probably that I am a chronic minimizer--like I said in that discussion, it's a coping method.

I have never heard the term "ambulatory care" -- oh, it's outpatient care. Yeah, okay, let's use a specific physical issue: I can't run for more than about two to three without finding myself unable to breathe. This has been a thing for essentially my entire life, and in middle school we did running with heart monitors, so even apart from the physical experience of not being able to breathe and having to stop and take great heaving breaths of air, I was aware that objectively my heart rate was going up very fast no matter how hard I tried.

(We are talking "run until you start getting black spots in your vision, then walk until you can just barely breathe again, and then run, rinse and repeat. Literally the only kid slower than me was excused entirely from running because one leg was an inch shorter than the other.) No one around me seemed to think there was anything unusual about this or that I was anything besides just physically lazy, so I kind of wrote it off until my mid twenties. I mean, I'd been visibly struggling with extended physical exercise my whole life, and no one had called it remarkable yet, but friends were telling me it wasn't normal to experience those kinds of breathing issues, so...

I presented myself with this complaint to a nurse practitioner who basically told me I was just fat and needed to exercise more. I pushed past this and was grudgingly scheduled for an ecg (normal) and a peak flow test (astoundingly poor). There was no explanation presented for the peak flow except that I was out of shape and needed (guess what?) more exercise. Tried a pulmonologist, who confirmed it was not exercise induced asthma (which I had been sort of hoping, because there are fixes for that) and told me I was basically fine.

I more or less gave up until a dentist idly mentioned that my airway was very, very small and told me that micrognathia was something I should look into: my airways might be occluded. So I went to an ENT, who also immediately tried to tell me I was basically fine but did grudgingly agree to scope my airways... and discovered major blockages from my tongue (insufficient room in my jaw, so it gets shoved backwards over the airway), my nasal turbinates (swollen almost completely shut), and I forget what else. It was incredibly exciting to have a reason.

Okay, I say, what do I do with this? Exercise more? But I want to do that, I just can't breathe. I was aware that there is a surgery to artificially extend the jaw; it involves breaking the jaw and encouraging it to heal while maintaining space between the halves. So I brought this up. He was very dubious about this. I asked for a referral anyway and was referred to a plastic surgeon. The surgeon was perplexed by what I wanted to talk about and had clearly expected me to have come in for a cosmetic procedure like a nose job. Eventually I got too exhausted to follow up further; I've been meaning to resume this thing for like six years now.

Generally, my experience of doctors is that they have been trained to be suspicious of patient accounts that don't fit a very specific narrative, and that they are impatient to get on to the next thing unless you are very proactive about your own care. If you don't have a condition in mind that you can point them at without making them decide you're med seeking, they are quick to tell you that you are just making things up in your head. There are a few exceptions but I cannot underscore enough how rare I have found them to be.

And they will all tell you to exercise and lose weight as a first line of response. Not that I'm bitter.

Now, actually working in healthcare, @scientia-rex or @clockworkcrow might have more relevant commentaries than I do. But my experience in this field has not been, to put it mildly, great. Let's not even talk about my history of psychiatric care.

[thandiwemasuku]

Reflect on how you have been a health advocate.

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the world of health advocacy, where every voice matters, and every action makes a difference! As a health advocate, I am not just a supporter of wellness but a catalyst for change, a champion for better health outcomes, and a beacon of empowerment for those navigating the complexities of healthcare. From promoting equitable access to healthcare to empowering individuals to take control of their health. But here comes the big question, have I been the best advocate for my clients and catalyst for change?? Now here is my reflection below..

To tell the truth, I had superficially understood the word "advocacy" to the facts that it is talking to nurses on behalf of the client, doing research on clients diagnosis and talking to the family. Today I came to an understanding that is is deeper than that. This blog will probably talk a lot about what I will do in future for advocating on behalf of my clients.

Out of all the 3 levels of advocacy in occupational therapy, I have used the daily practice level more than the others. I have used the client centered practice in all my interventions with client and explaining what occupational therapy is.

Healthcare advocacy involves representing and promoting the interests, rights, and well-being of patients, caregivers, and communities within the healthcare system. It encompasses a range of activities aimed at ensuring that individuals receive safe, high-quality, and equitable healthcare services. It can be influenced by the professional's characteristics and personality. Healthcare advocates work to empower patients to navigate the healthcare system effectively, make informed decisions about their care, and access the resources and support they need to achieve optimal health outcomes (Redman, 2007). I honestly believe I haven't been the best advocate for most of my clients because of my personality as it is one of the main factors that structure advocacy skills.

Empathy: My sense of empathy is not strong. Although I understand and connect with clients while recognizing their unique needs, challenges, and perspectives, I find it hard to advocate for them with compassion and understanding as well as ensuring that their voices are heard and their concerns are addressed. In my sessions with my dementia client, I could have advocated for dementia care, support groups and social engagement with others as she was lonely and always in the ward. Moreover, i could have advocated more family visits at the hospital to elevate her mood.

Communication Skills: I can say my lacking skills to communicate limit me to advocate for my clients. This includes talking to the MDT for goal setting and articulation of patients needs and preferences and also educating them about about their rights and options, empowering them to make informed decisions about their care. I was not actively involved in advocating.

Collaboration: I have been collaborating with different team members especially nurses, physiotherapy, doctors, supervisor and Chief OT in patient care. This was the chance I used the most in advocating for my spinal cord client who had complications like oedema, back pain and reduced muscle strength of the upper limbs. I worked closely with the nurse through verbal discussion about positioning the oedematous lower limb in elevation and ward exercise program to be carried out. Although collaboration has helped me, I feel like I could have done more in working more effectively with interdisciplinary teams to coordinate care, address barriers to treatment, and advocate for comprehensive, patient-centered approaches to healthcare delivery.

Problem-Solving Abilities: Sometimes I would tell myself that its the learning process, so I won't think of everything on the spot. But the fact is, it takes me time to problem solve and navigate complex healthcare systems, identifying barriers to care, and finding creative solutions to address patients' needs. My improvement in this area can guide me to advocate for innovative interventions, adaptive strategies, and community resources to support my clients in achieving their goals and improving their quality of life.

Ethical Integrity: My advocacy on my patients was ethical integrity and prioritized their rights, autonomy, and well-being, advocating for care that is grounded in evidence-based practice.

Above it all, I believe referrals and discharge plan are also advocacy strategies for clients. As I did not do any of that for all my clients which is unfair.

How my advocacy has shaped my professional growth

My advocacy limited me to grow as a professional as it was limited. But now I understand that good advocacy can foster leadership skills, enhance critical thinking abilities, and deepen engagement with my clients. As professionals advocate for causes they believe in, whether it's promoting patient rights, advocating for policy changes, or championing social justice initiatives, they develop a deeper understanding of the complexities and nuances within their profession (Butera, 2018). Advocacy requires professionals to stay informed about current issues, research findings, and best practices, leading to ongoing learning and professional development. Moreover, advocating for change often involves collaboration with colleagues, stakeholders, and community members, honing interpersonal skills and fostering teamwork.

What will I change in future in advocating for my clients?

I have realized that advocating for the client plays a huge role not only in intervention process, but in overall wellbeing of the client. In future , I will ensure I communicate for my client to get as much information and empower them to make informed decisions about their health by providing them with accurate information, resources, and support. Evidence based practice is very important in advocating for clients and I feel like if I improve on clinical information and theory while critically analyzing the clients preferences and values, my advocacy will be realistic and appropriate for my clients. I will make referrals for continued intervention on my patients and discharge plans. I will educate individuals and communities about health-related issues, preventive measures, and available healthcare services. I will improve my communication with the other team members to provide advocacy for the benefit of my clients. . Advocating to ensure equitable access to healthcare services and resources for all individuals, regardless of their socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, or other factors. They advocate for policies and programs that improve healthcare access and address barriers to care, such as lack of insurance, transportation, or language barriers. Most importantly, I will advocate engagement with communities to understand their unique needs, concerns, and priorities regarding health and healthcare.

CONCLUSION

Advocacy is a powerful force for positive change, driving transformation in individuals, communities, and society as a whole. By raising awareness, amplifying voices, and mobilizing action, advocacy empowers individuals to create impact, challenge injustice, and promote equality. Whether advocating for social causes, healthcare reform, environmental protection, or human rights, advocacy is rooted in the belief that every voice matters and every action counts.

References

American Medical Association. (2016). Health advocacy curriculum: The essential role of physicians. Retrieved from https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2019-04/ama-physician-health-advocacy-curriculum.pdf

Patient Advocate Foundation. (2020). About patient advocacy. Retrieved from https://www.patientadvocate.org/about-us/

Redman, B. K. (2007). Advocacy: The cornerstone of nursing. Nursing Management, 38(5), 18-20.

Butera, L., & Holtz, C. (2018). Health advocacy in the digital age: A case study of patient-driven online communities. Journal of Consumer Health on the Internet, 22(3), 259-276.

Shi, L., & Singh, D. A. (2019). Delivering health care in America: A systems approach (7th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

[shotosprincess]

♡ dating the bnha boys — hcs

｡･:*:･-: ✧ :,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ ｡･:*:･-: ✧ :,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

➪ shoto todoroki

pls you’ve prolly been terrified of him for a while prior bc of how ?? talented ?? the mf is ??

but mans prolly saved you at some point and there was this lingering stare you two shared before he left you at recovery girls’ office; were you reading too far into things ?

spoiler alert: you weren’t.

anYWAYS-

he’s the kind of boyfriend to tenderly brush your hair for you and attempt to learn how to tie and braid your hair up in cute ,, simple designs !!

he’d always be ready with little things you’re constantly forgetting; extra snacks,, water,, a fully charged portable charger ,, trust me when i say that man is pREPARED- after all ,, he needs to be ready with everything to take care of his little sweetheart ,, does he not ?

ONLY TWO POINTS IN AND IM ALREADY CRYING BC I LOVE HIM SM BYE BYE BYE

at some point he’d find you sitting on the roof by yourself late at night,, only to stay with you and let you fall asleep on his chest as he drapes a blanket over you and heats it up a lil with his quirk

OKAY YOU CANNOT TELL ME THAT THAT MAN WOULDNT HOLD THE DOOR OPEN FOR YOU AT ALL TIMES AND WOULD SOMETIMES EVEN GET LOWKEYHIGHKEY KINDA SAD WHEN YOU DONT LET HIM

prolly bc he just wants to prove to you that he can be useful

pls just let the man know he’s useful and important he never shows it directly but he needs the reassurance—

he’d give you a warm massage w his quirk whenever you’re in pain :”)

HIDES AND PROTECTS YOU FROM MINETA BC HE KNOWS DAMN WELL WHAT THAT LITTLE SHIT FANTASIZES ABOUT

loves heating//cooling things for you ,, like instant noodles or ice packs !!

surprises you w jewelry that have his initials on them !!

GIVES THE BEST CUDDLES I SWEAR

would hold an umbrella for u while you loop your arm into his as the two of you walk home through the light rain :”)

cries into your chest sometimes after youve fallen asleep bc it’s late nights like these when he reflects on just how lucky of a guy he is to have you— it’s hard for him to articulate it directly ,, but when he does fully open up to you ab it ,, you end up crying too .

WOULD 110% MAKE THE TWO OF YOU YOUR OWN PERSONAL LIL ICE RINK AND TEACH YOU HOW TO SKATE // DO FUN FIGURE SKATING DUOS WITH YOU

➪ katsuki bakugou

prolly got with you initially bc of a dare ( and he nEVER passes up a dare ) ,, but eventually those feelings started to become real and honestly ? it kinda scared the shit outta him . he didn’t know why ,, but for some reason he didnt actually want to leave .

OKAY LARA JEAN AND PETER MF KAVINSKY TYPE BEAT ( ˘ ³˘)♥︎ HIT US WITH THE FAKE RELATIONSHIP TO REAL RELATIONSHIP TROPE YESYESYES

teasingly-mean nicknames = his love language . enough said .

AGGRESSIVE !! KISSES !! ALL !! THE DAMN !! TIME !!

makes you wear his hoodie whenever you show even the sLIGHTEST hint at being cold

he just rly wants to see you in his clothes

he’s so clueless on how to do this whole boyfriend thing ,, but he’s definitely trying bc it’s for you :”)

watches and tries so desperately to copy all the cute couples in the movies you guys watch together

“ roses...do you want roses ? “ “ what ? “ “ the guy in the movie gave her roses...do you want roses too ? “

but at the end of the day you just appreciate him for who he is and that’s more than enough for you :”)

PLS DENKI AND KIRI ARE CONSTANTLY SHOCKED AT HOW MUCH HE’S TRYING FOR YOU

will take any and every opportunity to show off his strength and quirk to you <3

now we all know this man gets jealous hella easily ,, and its no different w relationships :”) he’d constantly make it a point to hold you extra close to him in public ,, show you off on social media and call you by a nickname//petname whenever possible just to reiterate to ppl the fact that you’re his and he’s yours

WOULD LET YOU SIT ON HIS LAP AND DO HIS EYELINER AT 2AM PURELY BC YOU GOT BORED

pls i could rly see myself doing that i wont lie

honestly sometimes he forgets himself and his temper gets a little out of hand ,, but the second he sees his feral reflection in your fearful eyes,, he pulls you to his chest and apologizes profusely :”))

➪ denki kaminari

MF PROLLY GOT WITH YOU BC OF A RIGGED GAME OF SPIN THE BOTTLE AT MINA’S PLACE I CANNOT SEE ANYTH HAPPENING OTHERWISE

one tiny kiss turned into two ,, which turned into three ,, and before you knew it ,, the both of you were spilling out the pent up feelings you had for one another all this time—

mina never shuts up ab it ,, she’s so proud of her matchmaking skills

when the power goes out during a storm ,, he holds onto you tight and plays w your hair as he uses his quirk to turn things back on ,,, “ shhh it’s ok,, i’m here “

will do anything and everything to make you smile <3

he has a lil album in his camera roll with all his favourite pictures of you ,, which is practically just all of them tbh ♡´･ᴗ･`♡

HE LOVES SHOWING YOU OFF IN THE MOST WHOLESOME WAY POSSIBLE !!

super energetic n bubbly but at the end of your dates he passes out right away in your arms

you make sure to wrap him up in blankets and give him an overload of kisses after he’s rly asleep though

will work embarrassingly hard to win you stuffed animals at the fair !! it doesn’t always work ,, but it’s cute nontheless <3

some of the staff and children at the fairs get pissed off but oh well ,,, what you do for love

pls he prolly makes you lil bento boxes for lunch every now and then ( ESPECIALLY DURING EXAM WEEK ) w tiny notes and designs taped on them

constantly calls you “ shawty “ lowkey un ironically and dice rolls in ur direction whenever he sees you ,,, you just end up laughing and playfully punching him

I JUST KNOW HE DOES THE F BOY LIP BITE FACE CONSTANTLY

ITS AN ADDICTION FOR HIM I SWEAR

SUPER CLINGY BUT IN THE CUTEST WAY AAAA

LIL STICKY NOTE LOVE LETTERS FROM HIM IN YOUR LOCKER EVERY !! MF !! DAY !!!

you both agreed that at home cozy netflix dates w microwave popcorn and fuzzy blankets >>> movie theatre dates

110% made a playlist for you at some point when he crushed on you from afar and shared it w you after you started dating

he made a collaborative playlist for yall AND multiple playlists of songs that remind him of you afterwards

pls i just kNOW this man’s love language is making playlists

theyre prolly all categorized by mood or smth too w the cutest covers ever pls

➪ ejirou kirishima

you initially met him bc he was hella upset and alone this one time and you were the only one to notice and be there for him bc he ran away from everyone else to hide the “ uNmanLy “ tears :”))

takes you w him on his lil gym visits ,, hypes you up with every little thing u accomplish !!

constantly teasing bakugou with how he’s able to pull you and how lucky he is to have you

bakugou gets hella annoyed most of the time and just blasts him away-

idk bro i just feel like kiri prolly calls you “ adorable “ alot i wont lie-

LOVES HAND HOLDING,, takes any opportunity to hold ur hand and trace lil casual patterns across your knuckles w his thumb

sometimes he’ll even draw lil hearts on your hand

play fighting but sometimes the two of you get too carried away and he actually loses half of the time-

LATE NIGHT GAME NIGHTS WITH HIM AND THE BAKUSQUAD,, he loves being on the team against you so he can get all competitive

OK HEAR ME OUT;;;; DANCE BATTLES W HIM AS YOUR PARTNER AGAINST RANDOM PPL AT PARTIES

mans gets hella insecure ab himself sometimes ,, so he loves doing lil things for you !! opening a can ,, pulling the blanket over you ,, zipping up your jacket <33

STOP WAIT THATS SO CUTE BYE I WANT THAT

lets you dye his hair—THATS HOW MUCH HE TRUSTS YOU BYE

pls yall prolly aggressively play wii sports and just dance against one another on a regular basis;; it’s literally your thing and you cannot tell me otherwise ahjdjfj

pls i just KNOW this man’s an overly passionate wii player

will wrap his arms around your waist and hug u from behind as you make breakfast

WOULD WEAR MATCHING EARRINGS W YOU IF ITS FOR YOU

slow dances in the living room at midnight w you !!

eventually as you spent more time together ,,, you were able to change his idea of “ manliness “ ,, and he was able to realize that manliness is not equivalent to stoicism and that expressing ur feelings is still totally manly and totally valid !! <33

[kiefbowl]

Different anon than the original head anon but like...what the fuck am I supposed to ask for or even say??? Like I have no idea how to talk about any of this because it feels like I have no terminology or like starting point, obviously you don't have to answer this if it's too personal or graphic but like I genuinely do not have the sex education or exposure to know what to even get my partner to try out. Again, totally fine to toss this one if it's too graphic or weird but like growing up in a place where most people literally say it's disgusting and a sin according to the Bible to eat pussy even if its a hetero relationship has fucked me up

So I have a couple of pieces of advice for this:

1. The energy coming from this ask is anxious. You gotta chill! Anxiety does not help sex. Be excited to explore and try new things and to talk with your partner about it. Talking about sex with your partner does not have to be difficult, it should be fun! Even when you feel like you don’t know anything, let the excitement come from finally learning!

2. Sex is natural and you do have an innate sense of it. We are bombarded with weird messaging that sex is a skill, that you are either “good” or “bad” at sex. It’s not entirely untrue…but it’s coming from a place of consumable, pornified sex and that’s very untrue. The more you get out of your head and into the moment, take your body’s signals as direction, the more you’ll figure it out. 3. Getting “good” at sex takes having sex with someone a bunch. You don’t really get good at sex in general, you get good at sex with one person. The older you get and the more experiences you have, sure the first time you have sex with someone is going to be generally a lot better then sex you had the first time with anyone ever. However, the more times you have sex with someone, the better you get at sex with that person. The sex you have with someone is going to be unique and different than with other partners. You are supposed to learn them with them. And the best sex really is with a loving and trusting partner you’ve had sex a bunch with. The idea that the same partner gets boring comes from movies and tv written mostly by men, and a lot of those men are probably no good at pleasing their wives and have a much more masturbatory outlook on sex. Sex with the same person can become routine, but sometimes that’s good or if it’s getting boring it just takes some discussion and creativity, it’s literally not the end of the world if you truly love someone and want to pleasure them.

4. You don’t need to ask for specifics. You can, if you know what you want. But it’s also not really fun (imo) to just give orders and have them done. Plus in the moment, it’s sometimes hard to articulate what you want in great detail because you are having too much fun ;) but what you ask for can really be almost anything. Explore all the senses. If you’ve never had you pussy eaten, well then of course you can describe step by step details of how you want it eaten. But you can ask for the room to be less cold, you can ask to feel like a princes, you can your partner to go slow. You can asked to be fucked or you can ask to make love. You can ask to do it somewhere new like the couch or shower, ask to do it standing, ask to do it blindfold, ask to do it quietly, ask to stop. Just ask for what feels right in the moment! Follow your pleasure. And in that regard, if your partner is going down or you (or doing anything) and it’s not causing you pleasure, you just have to say “I’m not enjoying this, let’s try something else.” Practice saying that, and you will practice the long game of asking for what you want, believe me. The “something else” doesn’t have to be something other than oral, it could be another way to eat you out. Maybe your partner has some ideas even if you don’t ;)

5. Here are some things to ask for that in general are pretty pleasurable to lots of women:

-focus on the clit

-but don’t ignore the rest of the vulva

-work up to it, focus on the upper body first and then when you’re really turned on, go for the it

-ask to have your nipples and breasts touch at the same time

-ask to be fingered at the same time (the pleasure spots are usually the opening of the vagina and top of the vagina, no need to go too deep, it’s about stimulating the inside of your vagina and NOT about stuff just being aggressively penetrated in you. your vagina is not a pleasure vacuum, it’s a body part).

-the labia is very soft and responds to very very very gentle touch and breath

-the clit will engorge the more turned on you are (just like a penis! the mysteries are less mysterious the more scientific research you do lol), so if it feels only okay maybe you need to come back to it. ask your partner to use their damn eyes and pay attention to how it feels on their tongue.

-a small pinky on your butthole might be something you enjoy. Maybe not. If you ask for it, have them go very slow and gentle, and don’t have them enter your butthole without explicit permission. and if you don’t want to try it at all, nbd :)

-change positions, you can have your pussy ate and then say “turn me over and keep going” or “kneel over there and keep going” or “I’m going to stand and I want you to keep going” or “lay down I’m going to sit on your face”

6. here are some things you can do (sex is not a passive act!)

-masturbate (that’s a great way to learn what you like!!!!!!)

-ask to use your vibrators durning sex

-when your partner is going down on you, use your fingers to spread open your labia. very sexy, and convenient for them. -touch yourself all over, touch yourself instinctively

-touch your partner. their hair, their jaw, or if you can reach in your position, a more erogenous zone like their nipples (your probably not going to be able to reach their genitalia unless you’re 69ing, and tbh I don’t like to 69 it’s not as fun as it’s made out to be)

-suggest 69ing! just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean you won’t

-don’t watch porn. Ask your partner not to watch porn. get in the habit of following your instincts. -talk about sex with your friends! Obvs there is a time and place, and these should be close friends, and you should only talk about what you’re comfortable with, but make it less of a mystery by treating it like less of a mystery. ask your best friend what she likes and what you like :)

-above all HAVE FUN! Sex is stupid and silly, take the pressure off. it’s really pleasurable but you say and do some wild stupid things during it lol. just be your little animal self it’s fine no shame :)

[oldtowrs]

˗ˏˋ DROWNING IN YOU - obi-wan kenobi/jedi!reader

SUMMARY - after order-66 has been issued, obi-wan and the reader, a jedi and his companion, exile themselves on tatooine. the reader finds obi-wan practicing with his lightsaber, and they get into a small argument, which ends in fluff.

WORD COUNT - ~2.1k

A/N - i have a soft spot for obi-wan. however, this is my first obi-wan fic so i’m sorry if i’ve missed aspects of his character. it will come eventually though. i promise. anyway, gif belongs to @coredrive. please send me requests if you have any!

WARNINGS - none

   the familiar hum of his weapon seemed to electrify the dry air around obi-wan as he ignited it, the blue light of his kyber crystal illuminating his strong features and the sandy terrain around him. memories from as early as his padawan years raced through his mind. he smiled at the realization that many included you and the many battles you had fought by his side. it was a familiar glow and welcomed buzz, but obi-wan couldn’t help but remember all that he had failed to protect with the sophisticated saber he held in his hands. 

   his heart ached as images of anakin’s golden eyes glaring at him over their crossed, blue lightsabers haunted his memories. the heat of the lava surrounding them almost was unbearable as they dueled, yet his failures burned a whole in his heart greater than the lava ever could.

   but that’s why he had dug his lightsaber out of the trunk he had frantically shoved his few belongings into before you and him had made a frantic escape from coruscant to live out your days on tatooine, hovering just close enough to protect anakin’s son: luke skywalker. he dug it out in hopes that his skills hadn’t faltered in the few months he had been cowering in the little sandy cave that he now shared with you and which he called home. he couldn’t let them falter. he had to protect luke. he had to protect you. he was a jedi guardian, after all. he fought to protect all that was good in the world the brilliant blue of his force signature marching the glow of his saber. he couldn’t let himself fail luke. he couldn’t let himself fail you. he wouldn’t let that failure take hold of him again, not while the images of anakin burnt to a crisp and padme lying, her dark hair carefully decorated with delicate, white flowers, on her deathbed were still fresh in his mind; and he anticipated they would be for quite some time. 

   he readied his lightsaber in one of the traditional fighting stances of form iv. qui-gon’s face seemed to swim in his memories as he began the training sequence obi-wan’s old master had taught him, closing his eyes and taking a steadying breath. another face which only existed in his memories now. another failure. 

   with each heavy swing of his lightsaber, the dry air seemed to crackle and buzz about him, his anger at his failures burning up with it as he forced them from his being and into his each swing and spin. anger was not the way of the jedi-although he supposed that didn’t matter now. if he stayed true to the order, to the code, he was a marked traitor and enemy of the galactic republic. the order which he had dedicated so much of his life to could now get him killed. 

   the order. the council. another failure. another swing of his saber. another hum that broke the silence of the quiet desert and the evening which descended upon it as tatooine’s twin suns sunk into the sand. 

   he felt a presence through the force occupy his already tortured mental state, but he elected to ignore it-cut it down with another swing of the lightsaber.

   ‘obi-wan!’ a voice called, its normal tone and sweetness turned bitter with concern. it was your voice. 

   he looked up to see you running towards him from the entrance to your cave home, the linens of your dress-which you had traded your usual heavy, woolen jedi robes for, snapping in the slight breeze behind you. ‘what’re you doing?! are you asking to get caught?’

    somewhere in his confusion, he managed to sheath his lightsaber, the blade of pure light and plasma retracting with a whomsh as he clipped it to his belt-an old force of habit.

    ‘my love, somebody could see you!’ you exclaimed softly, as you stopped before him, arms entangling themselves with his own. ‘or did you forget that the whole galaxy is on the lookout for jedi to report to the republic?’ 

    guilt ravaged his features and an unfamiliar wave of shame washed over his heart. should someone see him wielding a lightsaber whose color was indicative of his rank, of his affiliation with the order, he would be reported to the republic, hunted down, locked in a cell and put on a waitlist for execution as punishment for treason.

    the concern on your face made his heart ache, how your delicate eyebrows furrowed in worry, the way your e/c eyes no longer sparkled with joy-but were haunted by fear instead. he noticed new worry lines had formed around your eyes, and dark circles had begun to collect beneath them. age had seeped into your face and he realized that the past few months had not been kind to you, hitting you just as hard as they did him. you had been one of padme’s closest confidants after all, always waiting by her side during meetings which matters of the senate and council and the galaxy at large were always discussed in dramatic fashion. you had been almost as dark of a shadow as anakin had been, always following her around, protecting her from a galaxy which wished to harm her. his failures had been yours too. 

    yet despite those lines of worry and of age, you were still as beautiful as you had been as a padawan, running around coruscant jedi training grounds and rooms of the high jedi council with obi-wan’s strong, calloused fingers interwoven with your soft ones. 

    your heart ached for the jedi you had formed a forbidden attachment to, to whom you had fallen in love with, as you watched the shining, steely blue of his irises drop to his boots. 

   ‘i’m sorry, darling,’ he said, his precise articulations and elegant accent soft and plagued with the guilt that he seemed to drown in. the sensation of your delicate fingers taking hold of his face, their tips burying themselves in the bushiness of his reddish-brown beard, was enough to pull him to the surface-to ground him in the present. he looked up through the golden spun curtain of his eyelashes, just in time to see your features soften.

   kriff- the way you looked at him made his heart melt.and the way the setting suns caught in your h/c hair made it gleam as though it was spun of the finest metals. you had braided it into a simple tatooine style and the only thought he found rushing through his mind was how beautiful you were-and how guilty he felt. 

   ‘i suppose you are right,’ he said. ‘it is reckless.’

   ‘obi-wan, what’s wrong?” you said, your fingers angling his gaze directly into yours. the concern he saw there made him want to cry, tears welling up in his eyes and inhibiting his ability to speak. 

   ‘i failed,’ he choked out. ‘i fails qui-him. i failed anakin. i failed padme. i failed the order, the council-everything.’ 

   he watched as your face fell and pain seeped into your lovely irises, illuminated by the dying light of tatooine’s suns. but he continued on. he was drowning, and your presence had been his gasp of fresh air. now the seawater couldn’t help but pour out of him, and his thoughts with it. 

   his voice became deadly quiet. ‘how am i supposed to protect luke if i can’t even protect them. how can i protect you for that matter? i thought that, perhaps, if i train, then… i’ll be good enough to at least give you some sense of security, and, when the time comes, train luke to bring peace to the galaxy that i’ve helped destroy.’

   ‘oh, obi-wan,’ you sigh, pain evident in your voice. ‘you have not failed the galaxy, and you certainly have not contributed to the destruction which palpatine helped to foster-both in the galaxy and in anakin. their downfall is not on your hands, my love. do not manipulate it to be so.’ 

   ‘you have protected this galaxy, and put your life on the line so that trillions may live in peace without ever having to experience the horrors of war.’ 

   ‘and as for me, my love,’ you chuckled, smiling up at him and pressing a kiss softer than the petals of the alderaanian flame-rose to his jawline, ‘do you forget that i am a jedi too? i may not be a guardian and a general like you, but that doesn’t mean i’m any less trained in the ways of the force than you, my sweet jedi. we protect each other now, remember?’ 

   maker-when had you learned to be so convincing? it only amplified the love that burned in his heart, melting him from the inside out. a small smile settled itself onto his lips, peeking through the beauty that was his beard. 

   ‘yes, i remember, sweetling,’ he hummed, the endearment sounding like honey on his articulate tongue. it warmed your heart, as you saw some of the light you so dearly cherished found its way back into his kind eyes. he was so lovely, in all that he was. 

   obi-wan let his hand graze the soft skin of your jaw, gently tilting your face as he pressed a loving kiss to your forehead. he wished he could see the blush that he knew was blooming along your cheekbones as he did so. 

    i love you obi wan, your force signature echoed softly. a warmth seemed to cloud his heart, and he knew it was you reaching out to him through the force, transferring as much love as you possibly could through to him. it was something you had been doing ever since you had mastered projections as padawans. 

   i love you too, darling. he felt the familiar entanglement of his force signature with yours, warm and comforting. he had always used his for strength, but you used yours for more emotional circumstances. he found that he couldn’t leave your presence without a piece of your signature lingering with him, a reminder that you were with him always. 

   his calloused fingers found their way to the back of your head, tangling gently in your h/c tresses, as his other arms snaked around your waist, lovingly playing with the softness he found about your hips as he pulled you into his shoulder for a hug. he noticed there was a little more softness there than usual, and he felt his heart swell lovingly at the discovery. he adored you, but the extra softness gave him more of you to love and cherish. exile treated you well, and obi-wan couldn’t help but adore its effects. 

   what would i do without you? the projection was filled with a softness that obi-wan could only ever find in you, his one attachment, his love. 

   you’d be fine. you’re stronger than any one i know, love. a soft squeeze of his bicep accompanied your words and obi-wan knew that while yes, he was strong and resilient, he was only so because of his devotion to you and you to him. 

   perhaps, but i would be terribly miserable without you, my little dove. he felt a surge of warmth radiating off you through the force, and he smiled at the knowledge that he warmed your heart just as you did his. he pulled you ever closer, giving you a gentle squeeze, enveloping himself in all that was you. he couldn’t pull himself from your orbit, even if he wanted to try.  

   ‘perhaps, we can find a way to train without drawing attention to ourselves,’ you pondered, with a kiss to his neck, his jaw, his lips, as you pulled away from his shoulder far enough to admire the way his eyes lit up at what you were suggesting. 

   ‘besides,’ you said, a teasing tone creeping into your usually soft words, ‘i have to train if i am to protect both of us!’ 

   ‘i think you forget, i was the one who fought as general in the clone wars, dearest!’ he chuckled, admiring the way the mirth of your banter swam in the e/c pools of your irises as they glowed in the last of the days golden sunlight.

   ‘oh please, i designed your battle plans,’ you said, gently tapping his chest with one pointed finger in protest. ‘as much as the council loved to boast about their intelligence, you know i was the one behind it all.’

   the velvety tenor of obi-wan’s laugh filled the dry tatooine air with joy, radiating through the force. and soon it was joined by the sweet tones of your own happiness as obi-wan peppered your neck and face with endless kisses, holding you lovingly against the strong, muscular build of his chest. the galaxy may have been drowning in the chaotic wake of the fall of the jedi order, but obi-wan found himself drowning in the deep, warm waters of your being and the comfort of your love. it was an endeavor he would gladly embark upon, for he knew that at the end of it all we would drown with a smile on his lips and your love filling his heart.

— fin

[mas-o-kissed]

In the Magic

(Short hypnosis fantasy story)

Cinna had been experimenting with trance magic for only a few weeks, but already he was hooked.

Good for reaching a state where one could get brief glimpses of future possibilities, for remote viewing, and even, for those inclined toward necromancy, channeling the dead, trance magic was a relatively common practice among wizards. It was a useful vehicle for the mind to contact what would normally be out of reach. He’d read books on the subject, and in private he’d begun the practice of self-hypnosis.

What he hadn’t accounted for was how much he’d enjoyed it. Certainly, he had heard of those who found euphoria in entering trance, who loved the feeling of floating there on the precipice between waking and sleeping. A waking dream, some had called it, or focused dissociation for the more technical.

Cinna thought of it as being in the magic. Not simply using magic as he had for simple spells before, but being enveloped and encompassed by it, being held in the magic’s powerful hands and obeying as it guided him toward the intention he’d put into the spell. It was thrilling.

It was also a terrible inconvenience. Certainly, he could enjoy it as he liked while he practiced alone. But he needed this magic for a reason: to help guide him and his team when they were hired to go on quests.

Ianisse, a lively elf who was surprisingly skilled with an axe had already, more than once when the topic of Cinna’s training came up, patted him on the back and asked, “So, when are we going to get to see you do it?” To which Cinna had only looked down and laughed a little nervously. The thought of being seen in that state by his comrades made his stomach churn and his face flush. It wasn’t just the vulnerability he felt in trance, it was the fear that they would know how much he enjoyed it, and that they might have a low opinion of one with his proclivities.

He would concern himself with such matters later. At this moment, he was sitting on a bed in an inn, a room that he and Ianisse shared while in the village. Ianisse would be gone for another hour at least, and his other allies were sharing a room across the hall. He finally had a moment to practice. That was what he was doing, after all; just practicing, as any good wizard ought when learning a new skill.

He removed his new pendulum from its satchel, watching how the golden chain shined in the candlelight, the beautiful, iridescent gem dangling from its end with its multitude of colors seeming to twist and glow from within. “A dragon’s teardrop,” the shopkeeper had told him when he’d first laid eyes on it. “This is an advanced tool, for wizards who are highly skilled in staying focused through trance... are you sure? It can have a mind of its own.” The warning had concerned him, but... something in the back of his mind told him he needed to have it.

According to his books, it wasn’t a literal tear of a dragon, but the jewel’s name was an apt description. As he held it up, the colors swirled like flames, first a deep blue, then fading into a rich purple tone, dancing again into crimson. The longer he watched the gem, the more colors he found within, pulling his focus into the heart of it, drawing him deeper and deeper and...

He shook his head, looking away. He’d not even chosen which spell to try. Foolish, he thought, but he could see why jewels of this type were so prized among users of trance magic. They were conduits for the magic, easily able to draw the caster in with no effort, but they were hard to control. The realization that he’d been drawn in so easily made his heart beat faster, color coming to his cheeks. Even as the pendulum was covered by his hand, he felt the magic drawing him toward it.

Perhaps he didn’t need to focus on a particular spell, to try to do anything at all. He could simply let the magic carry him, bring him where it wanted him to go, even if that place was no where in particular. Even if that state was one of empty, mindless bliss.

No, he reminded himself, the key to trance magic was staying focused on one’s intention throughout the entire process.

But... would allowing himself to drift aimlessly really be so bad?

As he thought this over, he realized the pendulum was already dangling from his fingertips, already casting its multitude of colors across his eyes. But how will I know when to come up? He thought, What if Ianisse comes back?

But soon he found that it didn’t matter. As the lights danced in front of him, green then teal then blue, then a spritely pink, they drew his gaze deeper and deeper into the jewel. It was only a few moments before he fell deep into the trance.

That was how Ianisse found him, arm suspended in air as the pendulum hung loosely from his hand. Cinna was helplessly caught. “Cinna?” Ianisse called, but only a tiny part of Cinna was aware of his friend’s presence. In the candlelight Ianisse could see the pink blush on his cheeks, fluttering eyelids, his mouth hanging loosely open. A vulnerable state, indeed.

Ianisse passed a hand in front of Cinna’s eyes and Cinna blinked, his concentration slightly broken. “I... I.... Ian...” he said weakly, not taking his eyes off the pendulum.

Ianisse brought his face level with Cinna’s then clasped his hand over the jewel, finally blocking it from Cinna’s view. Cinna let go of the pendulum, and Ianisse tucked it into his pocket. Ianisse smiled as Cinna began to come back to awareness, moving his gaze from where the jewel had hung to Ianisse’s eyes. “Ianisse...” he said, voice still weak and slurred, “Sorry. I’m... I’m...” he trailed off, noticing the colors in Ianisse’s eyes, the orange flames of the candles dancing across his golden irises.

“Yes? What are you, Cinna?” Though a little concerned, he couldn’t hide the amusement in his voice as he watched his normally articulate, collected friend struggle to form sentences.

“I’m... awake.” Cinna’s eyes struggled to stay open.

“Are you sure?”

Cinna shook his head, trying to will himself out of the trance. A part of him was aware of what was happening, was very embarrassed that his friend had found him in such a state. But that part of him was locked away deep inside of him at the moment. The rest of him wanted to keep sinking.

Ianisse climbed onto the bed with him, pulling him into his arms. “My dear friend, what have you gotten yourself into?” He stroked Cinna’s hair, and Cinna closed his eyes as he felt warmth flowing into him. “And you’re always telling me I’m biting off more than I can chew...” he chuckled, his arms feeling their way down Cinna’s body. He pulled him into a laying position, still holding him gently but firmly. When his fingers found their way down to Cinna’s warm sex, Cinna let out a tired moan.

“Oh, sweet boy,” whispered Ianisse as he squeezed Cinna tighter, “sleep now.”

And he did, falling instantly into a deep and dreamless sleep as if on command.

Cinna awoke the next morning, his mind clear and rested. He turned in the bed to find Ianisse awake next to him, inspecting the dragon’s tear. The events of the night before came back to Cinna in a rush. Unsure of what to say or do, the words crashed out of him, “Oh, Ianisse! I didn’t mean for you to find me like that. I’m so very sorry. It won’t happen again. I... I...” he stopped when he realized Ianisse was smiling at him. He almost seemed to be holding back a laugh.

Ianisse said, “Well, that’s a shame. I’d like it if it happened again. I’d like it very much.” He lifted the pendulum so the jewel fell between his fingers, dangling from the golden chain. Cinna watched it, transfixed for a moment, before Ianisse put it back into his pocket.

“Oh...” said Cinna, understanding. Ianisse smiled, kissing his forehead.

In the kiss, he felt the magic.

[bookcoversalt]

A+ youtube video! I feel like this is a dumb question, but what other sources, exercises, etc would you suggest for a writer wanting to get better at, like, everything you do in that video? I feel like I'm just not intelligent when it comes to writing and reading. I slap down whatever seems fun and I'm sure it makes for a bland story full of stupid plot holes and everything you talked about, so how does one get better at dissecting this stuff and...writing/reading intelligently?

Thank you so much!! There’s a tendency to consider analytical people just “smart”, as if the observations they make come naturally to them. But that super isn’t true: being thoughtful and critical about media, like drawing or writing or playing a sport or learning an instrument, is a skill that you pick up by absorbing reference, learning the language of the art form, and then practicing replicating it through your own perspective.

ABSORBING REFERENCE

My two biggest critical inspirations are Lindsay Ellis, a video essayist who covers film and culture, and Film Crit Hulk, a screenwriter and movie critic, and I’ve been consuming their work since I was 15. (I’m 25 now! that’s a wholeass decade.) I've picked up many, may other sources along the way: other video essayists, pop culture commentators, TV critics, spirited roasts of 50 shades of gray, actual “writing craft” books and blog articles, long goodreads reviews of books I thought I had a pretty good grasp of the flaws on, funny booktube reviews, even “anti” posts. I read “how the last season of game of thrones went the fuck off the rails” articles til my eyes bled, not because I cared about game of thrones, but because there was so much good, insightful reporting being done on How And Why A Story Fell Apart.

LEARNING THE LANGUAGE

Not all of this is good or useful. There’s a lot of bad faith or shallow criticism out there. The cinemasins clickbaity style of nitpicking “plot holes” or penalizing a work for the mere presence of tropes without regard for broader artistic intent and cultural context is particularly insidious and should die. The people who think twilight is stupid because it has sparkly vampires are missing the point. A LOT of people critique YA in particular from a place of bitterness or bias or misplaced expectations (and so did I, to some degree, for a long time. I’ve worked really hard to grow out of that, I hope). But the point is to seek out content in this vein-- not what I consumed necessarily (I would not wish that many GOT thinkpieces on anyone), but stuff that interests you. The more of this you mindfully consume and the more perspectives you collect and compare, the more context you’ll have for what’s being discussed and the more you'll naturally start to form your own opinions on it. You will learn, slowly, by osmosis, to pull what strikes a chord with you from the noise.

REPLICATING IT THROUGH YOUR OWN PERSPECTIVE

The cool and fun part is that to some extent, your brain will start doing this on its own. You’ll read a book and you'll just notice more. You’ll call plot twists faster, or be more cognizant of the pacing, or connect dots you might not have otherwise connected. You’ll see the logistic scaffolding in your own work more clearly and you’ll be more aware of choices you’re making subconsciously. You’ll recognize thematic hypocrisy or worldbuilding inconsistencies and have the language to name them.

And you’ll also have the tools to explore your less clear-cut, more emotional reactions to art. And this is the most important but “hardest” part of this: sitting with vague feelings and unformed thoughts trying to suss out what’s at the heart of them and why, using your hard-won critical “training” and your contextual knowledge.

I like to frame them as questions:

Why did the end of [book] feel disjointed? Why didn’t I connect with the main character in [book]? What really resonated with me about the plot of [book]? Why does [character] appeal to me more than [other character]? Why does [book]’s use of [theme] make me uncomfortable?

Sometimes it comes down to just preference or subjective taste, and that’s fine and good to know. But more often than not, you’re reacting to something concrete that can be identified: 

The ending of HOUSE OF SALT AND SORROWS feels disjointed because it comes out of nowhere and has nothing to do with our heroine’s efforts in the larger story. I didn’t connect with the main character in HEARTLESS because within the context of the worldbuilding, her choices didn’t make sense. What really resonated with me about the plot of UPROOTED is its thematic coherency. The Darkling appeals to me more than Mal because the villain romance power fantasy aspect of the series is better fleshed out and ultimately more rewarding to read than the love story of two flawed teenagers. ACOWAR’s use of trauma and recovery makes me uncomfortable because it ceases to be a sincere element of anyone’s arc or characterization and becomes yet another tool to make Rhys look like the best and coolest and wokest fae boyfriend.

Pulled from an old Captain Awkward article, this is something I have in a sticky note on my desktop as sort of a criticism guide: 

One of the things we try to do is to push past “I liked it”/”I didn’t like it” as reactions to work. What is it? What is it trying to be? Is it good at being that thing? Was that a good thing to try to be in the first place? Did the artist have a specific agenda? How did it play with audiences at the time? Does it play the same way now? What stereotypes does it reinforce/undermine?

Even if it’s only for your own personal growth rather than intended for an audience, I recommend putting burgeoning critical thoughts or questions you’re trying to “work through” down in writing somewhere: goodreads reviews! tweets! blog posts! spamming your group chat! Even just a private word document. The synthesis of thoughts into written content forces you to identify and choose a specific articulation of your idea(s). If it’s in a pubic or semipublic forum, you’ll also be able to see which of your ideas resonate with other people, and that can (isn’t always, but CAN) be useful information as far as having an external barometer for when you’re onto something.

And then..... you do that a bunch of times in different ways for many years, with a lot of different books and movies and games and whatever else. Like any other skill, you will get better the more you do it. (Again: I have been doing this for ten years now, and it still took me three months to write that video script. Forming nuanced, informed opinions and then articulating them coherently is hard.)

As kind of a footnote tip, seek out peers who have the same goals and feelings, and try to connect with them! Lots of my current internet friends found me back when I was posting on my personal blog about problems i had with THE SELECTION or RED QUEEN and we bonded over having similar opinions and being in similar places in our writing/ reading/ careers. These people now beta read my scripts and posts and help me brainstorm or refine ideas. I strongly believe that creatives (and critics) do their best work and grow the most within a network of support and feedback.

But also, in regards to creative writing in particular, i want to be clear that having fun is the most important thing. I absolutely think creators need analytical skills to improve their craft, but without the enjoyment of doing the thing at the core of it, there is no craft at all. If you have to choose between the "smart” thing and the fun thing, choose the fun thing. Tbh, if you’re worried your work is bland, analysis probably isn’t the solution--  figuring out how to have more fun is the solution. And letting yourself lean into the stuff that’s wild and awesome and so incredibly you that it sets you on fire to write is a skill of its own :)

[melan-cauli]

Questions

1. What was the name of the first person you ever had a crush on? Why did you like them?

I was in kindergarten and his name was Eddy. I liked him because our cubbies were next to each other. haha.

2. What is one thing you regret having done or not done in your life?

I try not to regret things, but I feel like I regret times where I wasn’t the best friend to people-- when I let my mental health take over and isolate me, causing me to ghost some people I cared about. 

3. Which parent do you identify with the most?

My mom, definitely. I love her with my entire being (not to mention I don’t have a great relationship with my dad), but even beside that, I have a lot of her mannerisms and her exact sense of humor. 

4. What do you think you cook or bake the best?

I am not big on cooking or baking; it’s just not something I have a lot of skill and practice in. I am good at making banana bread and taco dip!

5. If you could change your first name what would it be?

I really don’t know if I would change my name, but maybe I would choose something that allowed for more nicknames, like Charlotte.

6. Can you hula hoop?

I haven’t in a long time, but yes I can... and now I want to go hula-hoop, haha. 

7. What embarrasses you the most in front of other people?

I am so beyond easily embarrassed, but it really all comes down to talking. I feel like I am not very eloquent, so when I ramble often or misspeak, I get really down on myself and assume everyone has become mad at me or thinks I am stupid. 

8. Have you considered running for president?

Not in any serious manner, no. I don’t think I would have the right stamina and energy for it. I have strong beliefs, but as I mentioned before, I get embarrassed just by speaking and I would get so frustrated trying to debate people who cannot articulate ideas well or who refuse to listen. 

9. If you had to choose one thing you were most passionate about, what would it be and why?

Writing. It is the one thing in my life that I have ever felt confident in, and I have been drawn to it since I was just a little kid. There is nothing about writing that I don’t love, and it is the easiest way for me to communicate in both a straight-forward manner and a creative one. 

10. Who are you most envious of—real or fictional—and why?

I don’t really have particular people that I envy. I suppose I just envy people who have got control of their mental health issues and who can articulate it in a healthy manner, but that is something I am getting better at and working toward!

11. Where is the most beautiful place on earth and why?

That’s a really hard question-- as beauty is subjective and there are soooo many gorgeous places. I would personally say Germany. I say that because of its history, architecture, art, landscape, etc. I just kind of love the idea of the country, and I would love to visit one day. 

12. Are ghosts real?

I am a firm believer in ghosts. Yes.

13. Are aliens real?

100% I think it is naïve to believe that there is no other life form out there when our galaxy is so vast. 

14. How old is the most expired item in your fridge?

They are no longer in my fridge, but my strawberries went bad yesterday... Sadly. 

15. What are your favorite style of underwear?

Hipster!

16. What’s the saddest song you’ve ever heard?

There are so many, but the first one that came to mind was Hyperballad by Whitley (originally by Bjork)

17. How about the sweetest song?

Metaphors by Keaton Henson

18. Do you know how to play dominoes?

I have no idea. I have always owned dominoes, and my grandparents played, but I was never taught.

19. What’s under your bed?

A cat toy in the shape of an avocado 

20. Have you ever prank called someone?

So many times. It was my friends and my favorite pastime growing up. It was all always friendly and just ridiculous. 

21. 100 kittens or 3 baby sloths?

100 Kittens. I love little baby cats, and cats in general-- they are so sweet and snuggly. I miss when my family cat had kittens; they were so fun to take care of. 

22. Are you proud of what you’re doing with your heart and time right now?

I’m trying to be. I am trying to acknowledge my successes and be proud of my progress. 

23. Why or why not?

I have a good job in my field, I have dedicated all my time to working on my mental health, and I am trying to put myself first for once, so I am trying to acknowledge the good in all of that. It’s just always been hard for me to do so. 

24. How many bones have you broken?

None (knock on wood)

25. Have you ever won anything? Big or small?

I won third place in state-wide writing competition in the third grade, and a Student Writing Award in college.

26. If you could buy one material thing, and money was not an issue, what would it be?

A house. I just want a place that is all my own-- it doesn’t have to be big or anything, I just want to own my dwelling. 

27. What’s your favorite movie from your childhood?

I would say Ever After (even though Forrest Gump is my favorite movie and has been since childhood). I just have so many memories with my mom watching that movie, and I love Drew Barrymore. 

28. What food will you absolutely not, under any circumstances, eat?

Oysters. No way in hell.

29. What’s the best way to comfort you when you’re having a really terrible day?

Take me on a long car ride and just let me stare out the window. 

30. Has anything/anyone ever saved your life before?

Not in a dramatic way, but yes, plenty of people have through different emotional ways.

31. Would you ever adopt a child?

I don’t want children, but I have never been opposed to adopting. I used to want to adopt when I was younger and thought I wanted kids, actually. 

32. What is one thing you’re embarrassed to admit you want to try?

Learning to roller skate

33. If you were a cake which cake would you be?

Cheesecake! Not everyone’s taste, but still delicious. 

34. What is the most important material possession you have and why?

I am not super attached to material items, but probably my over-shirt that use to belong to my grandmother; it is one thing I own that has deep-rooted sentimental value. 

35. What is the most important memory you have and why?

I think most memories are of equal importance, but one of my favorites is of when my cousins and I used to get together in the fall and do yard work for my grandma. They were long days, but everyone was happy, we were together, we had good food, and my family members weren’t sick... 

36. When was the last time you cried?

Thursday

37. How old was your mother when she had you?

She was 31

38. Which famous person would you like to be BFFs with?

I think I would mesh really well with Julien Baker

39. Is there something you wish you had said sorry for but never did?

Over the years, I have actually reached out to the people I thought I needed to apologize to, so I have made my peace with all of this. 

40. Have you been on your first date? If so, how did it go?

I have been. It was nice and outdoorsy, but it was also a bit awkward because we didn’t know what to talk about most of the time (and the memory was spoiled a day or two after)... 

questions credited to @itakesurveys

[yooleestruck]

in which lee rambles about how great writers are

I don’t really know what this is. I don’t know if now is the right time to do this, or a really bad time, or if it makes any sense, but I want to talk about it! I feel like a broken record saying ‘the writing matters most, the writing matters most’ but maybe I need to show what I mean by that? So, here is an attempt. 

I’m sorry not all of these are the same length and not everyone is here, because every time I see that someone is a writer I do try to follow but I don’t always know/remember! Also I am weird about this sort of thing and don’t want to tag people in a monster-long post, so I’m just going to link. I also don’t want to make this a producers vs writers thing, it’s not, it’s just, when I say I notice writer-stuff, an explanation of what, specifically, I mean. 

Writers have a style fingerprint. I’m sure someone with an actual creative writing or English background could describe it all academic-ly, but my ex-chemist ass is just going to call it a fingerprint. 

My first game in Lovestruck was Starship Promise - I love Firefly, I’m a bisexual disaster scientist by education, it fit. But I had been REALLY put off by GIL when it first came out (this was back when they released stories in parts? And the heroine, which I will get to) and though I’d glanced at AFK, I mistrusted it after GIL and Medusa, who was who I was interested in, wasn’t out yet. So I resisted a LONG time.  I finally picked up LS and SP and played it explicitly because a friend said, you need to give this another chance, for a list of specific reasons. 

And when Atlas’s route came out, I read it a stupid number of times. I must have re-read his season 1 & 2 at least eight times apiece (he is still my most read route, despite the fact I have not read his last season because I want to leave the story open-ended)  so when I read Neil Dresner’s route, I recognized the fingerprint. Not only that, when I was reading Jett and the episodes with the paint scene (YOU KNOW THE SCENE) came out, my breath caught with how lovely it was, a particular in-between moment and touch, and even though it wasn’t a phrase I had seen, the style of it, had me re-reading (because it was gorgeous) again and again from the log for like five minutes and I thought, “I bet Melissa wrote this” AND SHE DID. 

Physical touch! (& in-betweens)

Melissa-grey has a particular way of writing about physical touch in very emotional moments that is very real and grounded and ironically the effect is just magical. It creates these so skillful “in between” moments, those little things that aren’t dialogue and aren’t metaphor but SHOW you that this closed off person is cracking for their little ray of sunshine. They are SO subtle and so beautiful, like, the heroine noticing the scent of a pillow, or a softening of an aborted hand movement.  She sets up and executes these moments of physical touch as a conduit for emotional touch with characters who aren’t ready to admit he latter and it’s DELICIOUS. Those little in-betweens are what I live for in story - and it includes all the supporting cast moments, who swell up to make the world feel lived in, and balanced (I loathe love stories where no one else exists! That’s a recipe for disaster, people need networks) I noticed when she stopped writing, and because I missed it, I went and bought the entire Midnight Girl series, as well as Rated (I hope that is flattering and not creepy!) and that style of writing is so unique, that without KNOWING, I picked it up in four separate routes (noticed in Sev’s s1, too!) 

Pacing (& friggen heartache)

Another fingerprint! Ripping your heart out! Arthoure has had me in tears, MULTIPLE TIMES and I get very grouchy about it every time because I am the least sentimental and romantic person that I know (I once MOVED STATES to avoid an ‘I love you’ conversation. I once said ‘yikes’ in response to an ‘I love you’ and I once broke up with someone because I thought he was going to propose. I’m a bitch) but I think it’s because of pacing! I know that producers play a role in that, but that actually makes it more impressive, because making each bit of story feel like it fits precisely the amount of space it needs when you don’t really get a say in how much space that is has got to take a MASSIVE amount of effort. Every little hint, every emotional beat, every character tell, they drop at a consistent build so the emotional payoff is just brutal (in a good, cathartic way?) every time a route makes me cry I wait and see and YEAH ITS ALWAYS ARTHOURE. The sweep and sentiment of Remy’s season 2 is unparalleled. Across Time is gutwrenching, and I actually stopped reading Renzei at one point because I was so emotional over it I had to like, LEGIT TAKE A BREAK to recover. Pacing and heartache. I have to stop and wonder - is it because the routes themselves are so gut-punching? OR is it because she knows how to wring every last emotional drop out of whatever story framework is handed to her? Because, Ezekiel’s villain costume is a bit silly (there I said it, it is) I get the cobra helmet shape in theory but in practice, ooof, but POINT BEING despite being skeptical I’d be able to take his story seriously as a result, I was hiccuping from crying so much (and I am gosh darn adult, in my thirties, with three degrees and a high-stress job at pretty major company. I DON’T CRY EASY)

 Dialogue (& heroines!)

Xekstrin is the gosh damn master of dialogue. Clever, witty banter that doesn’t go where you expect it to, meandering but natural topic changes that are delightful to follow and feel real, and--special shoutout for this, okay--the navigation of viscerally important topics like consent, kink, self-worth, power in relationships, self-sacrifice, and apologies in a way that is not stilted or forced at all (listen, I know Viv & Lyris are the most recent and they are amazing but I remember this first hit me when I was reading Astraeus, and I spent half the route with my jaw on the floor going, oh shit,  oh shit. The communication! The navigation of the complexity of emotion going on, chef’s kiss! Casual isn’t the right word, but, natural, maybe?). I don’t actually take that many screenshots of the app--it’s usually single lines that get me--but when I do, they are almost always conversations from one of her routes, because they’re so damn good, and often so unexpected, and yet always make such perfect sense for the characters involved. Dialogue is SO HARD OKAY. Actually try and transcribe a conversation sometime, it’s nuts how people talk vs how most people write people talking. Xekstrin also writes some of my absolute favorite MCs, and going back to fingerprints, I was reading Lyris s1 and right there in the first tavern scene, as we were following along with the heroine’s thoughts I went, ah, yes, I know who you belong to and I am SO EXCITED. Being able to give the heroine unique thoughts and quirks, to make her genuinely relatable, without overriding the necessary template of the genre dictates, is a skill all of its own. But I love her MCs! There is a beautiful balance of compassion, competence, and dash of bratty, wild, fun mischief. I can actually cheer for them. I can actually get behind them. I WANT the love interest to flop at their feet for who they are, not just because the story says so. And that comes from how the heroine’s thoughts are written, from her phrasing in conversations, how she sees situations, not just a producer saying ‘she is a strong lead who is self conscious about her ears and she’s nervous in the council meeting’ or whatever. I AM REALLY STRUGGLING to articulate this if you can’t tell from how long I have been blathering. Maybe this - the heroine is the same across every route, presumably, yes? Everyone has the same base. I NEVER question, when xekstrin is writing, why the love interest falls in love with her. Side note - I had hard written off GIL after a bad experience with the standalone app. I only read Aurora BECAUSE I learned she wrote it, and I would have SO MISSED OUT otherwise.

A complete aside in which Lee grumbles about heroines and not writers!

(Complete side vent: Often, the heroine is, if not a blank slate, a sort of collection of assigned traits, and she often remains so unless the story demands she become otherwise. Which is fine! I don’t personally, but I know a lot of folks self-insert, and so erring towards that makes sense. Almost all the otome I’ve played were originally written for a Japanese audience. When I played original Voltage games, starting back in 2014, I always had to remind myself - different culture, different culture, different culture, and it was not possible for me to relate to most of the heroines. I still enjoyed the stories, but I rarely cheered for the heroine’s romance, especially in some of the slice of life stories. I understood her, but I rarely wanted her to get with the love interest, I wanted her success to come in other ways! Another game company, Cybird, tried to ‘Americanize’ their heroine to IMO disastrous effect - it was such a stereotype, and made no sense since they didn’t also Americanize the context, so she come across as, frankly, ridiculous. And frankly, Voltage’s GIL heroine REEKED OF THAT. When they first posted her on social media I was legitimately annoyed about it, like could you lean into this more? I think not. So when I talk about being able to relate to and cheer for the heroine, it’s a big deal, because my blatant mistrust of Voltage and their ability to craft a heroine I could tolerate was a BIG factor in how long it took me to give Lovestruck a try. I was willing to tolerate it in translated stories, I was so skeptical of -en only ones.) 

Metaphors (& balance)

literacouture writes beautiful metaphors for connection between humans! I’m really bad at keeping track of who writes what, but I purposefully kept an eye out on tumblr after reading Cal’s route, because there were some lines that were pure poetry, and I wanted to keep an eye out for more. It is HARD to spin metaphors prettily without delving into trite, painful, purple prose cringe territory, and it’s navigated beautifully in Cal’s route. There’s a balance between those spin-out moments and things that are tangible and anchoring and make it feel authentic and unique to the two characters involved, instead of just ‘I am trying to make this sound romantic and this is a romantic phrase so here it is’. That balance is really necessary. You NEED the mundane alongside the metaphor or it doesn’t feel authentic. Also. Trying really hard to write this without throwing any authors or producers under the bus, but...listen. I love Sin with Me. But the world logic (or LACK THEREOF) drives me up a wall. I don’t read Cal because of his character traits or sprite or (sigh) his story. I read him because literacouture writes a beautiful romance.

 So anyway...

There are more! When I am less tired and don’t have meetings, I will try and write them up (Please know there are so many routes I love, and so many things I do recognize across chapters! I don’t even HAVE words for what theivorytowercrumbles accomplished with Helena’s story not to mention how much I adore Cyprin,  SummerLightning’s handling of Onyx’s past relationship was so deftly done when it could have so quickly become ‘milk abuse for plot’ and joidecombat gave Sev a fresh, mischievous energy and navigated the dream/reality line with SUCH skill, and so on and so on.)

I’ve written a lot of reviews. And I try to give nods where I feel they’re due - sometimes, it really is obvious that the whole team’s work came together to makes something great, the world, the plot, the arc, the art, the words, and the music all fit into place in a  well-crafted tour de force. And sometimes one piece or another is lacking, and I’ll admit I’ve left some...less than kind reviews to that end (I try and soften it, because I know there are humans on the other side of everything, but I’ve been harsh more than once with my opinions).  I’ve read routes with plots that made me want to tear my hair out because I DO value consistency and logic to a degree, even if I’m going to accept at face value that, say, space travel is a thing or demons turn to sand when stabbed. 

In the end, these are romance stories. So I will let a lot slide when it comes to plot. What sells a story are the words - not the outline.

And if Voltage doesn’t believe that - just remember that Hamlet existed long, long before Shakespeare wrote it. His was the version that lasted, because the people liked it best. The plot, the world, the characters, they all existed a hundred times over. Even just look at fan translations of manga. Why do people keep translating, even if someone else has? Because the words someone else picked don’t do the story justice. 

I don’t know. I’m talking in circles because I don’t know my own thesis! 

Maybe it’s just - the worlds these stories in are nice. But when I say I’m a fan of something, the premise is like. 10%. The rest is the writing. 

[hatdigidigidog]

Individual Women's Rhythmic Gymnastics | Rio 2016

Court Dimensions

They perform routines in 12 x 12 meter areas, accompanied by music (recorded or played by musician(s)).

Equipment

Hoop

A hoop may be made of plastic or wood, provided that it retains its shape during the routine. The hoop is chosen based on the gymnast's size and should not extend beyond the hip bone when placed standing up on the floor. The interior diameter is from 51 to 90 cm and the hoop must weigh a minimum of 300g. Children and hope divisions, a minimum of 225 grams.

The hoop may be of natural color or be partially or fully covered by one or several colors, and it may be covered with adhesive tape either of the same or different color as the hoop. Fundamental requirements of a hoop routine include rotation around the hand or body and rolling, as well as swings, circles, throws, and passes through and over the hoop.

Ball

It is made of either rubber or synthetic material (pliable plastic) provided it possesses the same elasticity as rubber. Senior and junior gymnasts is 18 to 20 cm in diameter and must have a minimum weight of 400g. The ball can be of any color. The ball should rest in the gymnast's hand and not rest against the wrist or be able to be grasped. Fundamental elements of a ball routine include throwing, bouncing or rolling. The gymnast must use both hands and work on the whole floor area whilst showing continuous flowing movement. The ball is to emphasize the gymnasts flowing lines and body difficulty. Before 2013, flexibility and waves were the Compulsory Body Movement Groups (dominant in the exercise).

Clubs

Senior and junior clubs must weight a minimum of 150 grams per club. Children's and hope age division's minimum weight should be 75 grams per club. Multi-piece clubs are the most popular clubs. The club is built along an internal rod, providing a base on which a handle made of polyolefin plastic is wrapped, providing an airspace between it and the internal rod. This airspace provides flex and cushioning impact, making the club softer on the hands. Foam ends and knobs further cushion the club. Multi-piece clubs are made in both a thin European style or larger bodied American style and in various lengths, generally ranging from 19 to 21 inches (480 to 530 millimetres). The handles and bodies are typically wrapped with decorative plastics and tapes. Clubs are thrown from alternate hands; each passes underneath the other clubs and is caught in the opposite hand to the one from which it was thrown. At its simplest, each club rotates once per throw, the handle moving down and away from the throwing hand at first. However, double and triple spins are frequently performed, allowing the club to be thrown higher for more advanced patterns and to allow tricks such as 360s (channes) to be performed underneath. Before 2013, balances were the Compulsory Body Movement Groups (dominant in the exercise).

Ribbon

It is made of satin or another similar material cloth of any color; it may be multi-colored and have designs on it. The ribbon itself must be at least 35 g (1.2 oz), 4–6 cm (1.6–2.4") in width and have a minimum length of 6m (20') for seniors and 5m (16.25') for juniors. The ribbon must be in one piece. The end that is attached to the stick is doubled for a maximum length of 1m (3'). This is stitched down both sides. At the top, a very thin reinforcement or rows of machine stitching for a maximum length of 5 cm is authorized. This extremity may end in a strap, or have an eyelet (a small hole, edged with a buttonhole stitch or metal circle), to permit attaching the ribbon. The ribbon is fixed to the stick by means of a supple attachment such as thread, nylon cord, or a series of articulated rings. The attachment has a maximum length of 7 cm (2.8"), not counting the strap or metal ring at the end of the stick where it will be fastened. Compulsory elements for the ribbon include flicks, circles, snakes and spirals, and throws. It requires a high degree of co-ordination to form the spirals and circles as any knots which may accidentally form in the ribbon are penalized. During a ribbon routine, large, smooth and flowing movements are looked for. The ribbon may not stop moving or else points are taken off. Before 2013, pivots were the Compulsory Body Movement Groups (dominant in the exercise).

Basic Skills

Rhythmic gymnastics routines also combines’ ballet, body skills and creative movements with music, while working with ribbons, balls, hoops, ropes and clubs in a choreographed dance-and-tumble routine. 

Rules of the Game

Current Code of Points

In the current Code of Points (2017–2020), the final score of a routine is the sum of the difficulty score and execution score. Penalties incurred will also be deducted from the final score. The difficulty score is open-ended with no maximum score, while the execution score has a starting value of 10 points. There are also penalties, which are realized by subtracting points from the final note for certain specified mistakes made by the gymnast.

Difficulty 

consists of body difficulties (jumps, balances and rotations), dynamic elements with rotation (commonly known as risks) and dance step combinations (for individuals gymnasts and groups), and apparatus difficulties (only for individuals gymnasts) and exchange and collaborations (only for groups). The difficulty score is evaluated during the routine without a pre-made difficulty sheet, unlike with previous Codes. Each difficulty component has an assigned value, which accumulate throughout the routine, resulting in the final difficulty score.

Execution 

is the degree to which the gymnast performs with aesthetic and technical perfection. The execution score is composed of artistic faults and technical faults. In the first, the unity and character of the composition, harmony with the music, body expression and the variety in the use of space and apparatus elements, among others are valued; on the other hand, the technical handling of the apparatus (like catching the ball with one hand and not two, not losing the apparatus, etc.) and technical aspects of body movements (like touching the head with the foot during a ring form, not falling, etc.) are valued. Errors regarding the perfect model of conduct accumulate and are assigned specific penalty values, which ultimately are subtracted from the starting value (an execution score of 10 represents a perfect execution equal to the model, without any error).

Penalties 

are taken by the time, line, and coordinator judges. Possible penalties include:

The gymnast leaving the floor area

The apparatus leaving the floor area

The exercise being longer or shorter than the acceptable length of time (1'15" to 1'30" is the required length for individual, and 2'15" to 2'30" is the required length for group)

Failure to end the exercise at the exact moment the accompanying music ends

Music not conforming to the regulations

Dress of the gymnast not conforming to the regulations

Communication with the coach during the execution of the exercise

Verbal communication between group gymnasts during the exercise

Grabbing a new apparatus from the side of the floor

Musical introduction without movement longer than 4 seconds

Failure to have working .mp3 file/cd or low/bad quality of file/cd can result in penalty.

Officiating the Sport

Meet Referee

A person to whom reference is made, especially for an opinion, information, or a decision. the umpire or judge in any of various sports, especially football and boxing, responsible for ensuring fair play according to the rules. a person who is willing to testify to the character or capabilities of someone.

Head Judge

Ensure that the competitions are run safely and fairly.

Timers

Keeps track of the time elapsed by the performers.

Technical and Tactical Skills

Handstand

The handstand is arguably the single most important skill and position in the sport of gymnastics. It’s the building block for essential skills on each of the four events. Being able to do a perfect handstand is one skill you should learn to master. The handstand is used in most tumbling skills — walkovers and handsprings.

Cast

Casting is the most basic bar element, and learning how to cast well early on will help you learn so many other skills. Body position in the cast is a hollow body shape. The hollow body shape is similar to the shape you have in a perfect handstand other than the fact that your back is slightly rounded with your stomach pulled towards your spine. You will eventually be casting to handstand, so the higher you can cast with a nice tight body position the better. You want your legs to be together and straight, your stomach pulled in, your back rounded and your eyes looking at the bar.

Splits

Mastering your side and middle splits will help you execute other skills that use that same shape as well. And your splits are easy to practice at home. The split “shape” is everywhere in gymnastics — split leaps, jumps, switch leaps, in the middle of back walkovers, etc. The better you can do your splits on the ground, the better you will be able to do them in the middle of a skill. You should be able to do a split on your left leg, your right leg and a middle split with your legs straight and all the way to the ground.

Handspring on Vault

The handspring on vault is the basic skill that all upper level vaults are based off of. It will be hard to succeed at Yurchenkos or twisting vaults if you haven’t figured out the mechanics of the handspring vault. To do a great handspring on vault you need to run fast, jump hard “punch” off the spring board, fly through the air and hit a perfect handstand on top of the vault table, block using your shoulders off the top of the vault and land on your feet.

Back Handspring

A back handspring is an important gymnastics skill to master because it is the basic skill used in back tumbling on floor and beam. It will be hard for you to connect upper level skills (like layouts, full-twists, back tucks and double backs) to a roundoff back handspring if you can’t do a proper back handspring. The roundoff and the back handspring are both crucial for providing power to whatever comes after it.

 Round-off

A roundoff is just as important as a back handspring to master for tumbling on floor. The roundoff gives power just like the back handspring does to the tumbling pass.

Turn on 1 Foot

The turn on 1 foot is a skill that doesn’t go away. It is required in every floor and beam routine gymnastics levels 4-10. So you might as well master this basic gymnastics skill right away.

Split Leap

The split leap is another skill that is required in every floor and beam routine levels 4-10. To have a perfect split leap you want to be able to do your perfect split position in the air as high as you can off the ground. You also want your split to be even — both legs should be the same distance from the ground.

Analysis

The Russian duo of Kudryavtseva and Mamun entered the final as the two favorites for the gold, and they both got their routines off to a good start. Mamun scored 19.050 on the hoops, and her compatriot did even better, opting for a slightly higher difficulty to take the lead.

Melitina Staniouta of Belarus came closest to the two favourites with a solid routine and an 18.200 score until Rizatdinova got her turn. She too managed an 18.200, as her execution was far from perfect.

Mamun was expected to dominate the ball routine and opted for a high difficulty, a 9.650, but her execution wasn't as perfect as we've grown accustomed to. Her final score of 19.150 left her in second place, as Kudryavtseva put together a stunning routine for a score of 19.250.

Mamun rounded off her performance with a 19.233 in the ribbon apparatus, all but guaranteeing the gold medal with a final score of 76.483. Kudryavtseva salvaged silver with a 19.250, and Rizatdinova grabbed bronze with a score of 18.843.

Video Link: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaxT2vguGXQ

References:

Elements Gymnastics Academy. (n.d.). Rhythmic. Retrieved from egagymnastics: http://egagymnastics.co.uk/rhythmic/

GymnasticsHQ. (2013, April 7). 9 BASIC GYMNASTICS SKILLS YOU SHOULD MASTER. Retrieved from GymnasticsHQ.com: https://gymnasticshq.com/9-basic-gymnastics-skills-you-should-master/

Verschueren, G. (2016, August 20). Olympic Rhythmic Gymnastics 2016: Individual All-Around Medal Winners and Scores. Retrieved from Bleacherreport: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2658908-olympic-rhythmic-gymnastics-2016-individual-all-around-medal-winners-and-scores

[iannavaja]

My Family is My life

                    “Family is not an important thing. It's everything.”

My family has always been there to support and encourage me to conquer and find success in all life challenges. The position of every member of my family, in their own way, is unique and significant. I am thankful to God for growing up in a home love and discipline. My family values are certainly going to make me become a happier person.

The family is a precious gift of God that plays the most crucial role in the life of any human. I enjoy my family so much and I have both good and difficult moments for all my family members. From spiritual lessons to love and support, without any demand, my family has always supported me. There is no question that when we truly interact with them, we witness our greatest triumphs.

Families are an important aspect of one's life. It doesn't matter whether you have a family that's small or large, as long as you have one. A family acts as the child's first kindergarten, where you think about different things. Only from their families comes the profound awareness of one's history and identity. You are a product of your heritage, in other words. All the positive practices and forms that one has incorporated come only from their kin. I am so grateful to have been born into a family that has made me a happier person. Families are an important part of one's being in my view.

                            The love of a family is life’s greatest blessing

My family has always been there to inspire and help me to resolve and find success in all life challenges. Each member's role in my family is special and significant in its own way. I thank God that I grew up in a family full of discipline and love. My family values are surely going to motivate me to become a stronger person.

My family is a lifeline to which I can escape, regardless of the situation that I face. I am driven by my family to be a positive citizen and to help me nurture good values. We, people, are creatures who spread love and care about one another and live together and this togetherness is called family. The lack of such a godly relationship renders us equal to animals.

My family has been always by my side in ups and downs. They have taught me how to be a better person. My family consists of four siblings and my parents. We also have a pet dog that is no less than our family.

However, they do not realize its importance. Families are essential as they help in our growth. They develop us into becoming a complete person with an individual identity. Moreover, they give us a sense of security and a safe environment to flourish in.

Families are the only ones who believe in you when the whole world doubts you. Similarly, when you are down and out, they are the first ones to cheer you up. Certainly, it is a true blessing to have a positive family by your side.

In such a loving atmosphere, family value and development allows me to pass on all the challenges and difficulties that I face in my everyday life. Our families will never leave us alone, regardless of the situation we face. For me, my family is a joy and I value both of my family with equal reverence and affection.

                               My father has always been my hero

My father is my role model for many reasons. First and foremost I admire his passion for work. That is why he is so respected in his office as well. He is always there to help his colleagues even if it is not his work. In fact, one can always see him spending weekends helping others out. Moreover, my father is a simple man. He does not like expensive things and lives an easy and peaceful life. Also, he never shouts on anyone of us. I wonder if he ever gets angry on anything as he takes everything so calmly and takes his time to decide upon things.

He is a caring and obedient person who takes care of my whole family. He is an engineer by trade and is a very hardworking person. He is an articulate guy who replies in a witty way to all my questions. My father loves his own parents, my mother and any family member.

Family value and progress in such a caring environment allows me to carry on all the struggles and problems I encounter in my daily life. Regardless of the situation we face, our family will never leave us behind. My family is a blessing for me and with equal respect and love I value all of my family. My father does not like sitting idle. Occasionally, on holidays, if he sees my sister and me doing nothing and just idling our time, he gives us one or the other job. He is still very organized and has all of his papers well organized.

“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.”

A father is the one who maintains strict discipline among the family members and is looked upon with respect by everyone. He shows the right path to his children and motivates them to achieve the goals of their lives through proper education. A father is the one who stands rock solid beside his family and protects them from the evils of society. He acts as the root of his family and binds each member with love and respect.

My father is my friend as well. I can discuss everything with my father, even those that I dare not speak in front of my mother. I know that he shall keep it a secret and give the advice I need. He is the one whom I can rely upon blindly during any hour of need, and I know that he shall be there for me.

My father plays an important role in the family. He is in fact considered as the head of the family. However, I feel that both father and mother have a distinctive role to play in bringing up their children.

                     “There is nothing as sincere as a mother's kiss.”

She is my mother, the greatest influence in my life. Not only as a mom but also as a friend. A time that is really prominent in my mind, that I hope I will always remember, is the year when I was doing poorly in English class and I wanted to drop it. The "easy way out" as my mom called it. She helped me realize that I was intelligent enough to be in the class that is why I was put in it, and that I could do anything I put my mind to. The talk with my mom helped me tremendously. Not only because she gave me good advice but because she was talking to me like a friend would, being understanding of where I was coming from and about my feelings.

He has taught me the real meaning of strength. My siblings are my best friends on whom I can always fall back on. Even my pet dog has taught me the meaning of loyalty. He always cheers me up whenever I don’t feel good. My family is my power that keeps pushing me to achieve newer heights

She has taught me to always try my best, to treat everyone equally, to not give up when things get hard. She tells me to at all times be honest because in the end, lies always hurt more. She instills the importance of family and of doing well at school in me. When I make decisions and she doesn't always agree with them, she makes sure that I know that she is behind me all the way because she wants me to always be happy. She has taught me right from wrong and the significance of self-respect

          “Life began with waking up and loving my mother's face.”

Additionally, she taught me how to walk, speak, and take care of myself. Similarly, every bigger step that I have taken in my life is all because of my mother. Because, if she hasn’t taught me how to take small steps then I won’t be able to take these bigger step.

Within each family member, lies my strength. My mother is my strength as I can always count on her when I need a shoulder to cry on. She believes in me more than any other person. She is the backbone of our family. My father is someone who will always hide away his troubles for the sake of his family.

My mother is an ordinary woman she is my superhero. In every step of my, she supported and encouraged me. Whether day or night she was always there for me no matter what the condition is. Furthermore, her every work, persistence, devotion, dedication, conduct is an inspiration for me

In short, I will forever be indebted to my family for all they have done for me. I cannot imagine my life without them. They are my first teachers and my first friends. They are responsible for creating a safe and secure environment for me at home. I can share everything with my family as they never judge one another. We believe in the power of love above everything and that drives us to help each other to become better human beings.

      “A brother shares childhood memories and grown-up dreams.”

My brother is very polite by nature and is loved by one and all. He often shares his chocolates, sweets and candies with me. He loves playing snakes and ladders and Ludo with me during weekends. He shares everything with me and is very comfortable discussing his classes, school friends and homework with me.

When someone asks you “Who is your biggest role model and why?” normally people say their parents or some famous figurehead. They don’t typically say their sibling.

For me, though, my brother is and has always been my biggest role model.

He has supported me, cheered me on, given me (mostly) unbiased advice, and has simply been there for me my entire life.

He has shown me that having a real personality, and not hiding it, will get you a long way. He taught me that being weird and unique is a good thing and if someone else can’t see that, they aren’t worth the time or effort.

My brother may not always be at my side, but he is always in my heart.

From my brother, I have learned to love comic books, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Pokémon, and movies so bad they’re good.

Growing up with him, I was taught how to perfect my sarcasm, a skill we both used (and still use) to drive our parents nuts.

Even though I think all of these things are important skills to have, I know that my brother has taught me some even more important things, whether he knows it or not.

While watching his experience in college when I was only in junior high, I told myself that I would get my degree to make him proud. Now that I am extremely close to that goal, I have set an even higher one for myself, again for my brother.

[words-writ-in-starlight]

For your anon re: intelligence: take it from a social psychologist and professor- there are many different ways to be intelligent. Traditional school, IQ and standardized tests only measure a very narrow version of it. Look up Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences to start off with. And also the advice to see a counselor is excellent. It's so hard to unlearn the negativity put on you by the people who are supposed to lift you up, but it's so worth the work!

(intelligence anon)

Yes!  For those of you who have not taken a bunch of psych courses, the theory of multiple intelligences states that there are many different ways to be intelligent, not just “are you good at standardized tests, yes or no.”  (Honestly even that question is pretty loaded--I’m great at standardized tests!  For about three hours.  Past that, I might as well just leave, my score would probably be better.)  

Gardner’s proposed types of intelligence are:

Verbal-linguistic, or having a gift for language, spoken, written, whatever; these people are usually well-spoken and well-written and sound “smart”

Logical-mathematical, or, let’s be honest, what everyone thinks “being smart” entails, a sense of how to assemble a good argument or how to grasp a mathematical concept

Bodily-kinesthetic, or having an understanding of how to make your body and your environment play well together, so that you get the result you want; “natural” athletes are naturally good at this, I had to work really, really hard at it out of sheer self-preservation against my natural clumsiness

Musical-harmonic, or having a good sense of how the pieces of music fit together into the complete thing--this is not necessarily the same as being able to read sheet music, fun fact, which I personally am horrifically incompetent at and falls more under one of the first two

Visual-spatial, or having an idea of how the visual world works, both in terms of art and practical things like pouring water from one glass into another; my mom is one of the smartest people I know, and also she has never correctly estimated the volume of any single object in her entire life

Intrapersonal, or the ability to evaluate your own mental health and emotional state, introspectiveness; if you feel like you don’t have this one dead to rights, perhaps some therapy! I recommend some therapy!

Interpersonal, or social skills; I had the cosmic forethought to date someone very very good at this, which helps buffer the fact that I just do not have a natural gift for socializing, I also recommend that

Naturalistic, or the ability to understand how the natural world works, having a ‘green thumb’ or a natural talent with animals; one of my partners can make anything grow with a shrug and “I don’t know, felt like it should get watered”, whereas my mother can, has, and doubtless will again murder a cactus out of sheer failure to grasp how cacti work, despite extensive googling

Now, someone might be phenomenally gifted in one or several of these areas, and then be desperately lacking in others.  With some of them, a natural talent is worth far less than in others--anyone can learn to evaluate their own emotional state, but straight up some people have good aim from the start and the rest of us fools just have to deal with being a hazard.  You may be good at one thing within a specific type of intelligence and not another, like someone who’s incredibly articulate on the page but struggles to be clear aloud.  You may have the capacity to be good at one of these, but not always the energy--I can put on my best neurotypical social skills, but it’s exhausting, and I need a hard time limit or I start getting a little mean.  

The point is, there are a lot of ways to be smart, a lot of things to be smart about, and a lot of people who showcase those different types of intelligence.  Some types of intelligence are valued at a higher place in our society, but that doesn’t make them innately more valuable in a person.

And before you call me out on that, yeah, listen, I’m a medical professional.  I have a natural inclination to believe my profession, and therefore the intelligence that facilitates it, is The Most Important, because all medical professionals are like that and we’re all insufferable for it.  BUT.

The entire human race owes its existence in its current form to some bright spark who looked at a plant and said “You know, I bet I could grow that,” so don’t get uppity about math or whatever.  We’re all only here because of six inches of topsoil and the fact that it rains and some folks who had the naturalistic intelligence to take advantage.

[douchebagbrainwaves]

OK, I'LL TELL YOU YOU ABOUT IDEAS

Object-oriented programming in the 1980s. If it can work to start a startup. Instead of building stuff to throw away, you tend to want every line of code to go toward that final goal of showing you did a lot of startups grow out of them. Already spreading to pros I know you're skeptical they'll ever get hotels, but there's no way anything so short and written in such an informal style could have anything useful to say about such and such topic, when people with degrees in the subject have already written many thick books about it. Those are both good things to be. I don't mean that as some kind of answer for, but not random: I found my doodles changed after I started studying painting. When someone's working on a problem that seems too big, I always ask: is there some way to give the startups the money, though. What would it even mean to make theorems a commodity? There seem to be an artist, which is even shorter than the Perl form.1 However, a city could select good startups.2

Tcl, and supply the Lisp together with a complete system for supporting server-based applications, where you can throw together an unbelievably inefficient version 1 of a program very quickly. Or at least discard any code you wrote while still employed and start over. But a hacker can learn quickly enough that car means the first element of a list and cdr means the rest. If an increasing number of startups founded by people who know the subject from experience, but for doing things other people want. It could be the reason they don't have any.3 An interactive language, with a small core of well understood and highly orthogonal operators, just like the core language, that would be better for programming. The more of a language as a set of axioms, surely it's gross to have additional axioms that add no expressive power, simply for the sake of efficiency.

One of the MROSD trails runs right along the fault. When you're young you're more mobile—not just because you don't have to be downloaded. The fact is, most startups end up doing something different than they planned. The three old guys didn't get it. PL/1: Fortran doesn't have enough data types. What programmers in a hundred years? Just wait till all the 10-room pensiones in Rome discover this site.4 Common Lisp I have often wanted to iterate through the fields of a struct—to push performance data to the programmer instead of waiting for him to come asking for it. It would be too much of a political liability just to give the startups the money, though. And they are a classic example of this approach. For one thing, real problems are rare and valuable skill, and the de facto censorship imposed by publishers is a useful if imperfect filter.

I'm just not sure how big it's going to seem hard. Often, indeed, it is not dense enough. If the hundred year language were available today, would we want to program in today. Of course, the most recent true counterexample is probably 1960. A friend of mine rarely does anything the first time someone asks him. As a young founder by present standards, so you have to spend years working to learn this stuff. The market doesn't give a shit how hard you worked.

You can write programs to solve, but I never have. One advantage of this approach is that it gives you fewer options for the future. Otherwise Robert would have been too late. Look at how much any popular language has changed during its life.5 Java also play a role—but I think it is the most powerful motivator of all—more powerful even than the nominal goal of most startup founders, and I felt it had to be prepared to explain how it's recession-proof is to do what hackers enjoy doing anyway. The real question is, how far up the ladder of abstraction will parallelism go? Anything that can be implicit, should be. New York Times, which I still occasionally buy on weekends. So I think it might be better to follow the model of Tcl, and supply the Lisp together with a lot of them weren't initially supposed to be startups. It's because staying close to the main branches of the evolutionary tree pass through the languages that have the smallest, cleanest cores. The way to learn about startups is by watching them in action, preferably by working at one. At the very least it will teach you how to write software with users.

Few if any colleges have classes about startups. All they saw were carefully scripted campaign spots. It might help if they were expressed that way. It's enormously spread out, and feels surprisingly empty much of the reason is that faster hardware has allowed programmers to make different tradeoffs between speed and convenience, depending on the application.6 At the top schools, I'd guess as many as a quarter of the CS majors could make it as startup founders if they wanted is an important qualification—so important that it's almost cheating to append it like that—because once you get over a certain threshold of intelligence, which most CS majors at top schools are past, the deciding factor in whether you succeed as a founder is how much you want to say and ad lib the individual sentences. This essay is derived from a talk at the 2005 Startup School. Preposterous as this plan sounds, it's probably the most efficient way a city could select good startups. Most will say that any ideas you think of new ideas is practically virgin territory. Exactly the opposite, in fact. Whatever computers are made of, and conversations with friends are the kitchen they're cooked in.7 That was exactly what the world needed in 1975, but if there was any VC who'd get you guys, it would at least make a great pseudocode.

If this is a special case of my more general prediction that most of them grew organically. Writing software as multiple layers is a powerful technique even within applications. The more of your software will be reusable. Using first and rest instead of car and cdr often are, in successive lines. Of course, I'm making a big assumption in even asking what programming languages will be like in a hundred years? It must be terse, simple, and hackable. It becomes: let's try making a web-based app they'd seen, it seemed like there was nothing to it. Both customers and investors will be feeling pinched.8

The main complaint of the more articulate critics was that Arc seemed so flimsy. That's how programmers read code anyway: when indentation says one thing and delimiters say another, we go by the indentation. You need that resistance, just as low notes travel through walls better than high ones. Maybe this would have been a junior professor at that age, and he wouldn't have had time to work on things that maximize your future options. How much would that take? It's important to realize that there's no market for startup ideas suggests there's no demand.9 You'll certainly like meeting them. It's not the sort of town you have before you try this. This essay is derived from a talk at the 2005 Startup School. I'm not a very good sign to me that ideas just pop into my head.

Notes

Dan wrote a prototype in Basic in a series A rounds from top VC funds whether it was 10.

With the good groups, just harder. Which in turn the most successful founders still get rich from a startup could grow big by transforming consulting into a great one.

There are two simplifying assumptions: that the only way to create events and institutions that bring ambitious people together. A has an operator for removing spaces from strings and language B doesn't, that's not as facile a trick as it was putting local grocery stores out of their portfolio companies. If the next one will be familiar to anyone who had worked for a really long time? One new thing the company they're buying.

If I paint someone's house, the growth in wealth in a bar. I didn't need to warn readers about, just as much the better, but they start to be about 50%. Together these were the impressive ones. Other investors might assume that P spam and P nonspam are both.

All he's committed to is following the evidence wherever it leads. The point where things start with consumer electronics.

If they're on boards of directors they're probably a cause them to keep them from the VCs' point of a press hit, but that we wouldn't have understood why: If you have two choices and one or two, and so on. But if so, or in one where life was tougher, the same reason parents don't tell the whole story. Incidentally, the switch in mid-twenties the people they want.

Trevor Blackwell points out, First Round Capital is closer to a clueless audience like that, except in the median VC loses money. Unless of course reflects a willful misunderstanding of what you care about, just those you should seek outside advice, and this trick, and so don't deserve to keep them from leaving to start or join startups. There is not much to seem big that they only even consider great people.

You also have to do it right. In every other respect they're constantly being told that they are bleeding cash really fast. Probably more dangerous to Microsoft than Netscape was.

In theory you could probably improve filter performance by incorporating prior probabilities. If you have the concept of the reason for the coincidence that Greg Mcadoo, our contact at Sequoia, was no great risk in doing a small proportion of the subject of language power in Succinctness is Power. As I was there was near zero crossover. Some urban renewal experts took a shot at destroying Boston's in the evolution of the next year they worked.

[gatedress93]

How Much Does A Business Coach Cost?

10 Points Every Small Business Demands To Do.

Content

What Does A Business Coach Do?

Trainers Assist Set Goals As Well As Hold Magnate Liable.

Additional Reading On Self Self-Confidence Building.

Final Thoughts On Being A Certain Lady.

Vinyasa + Weight Training: Tips From New York Giants' Coach Gwen Lawrence.

Ipec Coaching.

Develop A Favorable Attitude, Boost Your Behaviors And Also Relocate Closer To Your Objectives

Loving oneself is probably the most essential point we can do. Far from being perfect at it, just loving myself a bit more has actually allowed me to allow far better things come into my life, and I feel I am in a far better location from which to help others too.

Research study shows that self-esteem influences both you and also your partner's connection fulfillment. This set enters play when you get in, exit, or move around in an area. Take wide, surefooted actions with every move, instead of quick, hurried, or frenzied actions.

What Does A Business Coach Do?

When you really want something in life after that it likewise becomes less complicated to press through any type of internal resistance you feel. With better self-worth you'll get the advantages noted above. You'll be more secure and able to deal with difficult times better. Therefore you become much less needy as well as your inner life comes to be a lot less of a psychological roller coaster based upon what people might believe or state about you today or this week. Absolutely nothing can harm our self-esteem greater than unreasonable comparisons.

While it won't happen overnight, with the best methods and frame of mind, you can take steps toward altering the means you feel regarding yourself. Not feeling adequate can be specifically hazardous when it pertains to your charming partnerships by making your even more prone to feelings of anxiousness and jealous.

Coaches Help Establish Goals And Hold Business Leaders Liable.

More Reading On Self Self-Confidence Structure.

There are some individuals that have reduced self-confidence that are not as unsteady; their problem, rather, is indecision. They have extremely little trust in themselves, they underestimate themselves, and also they have such a wonderful anxiety of ruining that they constantly believe that they do not measure up to the circumstances.

" When you contrast your life, yourself as well as what you have to other individuals's lives and also what they have after that you have harmful behavior on your hands. Join the 80,000 people that sign up for the Positivity E-newsletter as well as you'll obtain useful tips on happiness, self-esteem, performance as well as more every week. Invest much less time on a net discussion forum, with reviewing a magazine or viewing a TV-show if you feel it makes you unsure of on your own and if it makes you really feel a lot more adversely towards on your own.

What are the 3 types of coaching styles?

There are three generally accepted styles of coaching in sports: autocratic, democratic and holistic. Each style has its benefits and drawbacks, and it's important to understand all three.

Select to invest less time with individuals that are nervous nit-pickers, unkind or unsupportive of your dreams or objectives. When you contrast your life, on your own and what you have to other people's lives as well as what they have after that you have damaging behavior on your hands.

Absolutely nothing can eliminate our self-worth greater than setting impractical assumptions. I was much more in the red than ever, and having a home was still a distant dream. My assumption was impractical, and also my self-worth took an impact when I turned 30 as well as saw exactly how far such a goal was.

Last Ideas On Being A Positive Lady.

What should I ask a business coach?

Here are more questions to ask when trying to find the perfect coach.How much experience do they have? Does https://gumroad.com/3461086513830/p/14-professions-that-might-make-you-a-millionaire-prior-to-you-retire with yours? Are you truly compatible with them? Don't fall for the sales schtick. Stalk them on social media. What are their values? What do they offer? What do past clients say? More items•

Practice articulating your words plainly and in a loud voice so you're made use of to the strategy. Fidgeting is a significant betrayer of low self-confidence, and also most of us fidget without even recognizing it. Various individuals fidget in different methods; for example, some people have a nervous leg-jiggling practice and others have a tendency to wave their hands around in a smacking movement when they talk.

Elizabeth has a larger house and also a wonderful cars and truck than I do. You can see exactly how this may affect our sensations regarding ourselves, the more we do this sort of point.

What it takes to be a great coach?

Great coaches see things as they are, not worse than they are. Great coaches also have vision. https://buttergoal20.webgarden.at/kategorien/buttergoal20-s-blog/the-significance-of-life can see things better than they are and help others to share in that idea. They can create movement that inspires others, so that they roll up their sleeves and do what it takes to get the job done.

It's equally as vital to take something away from the mistakes you make in life. It does not mean you're a bad person, it simply indicates you slipped up. Errors are an opportunity for learning as well as for development, if only we press ourselves out of the self-pity or adverse self-talk we wallow in after one, and try as well as see it from somebody else's eyes. This might also help you to quit the cycle of adverse thinking about on your own that enhance our negative self-worth. When we make established practical expectations in our life, we can stop berating ourselves for not meeting some optimistic objective.

What does a business coach offer?

A business coach is a skilled and qualified person with a background in relevant issues who can oversee, assist, and guide an owner/manager in starting, growing and/or developing a business. This helps to keep the business on the track established, continually moving forward to achieve objectives and goals.

People with low self-confidence have minutes of bliss when every little thing is going right for them, however when things start to go bad, their self-worth goes down very rapidly. They are delicate individuals that are quickly influenced as well as who have a tendency to reveal their opinion, but without defending it.

Do you have to be certified to be a business coach?

Most new coaches assume you need to complete a coaching certification program in order to build a successful coaching business. You absolutely need to learn the fundamentals of coaching and business. But you don't need to drop $15,000 and one year of your life on a coaching certification program.

You could likewise find on your own readjusting your standing position or nodding excessively. Rather, attempt to stall and also just relocate when it remains in an appropriate, deliberate way. This can be hard, especially if you aren't conscious of your fidgeting routines.

The option to these issues is to talk gradually and clearly. Take your time with your sentences-- it will certainly provide you time to find up with far better word options and also will certainly make you seem a lot more certain at the exact same time.

coaching companies =embed">

Vinyasa + Weight Training: Tips From New York Giants' Coach Gwen Lawrence.

Do not be in a hurry to get anywhere, and remember to keep your body position aligned. This sluggish, deliberate collection of motions will certainly make you appear confident, a lot to make sure that individuals numerous lawns far from you will certainly have the ability to pick up on it. Talking as well quickly or in a low tone of voice can make you appear less than positive. It also leaves you susceptible to saying points you do not suggest or mistaking with verbal nonsense.

So that's why we talked with one ex-life coach to give you the sincere reality concerning life coaching, the worry and pain of what she underwent-- as well as ultimately, what drove her to life coaching.

If you are experiencing symptoms of a psychological wellness problem such as depression or anxiety, you need to talk to your medical professional or therapist to discuss your treatment alternatives.

Together with offering the support as well as inspiration essential for maintaining energy, coaches can observe when a customer is stuck or needs to rectify their goals.

Do not see a life coach to attend to significant mental health problems.

Life instructors can offer suggestions that can boost your wellness, yet that does not suggest they can supply psychological health and wellness treatment.

Naturally people are mosting likely to be skeptical concerning first of all counting on a life coach and second of all opening up to a person in an intimate environment.

A life coach isn't a miracle employee, equally as a counsellor isn't.

Method speaking with somebody you know and also ask him or her to recognize any strange traits you may not notice about yourself. Also if you aren't feeling great, nobody needs to know it. Self-confidence can get you several good ideas, so also if you really aren't, there are numerous techniques you can make use of to appear as if you were.

Ipec Coaching.

However even among those with high self-worth, there are people that can certainly be seen off-balance. That is to say, they are unable to frequently preserve this high self-worth. It is very challenging for these individuals to establish healthy and balanced relationships with others.

Keep in mind that acquiring into myths of perfection will certainly harm you and the people in your life. A great added advantage of writing it down is that after a few weeks you can check out all the answers to stay favorable and obtain a good self-confidence boost and change in perspective on days when you might require it the most. These short breaks do not just construct self-confidence over time yet can likewise turn an adverse mood around and reload you with a lot of favorable energy once more.

That you took a healthy and balanced walk or bike ride after work as opposed to being lazy. That you are a caring as well as kind individual in lots of situations.