#sex workers deserve the same amount of respect and kindness like everyone else

[ask-the-pale-elf]

"I 'have a type for...' Did I hear that correctly?'" I stare at you in shock at your words.

I none-too-gently grab a fistful of your shirt and drag you away from the drow twins. We leave the brothel and step on the empty balcony overlooking the rocky cliffs.

I turn to scowl at you, opening my mouth but the angered words get caught in my throat.

Finally, I sigh and yank you into a furious hug. "You are *not* a prostitute. Don't you call yourself--"

I squeeze you tighter.

CW: self-deprecation and implied sexualization

The vampire spawn couldn't hide his disgust as you continued to talk to the drow twins, his face scrunched up from the implications. It made sense, everything clicked in his mind. He finally understood why you liked him so much, it was how everyone else saw him. Just a pretty face and a curated body. Why would you be any different?

His fangs dug deep into his lower lip as he spat out a double edged remark, he wanted it to prick you even if it degraded him.

"You have a type, don’t you? Elven prostitutes, again? It’s rather embarrassing, dear.”

But just as he was about to turn away from you, Astarion let out a yelp as you dragged him away.

"What in the hells are you doing?!," his lithe body flailing about like a streamer, trying to get you to stop in your tracks. As the two of you arrive at your destination, Astarion huffs in both fatigue and frustration.

He open his mouth with bared fangs to yell at you but then you... hugged him tight. Astarion couldn't believe what you were saying but he clenched his eyes shut and scoffed, "Just because I'm not being paid doesn't mean... I'm not still being used like one."

He still didn’t return the hug but he didn’t push you away either, “Because at least if I was, I could just decline, move onto the next client-”

Astarion knew the truth, he knew what they went through… it would be hypocritical of him to say it. But gods dammit he wanted to, he didn’t care. He didn’t care at all. It wasn’t-

His lower lip trembled and he slowly but surely returned the hug, burrowed his head into the space between your shoulder and neck. “… I don’t want to be seen like that, not anymore.”

In a certain brothel, a brother speaks to his sister, “What was his problem?”

“I don’t know, brother. It seems he has a gallery of issues of his own.”

“It seems there’s trouble in paradise for those two lovers.”

[kainumbernine009]

I literally cannot do anything else until I get this out.

I’m... really not okay.

And when I say that, I’m not mentally unstable. I say that because I’m tired of waiting on empty promises, I’m tired of never having money in our account, I’m tired of living in a fucking city where half of the white people fucking worship the ground Trump walks on, and where most of the gay community has so much messy drama that it’s worse than middle school. And I went to a rough middle school.

I never talk about my past, because I don’t like to. It sucked. HARD. Being and only child in my family was nothing less than torture, especially as a closeted queer person. We grew up in the white Christian part of Nashville that dominated Music Row in the 90′s and early 2000′s. I played basketball with Alan Jackson’s daughter, and being around famous people was just no big deal. But, my parents decided to leave Nashville after my dad lost his job at TPAC, and we moved down south an hour to the town where the KKK got started (Pulaski, TN).

I had maybe two non-white people in my private Christian school growing up. I was never afraid of Black people, but my parents showed their racist asses quick when we moved there. The KKK has never left America, guys, no matter how many articles you read or studies you do. From 2005 to 2009 I saw a white town show its very worst to the Black community. I’ll never forget the first time I saw a march for “White Christians for Purity” the summer before Obama got elected. The disgust I felt inside was palpable. I had all kinds of friends in school, and I didn’t give TWO SHITS who they were or what they looked like... but I saw children my age, being brainwashed by their parents, that “white” is “right.”

Ever since then, I have been learning and growing about the issues of race. I remember my white classmates using the N word and getting away with it. I remember hearing about the principal at the high school punishing all the Black kids but not the white kids. I remember being invited to a church south of town that was a historically Black church, and how nice the ladies were to me for coming.

But I’ll never forget the racism that the religious groups promoted there, especially First Baptist Church and the 12 Tribes. I’ll never forget how FBC told me that my friend was going to Hell because she killed herself. I’ll never forget my mom telling me not to marry a Black man because of “impure genes.” I WILL NEVER FORGET THE INJUSTICES I SAW WHITE PEOPLE DOING TO BLACK PEOPLE THERE. NEVER.

And thank God, I have shaken the burden of religious guilt, but I still fight against this mentality. I live in a place that’s usually not even 10 minutes away from Trump-humping, sister-fucking, meth-addicted Confederate cunts in any direction. And we’re even closer to the rich white people who silently supported him, upset that their taxes would go up because of Biden.

And in the past four years since Trump got elected, I’ve gotten married, graduated college with honors, started my own photography business, and was making more than my husband there for a minute. I did my own taxes, marketing, editing, and everything. And then I came out as trans.

I lost everything.

I lost my studio. I lost friends. I had rumors started about me. I had people post hate messages on my wall. I had people at my drag shows tell others not to tip me, for whatever fucking reasons. I’ve had bosses give cis people jobs over me, and I’ve had government workers give me second looks when I hand them my license.

It. Fucking. Sucks. To. Live. Here. Like. This.

Oh yeah, did I mention I’m also a witch/medium? I’ve talked to dead people before and have told their relatives things I shouldn’t have known otherwise about their grandparents. Like, this information doesn’t even exist on Google. And I’m attuned to reiki. I’m always aware of what’s happening on at least SOME metaphysical level. This is a gift that I’ve had to go through life developing and learning about myself, with no one’s help but me.

I didn’t even know until I was an adult that I have autism and ADHD.

I’ve taken bullets from people who were about to kill themselves. I’ve yelled at 5th grade music classrooms for doing racist dance moves and appropriating Native Americans (I have a degree in Music Education K-12). I’ve consoled kids in classrooms who suddenly have panic attacks. AND I’ve told horny teenagers to stay in their fucking lane and respect the girls around them. I’ve apparently been an inspiration to those around me, but inspiration NOR exposure pays the bills. I’ve already had COVID, and so has my husband, but I knew that after graduating college that I would never have a fulfilling life being a music teacher in Tennessee’s public schools.

And now that we have COVID, and an orange, small-dicked, pedophilic, rape apologizing, dirty, crusty white president who STILL REFUSES TO CONCEDE, who is DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR HAVING HIS FOLLOWERS SEND DEATH THREATS TO MY FAMILY, I really don’t know what the fuck else to do other than go burn down all the houses I know of in North Georgia that belong to these Christian sex cult pedophiles and call it a day. My girlfriend unfortunately was born into one of those families, and I know just how bad it can get. In fact, her dad’s lawyer threatened me with blackmail earlier in November, so that was fun!

And now, on December 11, 2020, I’m still sitting here in the same fucking house, doing the same fucking things I’ve been doing all year - trying to get a job and failing horribly. I’M SICK AND TIRED OF THIS COVID BULLSHIT AND OUR INCOMPOTENT CUNT OF A PRESIDENT! And there’s only ever one other person I’ve ever called a cunt... my own mother.

I’ve lived in many places. I’ve met many different people. I’ve made mistakes, and have grown, but there’s one thing for damn sure that I always make sure to do, every single fucking day.

I ALWAYS try to do better.

In addition to this, I treat everyone with the same amount of respect, unless they have done something directly to me to negate that. If I know that someone believes in something that directly harms me or my family, I don’t even associate with them. I don’t spend my energy on things that don’t need it. And everyone else should, too.

The problem with some of y’all is that you care about the wrong things. Like will Becky text me back or did I get front row seats to that concert, or did I slave my life away to capitalism just so that I can own a Mercedes and have my friends jealous. I’ve had way too many dear death experiences to know that EVERY single fucking day is a gift. EVERY day.

I don’t want to be remembered first for the art I create. I want to be remembered for my character. I want to be remembered as the courageous person who never backed down in the face of adversity. But when you live in a place that already hates you and that is against you, that’s really fucking hard. Trust me. My marriage went from a cis straight passing couple to a white gay passing couple. I’ve seen how people’s attitudes changed around me as I transitioned. I know what it feels like to slowly lose a piece of your privilege you were born with.

So yeah, I kinda get a little fucking upset when I see people saying All Lives Matter, or when I see doctors refusing to treat trans patients in pandemics, or when I see cops YET AGAIN harassing Black people only a few blocks away from my house for no other reason than racism. And at this point, anyone who thinks they know me but only knows what people think they know about me can suck my entire ass and eat ten dicks. I don’t give a FUCK about who you are or what you’ve done. If you treat me or other people with no respect for no reason other than to be an asshole, you’re just plain shit. If you SERIOUSLY believe every little rumor and lie that someone tells about me before meeting me, fuck you AND the horse you rode in on.

What I can’t stand is people doing or saying things just to get a rise out of me or others. I thought we left petty shit in high school. Some of the people that “know” me really need to fucking grow up and grow a pair and either say what they want to my face, or stay mad. I’m tired of playing fucking petty games with y’all. We have a whole ass pandemic to solve.

So here’s the ultimatum... if you agree that Black Lives Matter and that queer people deserve basic human rights, EVEN THE ONES YOU HATE, then that’s the bare minimum to even be a decent person. If you can’t even do those things, then I don’t fucking know what else to say to you.

So NBC, maybe not have John Mulaney joke about my license debacle with my gold van on SNL, and Seth Meyers... maybe HIRE ME INSTEAD of Mulaney because clearly y’all don’t know about the south as much as I do? Oh, and that gazeebo joke with Lee University... I caught that. I may have autism, but I’m not a fucking idiot. I mean. I’m funny when I’m given the chance. And yeah, I’m on a watchlist, but who the fuck isn’t these days? At least all my secrets are out for the world to see, and I have a bangin’ tattoo.

I’m tired of everyone being like “omg, I’ve seen what he can do, it’s fantastic!” or “omg you’re so funny haha” and bragging on me and then NOT FUCKING HIRING ME. I’m TIRED of waiting on something that’s clearly at this point never coming.

I don’t even have testicles, and my balls are bigger than most of the cis men I have EVER met.

So, if you want to help me, or hire me, or get me out to an audition... I’ll be there. But until then, I’m so fucking MAD at some of these producers. Yeah, my mom is a cunt, but she worked in various forms of digital production from the 1980′s until she retired this year. She taught me SO MUCH about directing, writing, shooting, and more. I know how these things are supposed to run behind the scenes. I know what the fuck I’m doing, and I don’t take constructive criticism like a bitch. I actually WANT to be criticized, so I can do even better.

So PLEASE, for the love of Christ... y’all need to get your priorities together AND PLEASE STOP LEAVING ME OUT OF THE LOOP WITH THIS BULLSHIT. Grow a fucking pair and either call me, email me, or leave me alone. It’s really not that fucking hard. Looking at you, Lorne Michaels.

Oh and someone tell my husband what the fuck’s been going on because I’m tired of him gaslighting me about it.

[return-of-a-space-cowboy]

A slave to fate

(Yandere Bruno Bucciallati X Female Reader)

Warning this chapter will contain sensitive topics, implied rape and drugs

Life had never been on your side. Living in the gangster capital of Italy made it hard for people to live with the temptations of drugs and sex, and unfortunately your parents were two of the many that died due to the temptations of this sinful city, and you had to pay their price now. You were Gangster property now and you knew that you would never escape this brutal lifestyle alive.

🌹🌹🌹

You were currently in a public bathroom fixing up your make up.

"Just what I needed darling" you heard your satisfied customer slur as he left. A shiver in disgust went down your spine, you could still taste him.

"God, I need a fucking drink" you mumbled to yourself as you walked out and started counting you're newly earned and filthy money.

"€145, I could spare a bit for a cola" you said to yourself as you walked to a vending machine and put in the required money and the cold beverage rolled out. You picked it up and twisted the cap, which let out a satisfying crack. Without hesitation you started to quickly gulp it down, the sweet bubbly beverage was bliss to your taste buds and the horrible bittersweet taste disappeared from your mouth.

Your job was not even close to done for tonight as if you came back with that much, it was sure that you would pay the price. You walked across the city, looking for an area to post at but sadly all of the hotspots had been taken. So you were left to post at a park. You wondered around hoping to find a potential customer.

It wasn't to long before you spotted a man heading your way so you gathered all of the nonexistent courage you had and spoke in your sweetest voice.

"Hello, are you lost, do you need any help" you said to him. God you felt ashamed of yourself, you felt your fake smile twitching.

"Get fucked you whore, I don't need your sex work" he spat at you before walking off. You sighed, tonight wasn't your night. You continued to walk around until you found a beautiful rose bush, it looked just like the ones that grandma used to have. You lifted one of the roses to your nose before inhaling it's sweet aroma, it was just like your mother's perfume. The scent carried you on a journey of nostalgia, but a voice quickly tore you mind back into reality.

"Never thought I'd see a prostitute admiring the landscape" the male voice said. You turned your head to the side to see the man behind you. He was a young man, around his early 20s. He had blue eyes and short black hair that was styled in an elegant bob, clipped by two gold pins and a braid across his hairs parting. His he wore a white suit with black pin design on it. Along with the insane amount of zippers. It also showed a lot of his bare chest, which was covered in tattoos. If his clothes had told you anything it was that he was filthy rich.

"Well you know what they say, take time to smell the roses" you lightly giggled to ease yourself.

"Your definitely not like the other, there's something different with you compared to other prostitutes I've met" he said as he walked closer to you.

"How so?"

"I don't know, you don't really suit being a prostitute... You're just too honest, your face doesn't hide how you feel" he said.

"Well that's just been me, I've been a honest person my whole life" you replied.

"Can we take this chat to a café perhaps?" He asked you.

"Yes I don't mind" you said as you began to follow him.

🌹🌹🌹

After 15 minutes or so, you both had arrived at a small cafe. You both sat down at a table on the second story.

"I'm sorry that I didn't ask you earlier for your name" he apologized.

"It's alright. My name is (Y/N)" you said.

"Is that your work name?" He asked you.

"No it's my real name, I don't really have a work name, but a lot of the girls I work with call me Roxanne"

"Well it seem only appropriate then that I tell you my name, my name is Bruno"

"Well it's a pleasure meeting you Bruno" you said as you both shook hands.

"I've been trying to stop myself from asking you this but why are you working as a prostitute? It doesn't suit you at all, you deserve better then that" he asked you. You didn't reply to his question.

"OK, I understand if you don't want to talk about it"

You both continued chatting about normal thing for what seemed like forever a lady came to take drink orders.

"(Y/N), you can order anything to drink, I'll pay" he offered you. You gave his a slightly sceptical look.

"How do I know your not trying to scam me?"

"Trust me, I'd never scam a woman. Only low lives do that"

"OK, I believe you" you said before ordering a drink. The conversion that you both had to lasted around 2 hour before you had to leave.

"Sorry Bruno, but I've got to head back or else my pimp is gonna have me working double shifts"

He grabbed out his wallet to pay the bill, he started mentally counting the money before placing some of it in bills envelope and handing the rest to you, you felt your blood go cold, was he just trying to be a 'nice guy' so he could get in your pants like the rest!

"Um, I'm sorry but my shifts over now..." You mumbled.

"No, you don't need to do anything. Take it as a mean of appreciation for talking to me, I know your pimp won't like seeing you coming back with little to no money" he explained.

"Thank you so much Bruno, really. No one has ever been so kind to me" you thanked him.

"Well I'm glad to have helped a person like you" he said as you both exit the cafe.

"Well I guess I'll tell you why I'm a prostitute, my parents were drug addicts... They were killed by the Giovanni gang... And now I'm paying their debt off by working as a prostitute" you explained before leaving.

As you ran off he couldn't help but stare. He felt a sudden cold chill across his body. Her parents had put their selfish wants before their child, they not only died for it but also left her behind to pay the debts. He had seen the sadness in her eyes but this was more then her eyes had let on.

🌹🌹🌹

Since then you had bumped into Bruno again. After that he revealed that he himself was a gangster, head of the buccirati gang, despite his newly revealed status you still treated him with the same respect you did before. You knew you would be killed if your boss found out about your interactions with him. So your contact with him was very secretive.

Unbeknownst of you, he had stared to fall for you, his empathy slowly evolved into an obsession. He knew that your work was going to kill you at some stage, so he started plotting away to get rid of the Giovanni gang for good and getting you into his arms.

🌹🌹🌹

You had finally gotten back from your long night of working, your perfume barely masking the putrid scent of sex.

“Rough night Roxanne?” One of your co workers said.

“Isn't every…” you mumbled trying not to cry. You had a terrible night. You had gotten into a deadly situation involving multiple armed men. You had bruises and you could barely walk, worst was you had to tell your boss.

After a quick shower you knocked on your bosses door.

“Come in” he said and you aided. He was sitting behind his desk smoking a cigar.

“So (Y/N) how was your night?” He said in a sly tone, he probably though your bruises were from some high paying sadist.

“Not so well… I got mugged” you mumbled.

“I can't hear you! Speak louder!” He yelled.

“I got mugged” you spoke a little louder. He gave you a glare and sighed, he was about to speak before a ear piercing scream was heard. You both rush out to find the source. You found everyone at the front door. A man lying on the floor with a bullet wound in his calf.

“Call the ambulance!” One of crowd shouted, another prostitute. Your pimp pushed past you and grabbed her by the hair before slamming her face down into the table.

“What are you, a fucking retard!” He yelled before slamming her face in again, blood started trickling down her face.

“If we do that they'll expose us!” He screamed as he continued to slam her face in. You couldn't take it anymore, you grabbed his arm, trying to prevent him from slamming her face again.

“Stop it, your going to kill her” you screamed as you tried to get his hands off of her, sure enough it did but it made you his new target. He grabbed you and threw you into a wall making you become disorientated. He then walked over and grabbed your shoulders.

“You think your a fucking hero! well your not! Your my bitch!” He screamed at you as he violently shook you.

“And you'll do what ever I fucking say” he continued as he began to drag you off.

You couldn't remember anything else that night. You were meant to be meeting up with Bruno today but you couldn't leave in this condition. So you stayed in helping out with whatever was needed.

🌹🌹🌹

After a few days the bruises faded and could now be hidden behind some foundation. You quickly imputed the number Bruno had given you into the payphone and it began to ring Once, twice and then he picked up.

“Yes hello?” he answered.

“Hello it's me (Y/N)” you responded.

“(Y/N) where have you been?” He said, hiding his concern.

“I was just busy with work that's all” you lied.

“Meet me at the where we arranged last time” he said before hanging up. You exited the booth and started to make your way to your meeting spot, completely unaware that you were being stalked.

🌹🌹🌹

You sat at the fountain until Bruno had arrived, then you both began to aimlessly walk around. Everything was normal until he said something out of the blue.

"I know you were lying. You weren't busy with work, if you were I would have seen you at some stage. Also I noticed that your wearing more conservative clothing then usual" he blatantly said. Which made your body twitch sightly.

"What was the real reason?" He asked as he stepped in front of you. You stayed silent.

"Please, I can't help you if you won't open up" he begged you. You sighed.

"I got mugged... And then when I came back a man had gotten shot. Someone wanted to call a ambulance... The boss didn't like that so he got aggressive, I tried to stop him but... It just turned his violence against me..." You began to sob. He put a hand on your shoulder.

"I promise you one day, that this will all be over..." He sighed as he pulled you into a hug.

"One day the cursed drug ring will collapse, then you'll be free..."  He said before he pulled you in for a unexpected kiss, the kiss only being for 3 seconds but the sweet taste of cherry balm still lingered on his. To him this was heavenly but you were horrified, the only guy that you thought you could have a neutral relationship with turned out to be wanting more. You became overwhelmed by emotions anger, fear, disgust yet you also felt something fuzzy inside you.

"If you just wanted sex from me you could have just said so from the beginning! But no! You had to play the nice guy and play with my heart!!!" You screamed Before you slapped him hard. He didn't flinch but the look he gave you was one you would never forget. It was a blank stare but the look in his blue eyes was one that could only be described as blood thirsty. Before he could say anything you ran off, leaving him alone again.

🌹🌹🌹

You had just arrived back to the dreaded house after your night of ‘work’, which you had spent most of it sulking to yourself. As you walked thought the door you could hear all off your co workers whispering. One of the girls noticed you.

“(Y/N)! The boss wants you, now!” She said demanding.

“Yes, OK” you responded as you walked the bosses room.

You got to his door and before you could even knock he opened it.

“(Y/N) I need to have a little chat with you” he hissed in voice dripping with venom before locking the door.

“A little birdie told me that one of my prostitutes was having a relationship with our rivals" he cooed as he pushed you into a chair.

“So I only found it suitable to get someone to investigate..." he continued as he gave you a ferocious look.

“And what do I find, that you were interacting with a member of Passioné!!” he Screamed as he wrapped his hands around your frail neck, he shook your body and bashed your head against the wooden frame. You saw the murderous expression in his eyes. You started splutter and gasp for air but it was no use, you were going to die. You started to slip in and out of continuous, you heard a phone ring and his hands let go. He picked up the phone, he silently listened and hung up.

“Your a fucking lucky bitch… Giovanni wants you so be fucking grateful that he's giving your sorry ass mercy"

"He want you to move to work for him directly" your boss stated. You could feel tears forming in your eyes and your mouth became dry. You were falling further into this dammed mafia lifestyle. Slowly you could see that light at the end of the tunnel that you kept running for dispersed into darkness.

🌹🌹🌹

For the last two days you had been locked inside one of the many bedrooms this building, only being let out for lunch. You were forbidden to leave the building until one of Giovanni's henchmen came to collect you. It felt so weird, but you missed the night lights, you missed the bustling city.

You looked out the window you looked down to see your former co workers disappearing into the night. You sighed as you grabbed the power cord of the alarm clock and sat on your bed. Your life had no meaning at this point, you were stuck in an endless cycle of depression. If you took your life now you could escape, you could finally be free. A knock on the door pulled you out of your thoughts.

"They're here" you heard the voice of your boss say as you heard the lock click. The door opened, and you saw the one person that you had wished never to see again. Your parent's murderer.

"It's been a long time..." He said monotonously almost like the voice of a robot. You refused to respond.

"You've grown up" he continued.

"I don't think your boss would be happy with you stalling" you spat.

"Well he said I could stay the night and he did ask me to test you out" he said while giving you a smug grin.

"If you think I'm going to have sex with the man who killed my parents, then your sadly mistaken!" you hissed at him. He gave you an irritated expression before pushing you to the ground and pinning you down.

"No, get off of me! I'd rather die!!" You screamed at him. He held both of your wrists in one hand as he used the other to grab out a syringe.

"I knew you weren't going to be easy" he said before violently stabbing the sharp syringe into your arm, you felt the foreign liquid being absorbed into your blood stream as you body started to numb and your vision contoured everything you saw into an abstract form and you started to fade in and out of reality, he had drugged you.

🌹🌹🌹

After some time later you finally got a grip on your mind again, it was still spinning but you we're sure majority of the high was over. You looked around, you were in bed naked, and that scumbag was lying down next to you. It had happened. You had sex with him, you weren't sure if you'd given him consent or not. You had a banging headache that felt like your skull was imploding on your brain. At this point you didn't care anymore you just wanted to go to sleep.

But to your dismay, the door had opened. At first you dismissed it but as the tapping sound of a person walking closer to the bed you started to grow anxious. You opened your eyes but everything was a distorted blur. You rubbed your eyes and looked at the door way.

Bruno was standing only a few steps away from the bed, his hatred filled eyes staring at something on your bedside table. The syringe. His eyes then shifted to you, his glance was enough to melt you. You wanted to speak but your throat was red raw and you had completely lost your voice. You wanted to move but even the slightest movement made you flinch.

Bruno walked to the other side of the bed. He stared down at the man who was sleeping beside you. They say that eyes were the windows to the soul. If this was correct, you were staring into the fiery inferno.

He then grabbed the man and slammed him into a wall and started beating him to a pulp. You sat up and his your naked body with the blankets.

"...Bruno..." Was all that your throat would allow you to say. He looked back at you for a split second before returning it to his victim, who was screaming in pure agony as to your horror, his body started to fall apart limb by limb. You didn't know how Bruno was doing this but is was horrific never the less.

A strange thought entered your mind. Maybe this was just a bad trip, maybe it's just a nightmare. You're probably just seeing him because of the fears that lied within your self-conscious. But what had just happened was confirmed real as he picked up your blanket covered form and walked out of the room.

"From now on I promise you that no one will hurt you ever again"

"And if anyone even so dares to touch you..."

"They will not take another breath"

[jinhoex]

rumors [ doctor!YoungK x nurse!Reader / medical field au ]

Genre [Rating]: normal [G]

Pairing: doc!YoungK x nurse!Reader Length: 2,6k Part [ I ], → (smutty?) part [ II ] maybe coming up if you want to idk???

// check out my masterlist [x] //

„Good morning, Mr. Kim. How are we today?“

The patient in front of you, in his mid 30s and a tired smile adoring his features, sighted instead of giving you an actual answer right away. He’s been one of the patients that has really grown to your heart since the last few weeks of his stay at the hospital. Not recording even a slightest bit of recover was frustrating, not only for him but you as well. Nodding understandingly, because this wasn’t anything new to you, you prepared a small cup, throwing in one pill of oxycodone, mixed with other pain reliever. „Take them as usual, then. Have you eaten already?“ Shaking his head, you moved over the tablet that stood on top of the dresser next to the door, placing it onto the small table hovering over Mr. Kim’s form. On top was an apple, a bowl of porridge and a glass of orange juice. „Then eat up before it starts getting cold.“ Seeing him smile on your way out made you feel a little bit less frustrated, his never changing condition most likely haunting you till the rest of the day. Being a nurse wasn’t easy despite the false assumptions people made. Nursing care is a complex profession. In fact, most nurses you knew probably do a lot more than people will ever realize. You may not get the same amount of media attention as physicians or surgeons, but you’re just as important, even essential for every stuck up doctor. You even possess expertise that other healthcare professionals don't have. That's why nurses absolutely deserve everyone's respect and appreciation. Without you, every hospital would cease to function, as would most other types of health and medical facilities.

But nonetheless, you were still under apprecciated. Not by most patients though. All those cat calls in the community room, the suggestive comments from assistant doctors, and the pushing around by doctors that just though they were something better than you only because a Dr. adorned their name tag. But in reality, nothing was different from you and the doctors. But they still thought different. As the main nurse on your station, you could at least give some orders, get treated a little bit better by all the specialists around. Some doctors, still liked to make you feel inferior and make you do stuff for them they could have done with their schedule... Walking towards the reception of your floor, floor 4C, you moved some paperwork around, adjusting your work desk nicely before turning on your computer. A few minutes after, you heard your name being called and looked up.

Surprised, you shifted in your seat, adjusting your light purple uniform, because damn. That man in front of you could get every woman in the room by just looking like that. And he surely knew that. Rumors were spreading like wildfire after his first two weeks at the hospital. Woman would fawn over him and every patient would be happy to have a doctor so nice to the eyes. After a short period of time he was ordered to be staying at station 4C due to undermanning. But rumors still kept spreading like wildfire. A lot of other nurses talked about having sex with him in the locker rooms or in empty patient rooms. Wether it was all made up or true, this could be some of the reasons you didn’t really like dr. Kang. At all. He looked up from his clipboard after scribbling down some notes. „Ms. [Y/N], would you please get Mr. Bang in Room 82 two Extra Strength Tylenol caplets (dose 600 mg each caplet) every 6 hours as needed (q6 PRN). Those are for-…“ „For more severe aches and pains, I know, Young Hyun .“ You finished his sentence, giving him the nicest (fake) smile you could muster at the moment, using his first name on purpose just like he did to you a few seconds earlier. Did this man have any manners at all? He only nodded, ripping out the paper he perviously wrote on, passing it towards you with a small frown on his stupidly perfect face. „Is there anything else I can do for you, Dr. Kang?“ Your sickening sweet voice even surprised yourself. You didn’t know what it was on him but there was something that made you not like this man. Maybe it was because he was handsome as fuck, and he knew that, or it was because of his superior act around your co-workers? You didn’t know. He was still different from the other doctors you had to work with before, you had to admit that. He was not as demanding. Not treating you like total shit and that in front of other people, making you feel even worse. No, he was different. Even though he was rather quite and introverted, never talking much about his private life with anyone on your station, you still took a liking to him. And you didn’t like that at all. Maybe that was the reason you always acted quite cocky around him, you didn’t know. „No that’s it. You’ve got nightshift today, don’t you?“ He asked to your surprise. Was interested in you? Or was he being just polite and having small talk to make things less tense around you. Answering with a short ‚yes‘ he only nodded again before taking his leave towards the elevator, his white coat only making his shoulders appear even broader from behind, you thought to yourself. You nearly didn’t notice the presence behind you only seconds after his leave and were quite startled hearing a man’s voice right next to your ear, his breath tickling your temple as you turned around immediately. „Man, you could cut that sexual tension with a knife whenever you two are together.“ Jea always thought the two of you could be banging in the nearest locker room. But you weren’t just going to be another woman on his list. Still, Jae would be the one to always make comments about you and Young Hyun being perfect for each other because of your strong personalities. Although the doctor was a rather leaned back guy, he could become irritated quickly. He’s the kind of person to get his way one way or another.

And to be honest, a strong mind has never been more appealing to you. Not that you ever spent a second thinking about you two becoming… a thing. But you would be lying if that messy long hair and his perfect smile weren’t on your mind sometimes. They way his big hands would caress your body, your back pressed against a wall, chills running down your spine as his fingertips find their way under your shirt-You shouldn’t be thinking about things like that, especially not at work. Shoving Jae lightly out of your way, you grabbed the note Dr. Kang gave you. Knowing that things wouldn’t get done if you stayed to have a heated conversation with your oh so chatty co-worker. Excusing yourself, you made your way towards the elevator, getting the things Young Hyun requested as quick as possible to erase him from your mind. You had to worry about other things than his muscular body pinning you against a surface while making sweet love to you. Oh well… Things went as expected for the rest of the day. You gave Mr. Bang the requested doses of pain reliever and started doing the paperwork that had been due for a week or two, never really having enough time to take care of it until now. Because there were only four patients on your station, none of them needing special supervision, you agreed to take that shift alone, allowing your colleague to leave early due to a relative’s birthday party. That was you Saturday nightlife. Sitting at the reception desk and preparing everything needed for the next day. Eventually you’d be finished with all the stuff. Stretching your tired limbs you let out a loud sight. All patients were asleep by now, nothing ordinary going on for two hours now. You took a look at your watch, noticing that it was already 1 a.m. Hearing footsteps made you freeze in you place. No other colleague was supposed to be here at this hour. You even checked the schedule hanging from the wall beside your place, noticing that your name was the only one written down on Saturday night 8p.m - 5 a.m. Standing up from your chair you moved towards the noises that were coming from the box room next to the reception. Taking in a breath you placed your hand on the doorknob, ready to open it in one swift motion to reveal the last person you expected to see. Two boxes nearly fell out of his hands due to the shock you gave him by pulling open the door. In the dim lit closet stood Young Hyun, his eyes big and mouth slightly open as if he was going to say something. But followed was a long silence. „What are you doing here?“ You asked the man in front of you in disbelief as he was just trying to recompose himself. He had taken off his white coat, revealing a nice dress shirt, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His cheeks flushed as he tried to explain to you how he wanted to prepare things for tomorrow. Instead of listening to his stutter, you wondered if that was the best thing to do on a Saturday night. He could’ve hooked up with some girl at the club at this hour. You were confused. Not wanting him to be there for the rest of your shift, you offered him to do the preparations yourself for him so he could go home. He shook his head. „No it’s fine. I uhm- don’t have anywhere else to go anyway. Might as well do something productive.“ You weren’t supposed to care anymore at this point, minding your own business and going back to work. You’d surely find papers to work on again. But you couldn’t tear your eyes away from the doctor. His tall figure was towering over you and you couldn’t stop yourself from gawking at his body until he cleared his throat awkwardly. „I can help. I mean, if you want me too, that is. I already finished my paperwork so that makes me free for the night.“ And you noticed how baffled he was as you suggested this. You never did that before, always giving him the cold shoulder when he entered a room and now you were suddenly suggesting him to help with his work? What happened? Nonetheless he was more than happy.

He’d never admit it out loud, especially not in front of his colleagues that always kept teasing him about it, but he kind of took a liking to you. All the rumors didn’t do him a favor in the first place, that’s why you probably weren’t very fond of him but he always tried to be nice towards you. Not too nice so no-one would suspect anything. He was a doctor and you were a nurse after all. What a cheesy cliche that is. „Yes. That would be great. I’ve got a lot of stuff to work on for the next decades.“ He joked, trying to remove the tension between the two of you. You let out a small laugh, following him towards his office. It was nicely decorates, the typical doctor utensils lying around here and there, a beautiful picture of a mountain trail hanging from the wall and the furniture seemed to be antique you weren’t even sure if you were allowed to sit on it. On top of everything were folders, documents and whatsoever. It was a mess.

„You’ll surely need decades to finish all this.“

You mumbled under your breath as you sat down on the chair next to the large window, only putting away a few sheets of paper to sit down fully.

„Where do we start?“

Was the only thing you asked him, a small smile creeping its way onto his lips. He was thankful already, you could tell.And so the two of sat down, rearranging folders, filling up documents, sorting out sheets of paper that were laying scattered around the room. It was a lot to do.

And after nearly three hours of working, you could hear a faint sight escaping Young Hyun’s lips. You were both sitting on the floor, legs touching each others as if there wasn’t enough room due to all the papers. He was rubbing his eyes, a few strands of hair falling into his face in the process. Tired couldn’t even describe how awful you two felt. You were sure both of you’d pass out the second you laid down. The night slowly faded away, rays of light falling through the window, illuminating the office.

„You know, I really appreciate your work. I really do.“

You were surprised at his mumbled words, his figure moving closer towards yours. His words made you proud. Never did anyone, besides the patients, praise your work and effort out loud. Tears were swelling up in your eyes, threatening to fall. You were so emotional right now, blame it on the nightshift. Out of your mouth only came a small thank you. But he heard it.

„I think it’s admirable. You always do your best. I wish I could have the determination do that. But becoming a doctor never was my dream, you know.“

„What did you want to be then?“

You asked him, a tired smile on your face as you moved closer to him, his face right I front of you and his legs on either side of your small frame. One of his hands was rubbing his neck and only now did you notice the first buttons of his his shirt were unbuttoned. His hair even messier because his hands would comb through them whenever he’d be too into one of the files, not even realizing that he’d ruin his hair.

„A singer or something, I don’t know.“ He answered, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink as he waited for you to respond.

„I didn’t know you could sing.“

„Well, you never asked. We never really came to the point where we talked about something else than patient files, or drug dosages. We basically never talk about anything but work.“

He was right, you really never talked to each other in a slightest private way. And it was no wonder. The doctor you talked to on a strictly professional basis was completely different from the man sitting across from  on the floor in his office, talking about childhood dreams. And you liked the second a lot more.

„It’s a shame though. To admit, I really like you.“

You were amazed by his statement. You always thought he didn’t like you the way he talked so shortly, never really making contact with your eyes. But you were happy he didn’t despise you. Because to be honest, you liked him too. All the daydreams you had in your pretty little head maybe had a deeper meaning than you initially thought.

„Well…I really like you too, if that’s what you wanted to hear.“

You mumbled after an everlasting silence. He exhaled deeply, grinning like a child. And so suddenly, his hand was placed at the back of your neck, pulling your face towards his, his lips crashing onto yours in a heated, but also careful kiss.  

✒︎ part II maybe coming up?

[wildernessuntothemselves]

Ex’s & Oh’s

Word Count: 3.8k Author’s Note: This song is part of the song drabble game and it’s inspired by Ex’s and Oh’s by Elle King. However, it ended up taking a different tone than that of the song but I think it’s for the best. I feel like I’ve invariably made this a “How I think BTS would be like in dating and in bed” in fic form fml. Please don’t be offended by any negative portrayals of the boys, this is just a silly fic, don’t take it seriously.  Oh, and there is a teeny bit of a twist at the end ;) You can read the first installment of the song drabble game by clicking on the following: Back To Black (Tae), It Will Come Back (Suga), Florida Kilos (Sana), and Je Suis Malade (Mina). 

The situation you were in was absolutely ridiculous. You felt like you were in a really bad drama. The most cliche kind, but here you were in real life, your parents demanding that you find a suitable suitor or else you would be cut off from the family fortune. What kind of fucked up situation is that?

You couldn’t protest much. After all, you were an adult now, and you shouldn’t still be relying on your parents’ money. But the way you think of it is that your parents are extremely well off. You’ll inherit enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your life, if not more, provided that you don’t have kids to waste your money on, and clearly, you weren’t planning to do that, not that you’d ever tell your parents, not until you absolutely have to anyway. So why toil through some thankless job and live your life in a constant state of misery and stress when you could just enjoy your life with the money you take from your parents?

And they were more than happy to oblige, saying that their money was made for you and your siblings anyway. But apparently, that money doesn’t come for free. There is a hefty price attached to it, your freedom. So much for unconditional parental love.

They say they’re doing it for you so that you wouldn’t spend your life alone. They’re not going to be by your side forever. Who’s going to take care of you when you’re sick? Blah blah blah.

They suggested finding a suitor for you if you didn’t want to do it yourself. Hah! as if you’d let them do that. You’re not a house cat they can pick and choose a mate for.  No, you’re just going to have to find a guy you tolerate enough to marry. Maybe you’d make it clear to him that it’s just for show.

But no, then he might blackmail you and try to get some money out of it. You can’t do that.

Maybe when your parents find you “happily” dating someone they’d forfeit the marriage thing and let you be. Afterall, they said they wanted your happiness, and that doesn’t necessarily mean marriage.

You wouldn’t have agreed to this whole absurd situation if you weren’t thinking about it yourself already. You didn’t have the best track record when it comes to dating but you were at that age where all your friends were starting to get married one by one. You woke up one day and suddenly everyone else had their own lives and families and you were all alone. Watching your friends interact with their partners, the subtle touches, the meaningful gazes… they rekindled a need within you, and you found yourself wanting what they have.

You needed a man from a good family, someone charming and classy, someone your parents would eat up, and that’s why you chose Jin.

He was a parent’s wet dream. He hailed from an old and respected family, who were very well off themselves. He knew exactly the right way to act in every situation. Every action he did was graceful and every sentence strung beautifully. He was also his family’s only son, set to inherit the whole business and he was leading it like he already did.

For your part, he was total eye candy. Tall, dark, and handsome. If he had lived long enough in the past, you would have easily believed that prince charming was inspired by him. He knew how to treat a woman, always respectful and thoughtful. He opened doors for you, pulled back your chair, never let you exert yourself. In short, he completely pampered you.

And damn, those shoulders on him! When you were wrapped up in his arms, you believed that nothing could hurt you.

But as the days went by, you realized the nasty power of nostalgia. It can make shit look like chocolate through its rose tinted glasses. Prince charming only looked good in the past, but if you bring him to the present, he’s just another sexist asshole in beautiful packaging.

To say Jin was old fashioned would be an understatement. Yeah he never told you to clean the house and make him a sandwich, he had servants for that, but he believed that a woman had her place and a man had his, and they should never overlap. Any questions you had about his business, just to make conversation, just to ask how he’s been, were quickly brushed off with a metaphorical pat on the head and an unsaid “Look, she thinks she’s people.”

In almost everything, Jin treated you like a queen, but he belittled your intelligence and doubted your abilities. You never really cared about work anyway, but being told you can’t do it… that was unacceptable. You had the right to choose and you were just as smart as him, you just chose not to utilize it.

The final straw was when he casually mentioned taking over your part of the company when you get married and after your parents die. He said it so matter-of-fact, like there was no question about it, that you couldn’t stop yourself from throwing your drink at him. It was red wine too. Good luck getting that stain out, asshole. Nobody talks about your parents dying, nobody tells you what to do with your parents’ hard earned money.

Maybe insulting his vanilla sex life on your way out was a bit too much, but it felt so good. You hadn’t politely faked way too many orgasms in order not to bruise his inflated ego, just to deal with this shit. You’ll miss his dad jokes though. They were stupid but only in the most hilarious way.

You needed someone different. Someone who would be the complete opposite of Jin, and you found that person in Namjoon.

Namjoon was an example of a hard worker. He came from a middle-class family but that’s not where he’ll stay. He was destined for great things. No one could challenge his work ethic and no one could match wits with him.

He made you strive to be a better version of yourself. He encouraged you to care about your family’s legacy and not to squander their efforts like that. Late night talks with him were always revealing, making you discover aspects of yourself you never knew existed.

You wouldn’t expect such an illustrious man to be such a beast in bed but oh god he was. He was all daddy-like and dominating. Pinning you with his smoldering eyes and giving a smirk that shows just a hint of his dimples. He ordered you around and punished you when you misbehaved. You’d think after Jin’s domineering attitude you would be turned off from dominant men forever, but Namjoon knew just how to play you so you’d willingly submit, beg for it even.

He was the perfect specimen.

Sadly, you yourself were very flawed. You just couldn’t keep up with him. He demanded more out of you than you were willing to give. You were a lazy bitch, you knew it, and it would do you no good to pretend that you aren’t. It would only make you burn out. So you had to let him go, He deserved to find his superwoman who would rule the world by his side.

New money, you could smell it on him from a mile away. Still, he was a breath of fresh air after the grind that was your time with Namjoon.

Taehyung lived a life of luxury, compensating for all the things he was deprived of as a child. Gucci was his favorite brand, perhaps the only one he knew. He dressed himself in it from head to toe. His phone case was Gucci, hell even his socks were Gucci. Overkill, he reeked of it.

But he knew how to dress, unlike so many others like him. He had a peculiar fashion sense, but it somehow fit him. It might be because he had the visuals of a god. You suspected he could make a trash bag look fashionable.

If Namjoon was a beast in bed then this boy was a freak. He always came up with the most perverted stuff. Apparently, he had nothing to do with his time pre-fortune other than coming up with creative ways to fuck the girls who were throwing themselves at him even then. He had learned quite a few tricks in his time.

You’d began avoiding him when you knew he would want to have sex, not because you didn’t enjoy it, but because it was always so intense you felt like it would kill you.

Taehyung never spared anything on you, showering you with gifts, taking you out for dinner in places even you have never been to, taking you on impromptu vacations on his private jet. You’d began expecting him to invite you over for marshmallows toasted over a bonfire made from stacks of cash, or taking you golfing where the balls are made with fist-sized diamonds.

Nobody would ever call you stingy, but you felt like you would have a stroke from watching the amount of money he could blow in a single day. You tried talking to him about it multiple times, but he wouldn’t listen. He suffered to get this far and he was going to enjoy it. Nevermind that by this rate he’d run through his entire fortune, and yours too if you marry him, soon enough. He was too blinded by the glamorous life to care.

Well, you weren’t going to marry someone just to have him spend your money for you. As for Taehyung, he was getting tired of you avoiding him, and soon enough you caught him in bed with not one but two women at the same time.

Caught is a strong word, it wasn’t like he was trying to hide it. To him, it was just another thing he could buy with his money.

You didn’t stick around long after that, but you didn’t leave without making sure to “accidentally” smash his favorite, really expensive camera.

You were done with business men, they were too jaded. You needed someone who hasn’t witnessed enough of the world to lose all hope in it.

Optimism lies personified in Hoseok. He’s truly an admirable person. He has dedicated his life helping kids growing up in less than ideal situations, channel their anger and fear into dancing. He was the reason a lot of these kids were still with one foot firmly in this world. He always knew what to do and what to say to make someone’s day. You must have saved a country in your past life to get someone like him to notice you.

He didn’t have a lot of confidence in himself but to you he was beautiful. His smile lit up the world, a contrast to his eyes that held a profound sadness you were scared to touch but that made him human and not the angel you sometimes mistake him for.

There was an intensity in his love-making that was reminiscent of his dancing in the way that they were the only aspects of his life where he was one hundred percent honest with himself. The emotional aspect of it touched you in ways that sometimes freaked you out, but that made the orgasms all the more soul-shaking.

His voice was raspy in the most soothing ways. Your favorite time of day was the early minutes of every morning he’d spend gearing you up to face the world ahead of you. He said the silliest things, things you’d roll your eyes at if they were said by anyone else, but he made them sound reasonable.

Until they didn’t. He dealt with every problem the same way, no matter its magnitude, as if every problem could be fixed with a smile and an unfounded belief that things will get better. Which was the cause of endless one-sided arguments with him, where you’d try to get him to be more proactive and he’d smile and nod then repeat to you one of his many feel good quotes.

You later realize that his optimistic attitude was more for his sake than anyone else’s. If he lives by it long enough then maybe he’d believe it. Fake it till you make it.

You tried to get him to open up. Knock down his brightly painted walls and get to the root of the problem but he resisted with all his might. You don’t know what exactly you would have done if he had actually let you in, you sensed that whatever was behind his sad eyes was way out of your scope. You tried anyway but you guess you’ll never know because soon after that he broke up with you.

You were disrupting his bubble.

To hell with dreamers. What this day and age requires is a man rooted firmly in fact.

Despite being a musician, Yoongi wasn’t the least bit inclined to their fanciful ways. he was a tell-it-like-it-is kind of person while still seeming to possess a secret key to an endless supply of creative genius.

With Yoongi, you learned for the first time the meaning of comfortable silence. You didn’t have to compulsively fill every pause in conversation with mindless chatter to avoid the creeping insecurity it inspires. You learned how to be partners and not other halves. You both lived your own independent lives that you shared together.

Yoongi was a man of few words but that only made the times he spoke truly count. He loved sharing his music with you. You could see that your wide eyed admiration really got to him. It made all his hard work seem worth it.

Yoongi came from a harsh background. He sacrificed so much for his craft. He gave it his all, and so seeing the woman he loves be so enamored with it felt like a divine reward.

He often bragged about his ‘tongue technology’ on his mixtapes, and you were blessed to know that this wasn’t only restricted to his rapping. Rumors about his laziness were completely unfounded when he could spend hours eating you out. His style of love-making was languid and easy going, not because he lacked the energy to go harder but simply because he loved to take his time and savor the moment.

To no one’s surprise, Yoongi eventually found success. Some would say he sold out, you knew better, but it still didn’t stop you from throwing those insults at him. With his newfound success, there was simply no time to spend on you. Even those comfortable silences you so enjoyed became too distracting for him because of your uncontrollable tendency to talk. Who could blame you? It was the only time you got to see him anymore.

In the end, you had to give him an ultimatum: Either he finds a way to spend a little bit of time with you or you part ways. You could see the pain in his eyes, but he was too good of a man to continue this relationship when he knew it would only be hurting you.

Yoongi taught you the meaning of 'The One That Got Away’.

You vowed to yourself that you’d never again love someone who wasn’t going to put you first.

Jimin loved in excess. He contained so much love in his tiny body enough for two people. He was a veritable teddy bear, the protagonist of a K-drama. Always writing you little love notes, bringing you thoughtful little gifts for no other reason than his happiness to have you around. He was incredibly considerate, no down, no matter how slight, was missed by him, and he made sure to never leave you upset by anything in the world.

Jimin was a true switch. He fit the role of a dominant, submissive, and everything in between perfectly. There was never a dull moment with him. He knew just how to mix it up. And that ass was sculpted by the gods. You’d often catch yourself staring at it like a hormonal teenager.

You never were a much of a fan of kissing, to the derision of all your friends, but you had a newfound passion for it with Jimin, a late awakening. He had the softest, most sweet lips of anyone who has ever existed, and you took the chance to kiss them every chance you got.

Jimin taught you the importance of communicating your feelings. He never left anything unsaid. And maybe that’s why the cracks in your relationship came to light much sooner than it would otherwise have. You see, for Jimin it was all or none, and he demanded the same of his partners. You gave him your all until you had nothing left to give but you still came up woefully lacking. He ran you dry. You just didn’t possess the amount of love he did. You’d come to know that some people just felt everything more strongly.

Unfortunately, for Jimin, he couldn’t tell the difference between that and you not loving him. He just couldn’t wrap his mind around the idea that not everyone was made like him. How could he possibly fathom your dearth of emotions when he himself had so much.

You weren’t sure who ended it. He who was convinced that you were withholding your love from him, or you who were beginning to think that there was really something wrong with you.

Jungkook was a desperate move on your part, you admit it, but he was a sweet guy, incredibly funny and smoking hot, smart and perseverant. He still retained much of the vigor of childhood in him and he taught you to let loose, to not rush yourself into old age yet. He made you feel connected to the world.

When that boy set his mind to something, he let nothing distract him, and that trait extended into the bedroom. He made it his mission to learn where all your buttons were and how to push them. He was insatiable. His eyes twinkled with mischief and he loved nothing more than to tease. Unpenetrable patience was the inevitable side effect of being with him.

Jungkook was a Jack of all trades, master of none. He was eternally flaky. And despite sometimes seeming to possess a level of maturity beyond his years, he was still a young adult after all, and you weren’t prepared to place your bets on him, just for him to decide he actually wants something else.

He took it badly. You now realize that you might have been his first heartbreak. Even though you were sad for him, and for yourself, you didn’t feel too guilty. Everyone needs a first heartbreak. He’ll learn much from it, about himself and about others.  

You appreciated the time you had with every single one of them and treasured everything they taught you, keeping it close to heart and making use of it to live your life to the fullest. But in the end, you were back to square one.

Your parents had witnessed it all, all the heartbreak you had experienced and caused, and they had since forfeited their order. But what use was it when you have already tasted love and now yearned for it?

Maybe you really weren’t destined for it, after all, you muse as you shift your eyes around the meeting you were currently in and obviously paying no attention to.  A pair of eyes catch yours, a stunning gorgeous pair of eyes that belong to an even more beautiful face. The face smirking at you from across the table is a familiar one. It belongs to an employee of a company you were doing business with.

The woman was alluring, to say the least. You always listened to her when she talked, everyone did, that’s why you weren’t listening today, she was silent, but she was apparently observing you. For how long, you didn’t know. Your face heats up. You hope you didn’t have a derp face on while you were zoning out, the last thing you want to do is to embarrass yourself in front of her.

She was the perfect woman. Smart, accomplished, confident, sexy, assertive, and ambitious. God, she intimidated you. You both loved and hated attending these meeting with her. You were always self-conscious around her, but you risked humiliation just to be near her and hear her unique voice once a week.

She raises an eyebrow at you and you realize you’ve been staring. God, why were you such an embarrassment to yourself! You put your cold hands on your cheeks, trying to soothe the flames contained in them.

Thankfully the meeting ends, and you get up and attempt to make a run for it, and hopefully, you’ll regroup and be prepared for next week’s challenge… but a voice stops you in your tracks.  

You scrunch your face, cursing your legs for not being more agile, then turn around towards her, offering her your best smile, trying to undo everything that happened in the last fifteen minutes with it. “Yes, Miss Kim?”

“Oh, you make me sound so old. Call me Hyuna, and I’ll call you ___. Deal?”

The sound of your name on her lips makes your knees turn to jelly and you hang onto the door to stop them from buckling.

“Deal.” You squeak, then clear your throat. “I noticed you didn’t say anything today. I normally look forward to your remarks and speeches. They’re very helpful. You’re very smart.” You babble, suddenly finding the doorknob very interesting.

To your surprise, she doesn’t tease you or make a snide remark about you saying you look forward to listening to her talk. Instead, she laughs sweetly and gushes, “You think so? It’s such an honor to hear that from the daughter of such an influential businessman.”

“Oh, that’s only my father’s work. I really know nothing about the business. It’s all him and my siblings.” You shrink back, ashamed.

“Hey, look at me.” Hyuna coaxes, and when you look up you’re startled to see her standing only a few inches away from you. “You’re capable of great things. I can see it in you. You just need to find something you’re passionate about.”

You flush, looking down and whispering, “Thank you.”

“And the first step to do that,” Hyuna says, lifting your chin up to look at her, “Is to never be afraid to look anyone in the eyes.”

You smile, but can’t really follow her order when she is biting her lip so enticingly. You shake your head and muster up every kind of strength left in your shaky body to say, “Hey, we have a cafeteria here on the third floor. It’s horrible, the worst coffee you’ll ever taste but, um, would you like to go down for a cup anyway?”

Her eyes light up in a way that screams 'Finally’. Or maybe you were just imagining it, but she smiles and says, “I’d love to.”

Author’s Note: This was written with the help of some great ideas from my lovely readers. It's really different than anything I’ve done before. I hope you guys liked it. Any kind of review is greatly welcomed. 

[ellymackay]

3 Ways to Improve Sleep and Productivity While Working from Home

3 Ways to Improve Sleep and Productivity While Working from Home is republished from https://www.ellymackay.com

It’s happening throughout the world right now: people working indefinitely from their homes. I heard from a reader recently who’s gone from an office to a permanent work-from-home arrangement. For a lot of us, there’s no end in sight to this new way of working. I’ve kept a home office for many years, in addition to my clinical practice. Even as someone who has some real experience working from home, I can say, this experience is different—not least of which is because everybody else in my family is home so much of the time, too! 

Before I go any further, I want to acknowledge that not all of us are able to work from home. Frontline, essential workers, and others having been going to work every day for months, enabling so many millions of us to stay mostly at home, or return to our workspaces partially and gradually. These folks deserve our attention, respect, and gratitude. 

Today’s topic IS about working from home, which so many of us ARE doing. Specifically, I’m talking about how to create a home workspace that allows you to be productive and supports healthy sleep.

I’ve talked about how to create the best bedroom environment for sleep. Tending to your sleep environment is a core element of good sleep hygiene, and critical to maintaining a healthy sleep routine. 

Our home workspaces need this kind of attention, too, to fuel our productivity and to help protect our nightly rest. Sleep isn’t divorced from the rest of our day; to the contrary, everything we do throughout our waking day can affect our sleep, for better or worse. How we choose to stage our work lives at home will influence how well, or not, we sleep at night. 

BONUS: The tips I’m about to share with you for creating sleep-supportive, productivity-enhancing workspaces all apply to kids and schoolwork too! If you’ve got students of any age studying from home this summer or fall, keep these strategies in mind for them. In California, where I live, most schools will not be reopening in the fall. That means kids are learning from home, and that means parents will need to keep up their WFH routine. 

I’ll talk more soon about managing sleep for kids and young adults during what’s shaping up for most of us to be an unprecedented school year. 

Don’t work in your bedroom. But here’s what to do if you must. 

This is important. Keep your work and your work life (emails, Zoom calls, Slack, updating your calendar, etc.) away from your bed and your bedroom. I tell my patients all the time: bedrooms are for sleep and sex. That’s it. Especially in these work from home times, psychological and physical boundaries between work and sleep are critical. 

That said, I recognize that this won’t be possible for everyone. The reader who reached out to me about help with a home-office set up that wouldn’t interfere with her sleep is one of these folks, who needs to use her bedroom as a workspace. Here are my suggestions for how to make this work: 

DON’T work in bed. You can zone your bedroom to include space for work, but keep your bed itself a work-free zone. This goes for everyone, whether you’re using your bedroom as a quasi-office or not. This way, your bed maintains its status as a refuge, a place of relaxation, pleasure, and rest. 

DO create a designated work area. To avoid working on your bed as a default option, pick an area of your bedroom that you’ll use to work. If possible, give it some physical segregation from the rest of your bedroom. Maybe there’s a closet you can slip a standing desk into? Or a corner of the room where you can set up—ideally, near a window? Add a couple of floor plants to section off the spot. The idea here is to focus your work activity to the same, designated area of your bedroom, so the rest of the room stays free of work, and of the association with work in your mind. 

DO keep a light footprint. Don’t leave work materials and electronics laying around your bedroom, even within the area you’ve designated for work.  At the end of your work session, pack up your work gear and store it somewhere other than your bedroom. Staring at your notes for an upcoming meeting, or your folded laptop, while you’re trying to wind down—or get intimate—isn’t going to help your sleep or your love life.  Make a ritual of closing up your bedroom work area at the end of the day, and removing your work life from your sleep space. 

DO set concrete hours for working—and stick to them. New research from a team of journalists at the Harvard Business Review suggests what a lot of us probably have felt over the past several months: that managing work-life boundaries while working from home is one of the toughest parts of this seismic change in our work lives. If your primary workspace is your bedroom, it’s even more important to designate hours for working, and to abide them consistently. Waking up and grabbing your laptop from bed, grabbing just 10 more minutes messaging in your Slack channels before lights out, thinking about work as you’re trying to relax and fall asleep—these are just a few of the ways your work life can permeate your bedroom, and change how you feel about the space. That’s going to affect how you sleep, and not for the better. Set your hours and when the work day is done, make sure it’s really done—and stays that way until your next day’s designated start time. 

The rest of these strategies apply to everyone, including anyone who is working from their bedrooms. 

Set yourself up to get some morning sunlight

If your individual environment allows it, working outside for parts of the day can be one of the benefits of this work from home experiment we’re conducting. (The reader who wrote to me is NOT in a position to work outdoors—but this IS a good alternative to limit the amount of time one needs to work from their bedroom.) Whether you’re working outdoors or in, set yourself up to soak up some sunlight early in the day. You’ll boost your levels of Vitamin D, which plays an important, often overlooked role in sleep. I wrote about the benefits of Vitamin D for sleep here. (Many adults are chronically low on Vitamin D, and that has negative consequences for sleep.  Here are 5 vitamin deficiencies that interfere with sleep.)  

There’s strong body of research showing the benefits of morning light for mood, performance, health and sleep. 

Exposure to natural light in the morning increases attention and focus, through a number of pathways, including: 

Strengthening circadian rhythms, which exert control over cognitive performance as well as sleep

Suppressing melatonin, a hormone that facilitates sleep. Low melatonin=more alertness. 

Increasing activity in areas of the brain responsible for concentration 

Morning exposure to natural light also lowers depression and anxiety and increases positive mood, helping us feel more energized and with a greater sense of well being, according to research. 

Every one of these benefits can help you be more productive during your work time. They all deliver a second round of benefits when it comes to your nightly sleep. Morning light exposure has been associated with sounder, more restful sleep with fewer awakenings, and needing less time to fall asleep at the start of the night. The effect of early day light exposure on stress, anxiety and depression also play a role in improving the quality of sleep. 

Spend some work time outside on your patio. Set up a workstation near a window that gets morning light. Paying attention to this seemingly small detail of your workday can deliver big dividends for your productivity and your nightly rest. 

Don’t just think about the where—also think about the when.  

It’s natural for most people to think about where you’re going to work from your home. But thinking about the when of your home work routine is equally important—and can actually help you determine your optimal home office set up. Your individual chronotype has a lot to say about your best times for work. I wrote earlier this spring about how our individual chronotypes are affecting the ways we live and work during the pandemic. You can also read all about how your chronotype affects every aspect of your life, from sleep to sex, in my book, The Power of When. (First step? Identify your chronotype by taking this short quiz, at www.chronoquiz.com.) 

Broadly speaking, Lions will be at their most productive in the morning. Bears hit their productivity stride during the middle hours of the day. Wolves reach peak productivity in the afternoon and early evening. Late afternoon is also prime productivity time for Dolphins. And let’s remember, there are different types of productivity to consider. There’s the hyper-focused, analytical and task driven productivity that we all need to take care of certain types of work. And then there’s the more conceptual, creative, thought-driven and big-picture work that requires a different mindframe. For each chronotype, those types of work happen at different times during the day. Both your individual chronotype and the kind of work you need to accomplish in any given session can influence how and where you set up your work space. 

For example, a Lion who needs to create a detailed outline for a presentation, with their analytical brain in full swing, will get their best work done between about 10 a.m. and noon.  If you’ve got school-aged kids or especially teens in the house, trying to work at your kitchen island during these hours is a likely to be a recipe for frustration. You need a quiet, focus-friendly space. On the other hand, if you’re a Lion at the early, brainstorming phase of that presentation, you’ll do your very best conceptual thinking even earlier in the morning, around 6-7 a.m. The Wolves and Bears in your family are still asleep, your kitchen is empty, and a comfortable, productive place to soak up the silence—and the early morning sun–while you think through your ideas. 

I’m a Wolf, so my peak concentration times happen in the mid- to late-afternoon. But I can do things like update my calendar and weed out my inbox during the late morning. That relatively light work I’ll often take out to the patio, or near the pool where my kids are likely to be. For my deep concentration productivity in the afternoon, I head straight to my office and close the door. 

Every chronotype has best times to do different types of work. Thinking about the optimal when of work will help guide you to the ideal where and how. I always love hearing from you with any and all questions about sleep, keep them coming! 

Sweet Dreams, 

Michael J. Breus, PhD, DABSM

The Sleep Doctor

www.thesleepdoctor.com

The post 3 Ways to Improve Sleep and Productivity While Working from Home appeared first on Your Guide to Better Sleep.

from Your Guide to Better Sleep https://thesleepdoctor.com/2020/07/21/3-ways-to-improve-sleep-and-productivity-while-working-from-home/

from Elly Mackay - Feed https://www.ellymackay.com/2020/07/21/3-ways-to-improve-sleep-and-productivity-while-working-from-home/

[personalcoachingcenter]

Learn What You Should Know About Becoming A Leader

New Post has been published on https://personalcoachingcenter.com/learn-what-you-should-know-about-becoming-a-leader/

Learn What You Should Know About Becoming A Leader

Regardless of how many people you are in charge of, good leadership is a must. You have to have the same kinds of skills to help a group be led in an effective way, while getting the respect you deserve. You should apply the tips presented in the following article to become a better leader.

Creativity must be sparked by a good leader. Taking risks and being creative brings great rewards. Keep exploring possibilities and stay curious. Keep your ideas current, even if they aren’t catching on. This allows you to incorporate others’ ideas into the overall plan.

Whenever you deal with a fellow employee or a customer, it is crucial that you are ethical. This is important for any business that wants to be successful. Customers respect a company which has strong values. If your company’s staff adhere to your ethics, you will ensure success.

Leaders must be definitely geared towards goals and the future. You have to know what it takes to see the future so you can figure out how to plan for what’s coming up. You will not always be sure of what is going to happen, but over time this will become one of your skills. Keep asking yourself where you’d like to be in a year or so, and make plans for that.

Work hard at being approachable. Being so intimidating that people are afraid to talk to you is a bad idea. This will only cause you to be disrespected and loathed. While you don’t want to make the mistake of letting others walk on you, show others you’re there for them and care about their job, too.

To be an effective leader in business, never lower your standards in order to compete. If your competition is doing tasks that make you feel uneasy, try finding alternatives to compete. There are other ways to do things, and you need to seek them out. If you make up new strategies, then you can have a clear conscience concerning your decision.

Don’t do anything dishonest or shady. You need to follow through with promises in order to garner trust. If you say that you’re giving the best service possible, then you have to teach the employees that work for you what it takes to give people great service.

Make ethical choices. Every sound business must be ethical. When people know that you’re working with their interests in mind, they will start to view your company in a more positive light. By developing a set of moral responsibilities for your company’s employees, you can help ensure that the rules are followed.

Set missions and goals for the entire company. Everyone loves to have goals, and leaders are able to set goals for people. Do not let your goals disappear after you have established them. Have monthly meetings about your goals, and make sure that the whole team is accountable for accomplishing them.

When you set goals for your project or team, make them rigorous, but not impossible to attain. You are setting yourself up to be disappointed if the goals are out of reach. That will in fact prove you aren’t a good leader.

Hire a variety of folks for your company. Cultural, age and educational diversity will give you a broader range of perspectives. Try not to hire an entire team that is similar to you. You will not get the innovation you need. It may also lead to a company that fails based on your weaknesses.

If you lead, or manage, a group of people, let them know how much you appreciate them. It takes only seconds or minutes to email or write a thank you, or to support someone else, and it goes a long way in the eyes of others. This tiny gesture goes a long way in improving morale, and it doesn’t cost you a dime.

Keep your promises always. Follow through with promises always. If you aren’t able to, make sure you let your team know why. Welching on promises and changing plans for no apparent reason will gain you no respect.

Do not seclude yourself. A good leader helps the group to grow in a positive manner. Those around you can offer invaluable advice through collaboration. They help with decision making by giving different perspectives. That way, you can concentrate on leading, which you do best.

Trust in your instincts. You are in a leadership position because your instincts have been right so far. You cannot avoid making a mistake now and then. Be accountable for your decisions and learn from your mistakes. Don’t forget the mistakes that have happened because you need to keep remembering so you don’t make similar mistakes.

Tenacity is a key characteristic of a good leader. When things start to go wrong, the team is going to look at you to see how they should be reacting. If you focus on fixing the issue, the obstacles will be surmounted. When you are persistent, the group will be motivated to continue on.

Managers and leaders need to make sure the whole teams feels safe and comfortable. If your team’s work space is unpleasant, it will affect the quality and amount of work. Make sure the temperature is comfortable and your workers are hydrated and happy.

Be a good communicator. You need to become an excellent listener so others feel comfortable about talking to you. Don’t ignore someone who has a suggestion to make. Be sure you listen to all complaints and suggestions.

You should organize your work carefully and let others know you have high standards. If you come off as disorganized, your employees will likely follow suit. Once you have clearly outlined all of the necessary goals, it will become easier.

Prepare yourself ahead of talking to your team. Always consider the questions that might be asked. Think of answers for the questions. Employees have more respect for leaders who are able to answer their questions. It will save valuable time, too.

Successful leaders praise their employees when they do well, in addition to simply criticizing less than stellar performance. Try to always find about five positive things for every one negative thing. This boosts morale and helps with communication. This will impact positively on the relationships with your subordinates.

Good leaders should show others a positive way of handling things. While it can be difficult to remain upbeat and optimistic when times are tough, doing so will go a long way toward improving your leadership skills. Team members will pick up on your demeanor and feel better and more hopeful.

If you want to be seen as a great leader, encourage your employees to grow both professionally and personally. Businesses thrive when work staff feels inspired by those who lead them, learn from their leader’s solutions and receive support in a variety of ways. A good leader is committed to providing the help their employees need.

You need to come up with goals for your company. Everyone enjoys working towards a goal, and people that lead will find ways to get goals reached in an easy way. Do not let your goals disappear after you have established them. Have monthly meetings about your goals, and make sure that the whole team is accountable for accomplishing them.

A good leader evaluates their effectiveness often. Know your strengths and weaknesses. A great leader will try to enhance the strengths they possess and work on their weaknesses.

Value who your employees are regardless of where they’re from, their race, or their sex. A surprising number of corporate leaders believe that white males have more potential than others. Prejudice is an ugly, restrictive trait that does not lend itself to effective leadership.

Be humble in all that you do, and greatness will follow. Most people would prefer to work beneath people that have a sense of humility. When you show you can be humble, then you are showing appreciation to those around you and that you have a way with people. This will lead to everyone trying to do their best.

Successful leaders often evaluate progress at the end of each work day. You might solicit others who are willing to help with your analysis. This helps to build a sense of camaraderie as suggestions and changes are presented and rapport is built.

There are some skills which are vital to leading your group. It doesn’t matter if you are a team leader or the CEO of a company, effective leadership is essential to run a business properly. Use the advice in this article to command respect and be a good leader.

[nemesis-nexus]

Hail Marduk Omnipotent Satan and Father to us all, hear us! The world has lost its collective mind and this is evident everywhere you look. You have animals on the endangered species list being removed from said list because apparently it’s too much trouble to protect them even if said protection is to keep them ALIVE and prevent them from going EXTINCT! I will never understand why the human race thinks that it is above everything else on this planet when its own actions demonstrate that it clearly is not – EVERY other species on this planet adapts as best it can to the habitat around it and rarely, if ever, takes more than it actually needs to survive whereas the human race takes and takes and takes and rarely gives back or leaves anything for anyone else to utilize for its survival – and believe it or not, that’s not the worst part! The grizzly bear has already been removed, the red and gray wolf are slated to be next! The best part of this initiative is that the real reason these animals are being removed is so that the environments they are living in can have THEIR federal protections removed! Places such as Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks and Bears Ears Monument are being SERIOUSLY considered to have their federal protections removed and WHY? Because the greed and avariciousness of the so-called powers that be leave little to no room for anything that does not benefit their money lust! They will claim that they are doing it in the name of putting people back to work but the reality is that they themselves don’t want to do the work required because it means getting down in the trenches with the rest of us lowly mortals digging tunnels! AND PEOPLE HAVE THE AUDACITY TO ACCUSE THE ANUNNAKI OF TRYING TO ENSLAVE HUMANS TO DIG FOR GOLD FOR THEM?!?! Why is it when it’s other humans throwing you in the pit it’s called a JOB but if any Anunnaki were to take leave of their senses and do the SAME THING, it’s called SLAVERY? Can you say HYPOCRISY? I knew you could! Even closer examination reveals just how much these “jobs” are actually benefitting the workers versus how much MORE the backbreaking labor of the workers is actually benefitting the ones providing said jobs and the truth of that is that the ALLEGED providers stand to make MILLIONS whereas the workers IF THEY ARE LUCKY might make between 40 – 100,000k a year (depending of position) but even that is not guaranteed AND if the company goes under or the deposit being tapped runs out, so does the employment and the money, not to mention any kind of benefits such as HEALTH INSURANCE! The immediate answer to that is for people to move with the company but not everyone can do that, some people have family members with serious illnesses that require medical attention round the clock and others are immobile, to tell these people that their situation is NOT your concern after they risked their lives to make you richER not only demonstrates their actual worth to the company, but to the industry itself! This is why renewable energy NEEDS to be invested in and studies show that solar energy, NOT OIL, is actually leading the way in job growth and sustainability! They won’t tell you that because they NEED for you to be as dependant on oil as possible so they can keep THEIR money coming in! The reality is that yes, we need oil and petroleum but NOT as much as they have the general population convinced we do! The truth is if we were to utilize and develop solar, wind and hydro energy we would have all we needed as far as electricity is concerned, heating homes in winter would also be cheaper because the demand won’t be as great AND we won’t be putting non-human lives at risk, destroying the landscape, increasing seismic activity above and below sea level and will be less likely to contribute to that supervolcano erupting in the MidWest US!! The ONLY reason they need for everyone to believe that we NEED oil as much as they say we do is NOT to compete on the world market – that is a LIE that keeps on taking from the poor and giving to the rich – it is because THEY don’t want to lose the financial stranglehold they have over the people! If you don’t believe that then look no further than North Dakota and just how far Energy Transfer Partners was willing to go to BRUTALIZE and DEHUMANIZE the people even hiring a security company called TigerSwan to infiltrate and instigate trouble between the Water Protectors and the militarized police who were ILLEGALLY occupying the land/Backwater Bridge! TigerSwan was recently FIRED by Energy Transfer Partners in an effort to avoid any fallout and so they could throw TigerSwan under the bus when the lawsuits start getting filed, too bad ETP was ALREADY busted a long time ago! This right here demonstrates just how much these bastards care about the people working FOR them, nevermind what they are willing to do to anyone who has the gall to tell them NO! The fact is they don’t give a damn about anything or anyone or about LIFE in general and that is the reason that ETP needs to be shut down! Anyone who is willing to MAIM or KILL in the name of profits not only does not deserve to be prosperous, they revoke their own right to exist at all! Blessed Father Marduk we know that every few thousand years the Earth must purge itself of that which is the most destructive and this would be AT LEAST the second time this has happened to the human race! Why does it happen? Because humans have ego issues by which they think they are above everything else on this planet to the point where they NOW feel as though they have the ENTITLEMENT to venture out into space in search of other planets to colonize and WHY? Because we’ve done so much damage to THIS one that “we don’t have a choice”! BULLSHIT! You know who else abandons ship when it starts to sink? RATS. That’s right, RATS! The human race is not only NOT above anything else in nature, at this point it is no better than a colony of rats feeding off of the filth and creating even more of it in the process! They take what they want and when it runs out, they take off in search of more and they don’t do anything in ways of sustaining the environment in which they were living because they don’t care, it no longer benefits them and therefore it is not their concern, what happens to IT or to anyone who is still living there! We may not like this comparison but if we do not wish to be compared to rats or viruses then we need to stop behaving in similar fashion and start acting as though we are more evolved! We need to step up and BE the change we want to see, the simple fact is that NOTHING is going to change if WE don’t do our part and it doesn’t take a whole lot to start, it can be as simple as growing a garden, planting a tree, buying only recycled or greater percentage recycled goods, teaching the children to not litter, to not throw things out car windows or into the ocean, to make it so that things such as MEDICATION is no longer being flushed down the toilet and affecting the marine life either by poisoning them to death or in the case of hormone drugs, causing them to develop alternate sex organs! Every SMALL action changes the BIG picture, the situation is NOT hopeless, we just need to give enough of a damn to slam on the brakes of what is currently happening and change course! Glorious Dragon who oversees all we know there are some things we can control and some things we can’t, even though many of us seem to think we can or should control everything which is how many religions AFTER THE ORIGINAL were created, to control the masses and limit free thought and critical thinking! The reason why Satanism endures is because we understand that we are NOT always in control (I dare ANYONE to stand in the path of any size tornado and COMMAND it to stop, send us a postcard to let us know how well it worked out for you) that chaos is a constant and a necessity, if energy ceases to move then the system collapses upon itself, however if we move with the energy and don’t get arrogant, then all forms of evolution takes place and the world continues to grow. We also understand that RESPECTING NATURE IS NOT AN OPTION, that is not if one wishes to SURVIVE their time here! We cannot control natural disasters such as tornadoes but we CAN lessen the presence of things such as earthquakes by simply NOT FRACTURING THE MANTLE especially not in the amount and frequency that it is currently being done in and how much MORE they want to do it in! The seismic air gun blasts that they need to use in order to even find the oil deposits offshore and underwater not only harms/kills the marine life in the area, it also increases the potential for tidal waves and the chances of tsunami’s such as the ones that almost took out Sri Lanka and devastated the coast of Fukushima! The OTHER reason Satanism endures is due to PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY! While our Illustrious Father gave us the free will to do as we see fit we also understand that WE are responsible for everything WE do, that it is NO ONE ELSE’S job to come galloping in to save us from ourselves because we alone are at fault for any messes we make! It endures because we understand that if we want something in life, that just praying for it is not going to manifest it, that just as much physical effort needs to be applied in the process, failure to act on our own behalf is accepting failure at everything we try because half-assed work yields half-assed results and there is NO ONE to blame for that but ourselves, after all WE are the ones who claimed we wanted whatever then failed to provide the work to make it a reality! While things don’t always work out even with a substantial effort, we don’t just throw in the towel and insist it’s “god’s will”, that’s a cop out and an excuse to give up right away! Instead we review the steps we took and try to come up with a new way to reach our goal, if it is determined that it won’t work out no matter what we do then we simply move on accepting that we were unable to do something and there is nothing wrong with that, it’s part of accepting that things don’t always go the way we want and that there is no supernatural force preventing it from happening! Blaming someone else when things don’t work out but trumpeting your success when it does is not only arrogant, it demonstrates a lack of character! Either you had help in the endeavor or you didn’t, you don’t get to blame someone else for your inability to make something happen then completely disregard that same being when you ARE able to make it happen; that’s a good way to get yourself into some SERIOUSLY DEEP SHIT with the Deity or anyone else whose assistance you may have requested! Sometimes it’s even for the best that some things don’t go how we want as the end result may be detrimental for us and anyone else who may be affected by our actions, ESPECIALLY if they are done in haste or out of anger or grief! The biggest reason Satanism endures is in my opinion is because we don’t live in denial that there are many different kinds of people and that it is not for us to judge anyone - with the exception of course of pedophiles, rapists, elder abusers, animal abusers and religious zealots (regardless of religion) – as there is already too much arrogance and self importance in the world and as a result many people have been imprisoned, tortured and KILLED just because they were different and nothing more! We endure because no matter how much other people may hate us, we keep pushing through! No matter how many people accuse us of crimes we are not guilty of, we rise above! No matter how many lies they tell about us in an effort to isolate us and make us the enemy, we counter with truth, logic and rationale! It is because of these things that we were able to move beyond horrific events such as the Salem Witch “Trials” and the Satanic Panic when people generally speaking were unjustly accused of crimes they were not guilty of and the public at large just went along with it because they were too terrified of the consequences if they didn’t! We must keep moving forward beyond events such these and we must cull all those who are hell bent on reviving them as well as the violence and hate they caused from our Community! We must do it to protect ourselves, our children, the Community at large but also to defend the honor of our Deity who put his own neck on the line to save us so that we had a chance to grow beyond what we were and become more than we are! “Family Honor O Father Satan I Ask That You Give Us Wisdom! You are the Flame of Intelligence and because of you we are not blind to Truth or Reality! O Father Satan I Ask That You Give Us Clarity! You lift the veil from our eyes and clear the smoke from the mirror so that we may see! O Father Satan I Ask That You Give Us Peace Of Mind! With steady hands and steady hearts we can accomplish anything no matter how great or small! O Father Satan I Ask That You Give Us The Strength To Carry On! In our most trying times you are our rock and because of that we are able to get passed any obstacles! O Father Satan I Ask That You Help Guide Us Through The Darkness! When we are stressed to the point where we don’t know which end is up, you are there to help see us through! O Father Satan I Ask That You Embrace And Protect The Most Vulnerable! There are many – young children, the elderly and many animals – that are victimized who need your help to fight of their aggressors! O Father Satan I Ask That You Raise Your Sword And Smite The Wicked! Anyone who abuses a child/elderly person/animal/the Earth in ANY context should be sorted out with EXTREME prejudice! O Father Satan I Ask That You Brandish Your Shield In Protection Of The Innocent! Your love knows no bounds and as much as we may try to help those that we can, we simply cannot do it alone! Father Marduk In You All Things Are Possible! Father Marduk In You Nothing Is Out Of Reach So Long As We Put In The Effort To Acquire It! Father Marduk We Thank You For Your Efforts In The Beginning! Father Marduk We Thank You For The Earth That We Call Home! Father Marduk We Thank You For The Herds That Sustain Us! Father Marduk We Thank You For The Grains That Sustain Them! Father Marduk We Thank You For The Waters Of Life – MNI KIN WICONI! Father Marduk We Thank You For The Air We Breathe! Father Marduk We Thank You For The Fire That Warms Us! Father Marduk We Thank You For Guiding Us On Our Path! Father Marduk We Thank You For Our Families! Father Marduk We Thank You For The Friends We Meet Along The Way! Father Marduk We Thank You For All The Good Times! Father Marduk We Thank You For All The Rough Times! Father Marduk We Thank You For Our Ability To Reason! Father Marduk We Thank You For Being Patient With Us! Father Marduk We Thank You For Enduring The Slings And Arrows Of Corruption So That We May Continue To Evolve! Father Marduk We Thank You Most Of All For NOT Giving Up On Us!” ZI ANA KANPA! ZI KIA KANPA! MAY THE DEAD RISE AND SMELL THE INCENSE! Etiamsi MULTA Et Nos UNUM Sumus Nos Sto Validus Ut Nos Sto Una! Semper Veritas, Semper Fideles, In Diabolus Nomen Nos Fides! AVE SATANÍ! (We Are ONE Even Though We Are MANY And We Stand STRONGEST When We Stand TOGETHER! Always TRUTHFUL, Always FAITHFUL, In Satan's Name We Trust! HAIL SATAN!) Ave URURU! Ave EA! Ave DIMUZI! Ave ININNI! Ave GILGAMESH! Ave ENKIDU! Ave TIAMAT! Ave ABSU! Ave MARDUK! Ave SARPANITUM! Ave SATANÍ! HAIL SATAN! HPS Meg “Nemesis Nexus” Prentiss

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Learn What You Should Know About Becoming A Leader

New Post has been published on http://personalcoachingcenter.com/learn-what-you-should-know-about-becoming-a-leader/

Learn What You Should Know About Becoming A Leader

Regardless of how many people you are in charge of, good leadership is a must. You have to have the same kinds of skills to help a group be led in an effective way, while getting the respect you deserve. You should apply the tips presented in the following article to become a better leader.

Creativity must be sparked by a good leader. Taking risks and being creative brings great rewards. Keep exploring possibilities and stay curious. Keep your ideas current, even if they aren’t catching on. This allows you to incorporate others’ ideas into the overall plan.

Whenever you deal with a fellow employee or a customer, it is crucial that you are ethical. This is important for any business that wants to be successful. Customers respect a company which has strong values. If your company’s staff adhere to your ethics, you will ensure success.

Leaders must be definitely geared towards goals and the future. You have to know what it takes to see the future so you can figure out how to plan for what’s coming up. You will not always be sure of what is going to happen, but over time this will become one of your skills. Keep asking yourself where you’d like to be in a year or so, and make plans for that.

Work hard at being approachable. Being so intimidating that people are afraid to talk to you is a bad idea. This will only cause you to be disrespected and loathed. While you don’t want to make the mistake of letting others walk on you, show others you’re there for them and care about their job, too.

To be an effective leader in business, never lower your standards in order to compete. If your competition is doing tasks that make you feel uneasy, try finding alternatives to compete. There are other ways to do things, and you need to seek them out. If you make up new strategies, then you can have a clear conscience concerning your decision.

Don’t do anything dishonest or shady. You need to follow through with promises in order to garner trust. If you say that you’re giving the best service possible, then you have to teach the employees that work for you what it takes to give people great service.

Make ethical choices. Every sound business must be ethical. When people know that you’re working with their interests in mind, they will start to view your company in a more positive light. By developing a set of moral responsibilities for your company’s employees, you can help ensure that the rules are followed.

Set missions and goals for the entire company. Everyone loves to have goals, and leaders are able to set goals for people. Do not let your goals disappear after you have established them. Have monthly meetings about your goals, and make sure that the whole team is accountable for accomplishing them.

When you set goals for your project or team, make them rigorous, but not impossible to attain. You are setting yourself up to be disappointed if the goals are out of reach. That will in fact prove you aren’t a good leader.

Hire a variety of folks for your company. Cultural, age and educational diversity will give you a broader range of perspectives. Try not to hire an entire team that is similar to you. You will not get the innovation you need. It may also lead to a company that fails based on your weaknesses.

If you lead, or manage, a group of people, let them know how much you appreciate them. It takes only seconds or minutes to email or write a thank you, or to support someone else, and it goes a long way in the eyes of others. This tiny gesture goes a long way in improving morale, and it doesn’t cost you a dime.

Keep your promises always. Follow through with promises always. If you aren’t able to, make sure you let your team know why. Welching on promises and changing plans for no apparent reason will gain you no respect.

Do not seclude yourself. A good leader helps the group to grow in a positive manner. Those around you can offer invaluable advice through collaboration. They help with decision making by giving different perspectives. That way, you can concentrate on leading, which you do best.

Trust in your instincts. You are in a leadership position because your instincts have been right so far. You cannot avoid making a mistake now and then. Be accountable for your decisions and learn from your mistakes. Don’t forget the mistakes that have happened because you need to keep remembering so you don’t make similar mistakes.

Tenacity is a key characteristic of a good leader. When things start to go wrong, the team is going to look at you to see how they should be reacting. If you focus on fixing the issue, the obstacles will be surmounted. When you are persistent, the group will be motivated to continue on.

Managers and leaders need to make sure the whole teams feels safe and comfortable. If your team’s work space is unpleasant, it will affect the quality and amount of work. Make sure the temperature is comfortable and your workers are hydrated and happy.

Be a good communicator. You need to become an excellent listener so others feel comfortable about talking to you. Don’t ignore someone who has a suggestion to make. Be sure you listen to all complaints and suggestions.

You should organize your work carefully and let others know you have high standards. If you come off as disorganized, your employees will likely follow suit. Once you have clearly outlined all of the necessary goals, it will become easier.

Prepare yourself ahead of talking to your team. Always consider the questions that might be asked. Think of answers for the questions. Employees have more respect for leaders who are able to answer their questions. It will save valuable time, too.

Successful leaders praise their employees when they do well, in addition to simply criticizing less than stellar performance. Try to always find about five positive things for every one negative thing. This boosts morale and helps with communication. This will impact positively on the relationships with your subordinates.

Good leaders should show others a positive way of handling things. While it can be difficult to remain upbeat and optimistic when times are tough, doing so will go a long way toward improving your leadership skills. Team members will pick up on your demeanor and feel better and more hopeful.

If you want to be seen as a great leader, encourage your employees to grow both professionally and personally. Businesses thrive when work staff feels inspired by those who lead them, learn from their leader’s solutions and receive support in a variety of ways. A good leader is committed to providing the help their employees need.

You need to come up with goals for your company. Everyone enjoys working towards a goal, and people that lead will find ways to get goals reached in an easy way. Do not let your goals disappear after you have established them. Have monthly meetings about your goals, and make sure that the whole team is accountable for accomplishing them.

A good leader evaluates their effectiveness often. Know your strengths and weaknesses. A great leader will try to enhance the strengths they possess and work on their weaknesses.

Value who your employees are regardless of where they’re from, their race, or their sex. A surprising number of corporate leaders believe that white males have more potential than others. Prejudice is an ugly, restrictive trait that does not lend itself to effective leadership.

Be humble in all that you do, and greatness will follow. Most people would prefer to work beneath people that have a sense of humility. When you show you can be humble, then you are showing appreciation to those around you and that you have a way with people. This will lead to everyone trying to do their best.

Successful leaders often evaluate progress at the end of each work day. You might solicit others who are willing to help with your analysis. This helps to build a sense of camaraderie as suggestions and changes are presented and rapport is built.

There are some skills which are vital to leading your group. It doesn’t matter if you are a team leader or the CEO of a company, effective leadership is essential to run a business properly. Use the advice in this article to command respect and be a good leader.