#you know I might like the best Robin title if it was self-proclaimed

[arabian-batboy]

Tim getting the shit beat out of him and still claiming that he's somehow better than the person currently beating him perfectly summarizes his character.

[the-dc-killjoy]

4x12 - Old Souls

Wynonna Earp's over. I'll do pretty much anything to get another season, but shows (not that I think that this show could ever get to that point. id still love WE even if it turned into whatever Grey's Anatomy's doing rn) shouldn't overstay their welcome. If this is the end, than it was a damn fine ending!

-

The cute.

I've been watching Martina sing since I was 11 years old, and it still puts a smile on my face. Rachel was iconic as always, and I'm gonna miss the most recent addition to the Earp family. I can just imagine the chaos of her, her not really but kind of boyfriend, and Randy Nedley on a tiny boat in the middle of nowhere. Poor Nedley. Let's hope Chrissy remains the only one of his many daughter figures to catch mono.

Speaking of mononucleosis- that's such an awful transition that i'm keeping it, I believe that Wayhaught has officially christened the entire homestead. Bedroom, The Stairs, kitchen floor, barn- short of just going to pound town (i'm not getting any better with sex references tonight. am i) in a patch of grass outside, they've got everything covered. Or nothing covered if you know what i mean. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Am I getting better now?

-

The random.

Nedley walking Nicole down the isle, Wynonna walking Waverly down the isle, Doc being Waverly's best man, and Wynonna being Nicole's best friend (no she will not take a secondary title. best friend will go on her tombstone)- sigh, i'm so gay. i can't really explain what that has to do with these circumstances, but i am and this makes me happy. Rachel and Nedley (and Billy was there somewhere right?) being the only people in attendance made this the perfect pandemic wedding even though there wasn't actually a pandemic in Earp land. I was the living embodiment of the pleading face emoji when they panned over the chairs. Doll's chair hurt me. like deeply. like i'm still suffering. there aren't words. fuck, i miss him.

On a lighter note, Waverly said fuck (like eight times)!!! She technically said it already, but chainsmoking-angelic possession doesn't count, right?

I'm glad that Jeremy has this new thing with Damon, but I kinda wish things had worked out with him and Robin. He officiated a wedding, got promoted, and got a handsome date in one afternoon, so I can't be too sad about his adorable self.

Charlotte Sullivan, the jilted dress shop owner/witch, played one of the earliest (in my knowledge at least. this show was my brother's thing not mine) representation of a bi woman in Canadian media. I don't know too much about her Rookie Blue character, but if you can have tolerated the will-they-wont-they, end of the world romance of the main character's kinda mediocre relationships for a couple more seasons, I'm sure you'll find out! By the nature of Canada having 16.87 actors in total, I tend to see a lot of overlap, and I have to infodump about that somewhere. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The Earping callbacks! Wynonna's truck, her motorcycle, the bullet proof vest, Nedley and Nicole's father-daughter thing, Waverly never saying the f-word (and subverting that), i'm all in, even Rachel always being stuck with juice while the adults are drinking- perfect! We had a little bit of the usual supernatural insanity, but this episode was wall to wall fanservice, and it was perfectly in-character fanservice. That's the way to go! It didn't feel forced or awkward and the edited mailbox will make me tear up on rewatch

-

The relationship. (aka i wanna talk about wyndoc and had no outline when i started this thing)

The Wyndoc goodbye was beautiful. I'm not into the whole you need one person to complete you kinda thing, but the implication that it didn't have to be romantic (implying that Wynonna's person was Waverly) was great. I felt that the scene worked perfectly, and might have been fine leaving it there if there was another season clearly on the horizon. With the fact that this was the series finale (i sighed so hard typing that. my poor lungs), I'm glad that they got their own happy ending.

-

The analysis.

Nicole's and Wynonna's as individual characters mirror each other in so many ways, but I'm just gonna wax poetic about one: their relationship with the GRT. Wynonna was hurt by the town, badly. She grew up with a steady stream of shitty adults and a few who told her to shake the demons out of her head and embraced the tough love mantra. It made a lot of sense that she left as an adult. Waverly was most likely the only reason she didn't skip town before that.

Nicole had a negative integer of adult role models in her life, with the murdered aunt and uncle and the whatever-the-fuck her parents were trying to be. Sure, a little trip to the Ghost River Triangle left her with trauma that she spent a lifetime repressing, but what's a little surviving a massacre under the six year old girl bridge. Am I right?

In their early lives, these characters had nothing but negative experiences in the aptly named town of Purgatory. Wynonna was drawn back into town by Curtis' letter just in time for her 27th birthday, and Nedley applied for Nicole to start working as a cop. Neither of them directly chose to come back to the Ghost River Triangle, but both of them did have the final say.

Wynonna decided pretty early on that she was going to stay no matter what. She already abandoned her sister once. How could she do it again with all of these monsters lurking in the shadows. As time went on, her circle of people expanded, but Waverly has always been the person that fight through hell and high water for. Even when fighting wasn't necessary, when it hurt her much more than it helped anything, she did it anyways because it was the only thing she could do to protect her sister. Wynonna thought it was the only thing she could do at all. This entire season, she's been fighting a war with herself, and her leaving, Waverly telling her that it was okay to leave, was the first time that took a break, took a breath since she arrived in Purgatory on her 27th birthday. Her child and the man she loves are out in the world, but she will be back with them at her side. Maybe after a quick road trip, maybe after a few years, but she will be back.

Nicole spent a majority of season 1 and 2 feeling like an outsider. Season 3 came with the realization that these people were her family and the Ghost River Triangle was her home. Early season 4 kinda shat all over that, oops. The rest of this season has been her finding her footing again. Nicole was a wandering soul, but she voluntarily staked herself to the land, vowing to protect it and the people within its borders for the rest of her life without the ability to leave, and she doesn't regret it. Her wife, her family, her people are all in this one not-so-sleepy Canadian town.

Nicole found her place, after a lifetime of searching, and Wynonna left, temporarily, after a lifetime of feeling trapped. They might seem like opposites, but both women call the same place home.

-

Originally, I watched this show was to cope with the ending of Agents of SHIELD (which I kind of used to cope with the ending of Killjoys, which featured Emily Andras as a writer in season 1 and has near identical humor, found family, and a healthy serving of gay and wow this is turning into a bit of advertisement isn't it), but it wormed its way into my heart. I've never quite seen a show like this. Never seemed interested in a western, even a sci-fi western. Never saw the gay couple reach OTP status both in fandom and canon. I've never seen so many fan conventions dedicated to just one show. I usually stay for just one character (and Wynonna has become one of my all time favorite characters), but I find myself connecting with so many of the beautiful people being brought to life on my screen. Wynonna, Waverly, Nicole, Rachel, Dolls, Jeremy, Doc, Nedley and so many other hilarious and heartbreaking characters make this show, and every single human who played a part in this self-proclaimed shitshow deserves a round of applause and a swig of whiskey.

The end.

[daringyounggrayson]

Angst dialogue prompts: Birdflash with 18 and 20? Please?

Thank so much for the prompt! This didn’t turn out as angsty as I wanted, but oh well. Hope you like it anyway! Also on AO3

From this prompt list:

18: “I have never hated someone as much as I hate you right now.”

20: “I wish I could say I hate you.”

Title: tell me what to do (i’ll tell you what you want to hear) 

Dick is running as fast as he can with Wally, who’s running slow enough to match his pace, right next to him. They need to stay together and get out of here. Wherever “here” is.

Dick jogs to a stop, doing his best to remain upright. “Think we—" Dick pauses to catch his breath, “—lost ‘em?”

“Don’t know.” Wally turns around, checking for any sign of followers. “We need to get back to the Team. They don’t have any idea what happened to us.”

“I know. Working on it,” Dick says through gritted teeth, fingers already typing on his holo-computer. “Ugh! I can’t get a signal.”

“Here, get on my back and I’ll get us out of here,” Wally suggests, bending his knees and holding his arms out.

“Pass. I can walk on my own.” And he does. Despite his best efforts to not move, his feet move him towards Wally’s back anyway. “What-what’s happening?”

“It looks like you’re listening to a good idea,” Wally says offhandedly, standing upright when Dick latches onto his back. But then he feels how tense he is. “What’s wrong?”

“I didn’t control that,” Dick whispers. “I didn’t move on my own—something made me do it.”

“It’s probably just the magicians catching up to us,” Wally reasons, hoping to calm Dick’s nerves. It doesn’t work and Dick continues to try to wiggle off of Wally, but he can’t let go. He does, however, almost throw Wally off balance. “We’ll figure this out when we get back to the Team, okay? For now, just stay still and hold on tight; we’ll be out of here in a flash.”

“Shut up and go already,” Dick moans at the pun and presses himself closer against Wally, this time seemingly out of his own free will.

Wally listens to Dick’s instructions and he doesn’t say another word as he makes his way out of the lair. They’re moving too fast for Dick to really catch a glimpse of anything useful, so he holds on to the hope that Wally is smart enough to take it in without being asked.

The lair must not be that big—or Wally’s just that fast—because soon Dick is squinting at a sudden blast of sunlight. They’re in the same kind of woody area they landed in with the Bio-ship earlier, and Dick is hoping that soon they’ll be back in M’gann’s range and they can get out of here. Preferably with the magical self-proclaimed pranksters captured, but he’ll take what he can get at this point.

The ground suddenly gets closer and wind whooshes past his ears as some part of his brain tells him he’s falling. He tries not to scream, but he does; he tries to let go of Wally to lessen injury from the upcoming impact, but he can’t. Wally is quiet the whole time as they roll down the hill together, managing to hit what seems like every rock and tree root along the way. Neither of them can seem to stop the fall, but at some point, he feels the familiar touch of M’gann in his mind.

“Robin, Kid Flash!” M’gann cheers.

The fall stops shortly after that, but when Wally sits up, it causes Dick to topple backward (into the mud, he might add) with Wally landing on top of him with a thud. Great.

Dick is sore all over, and he allows himself to let out a single groan as a pounding starts up behind his skull. “Just for the record, I have never hated someone as much as I hate you right now, Kid Klutz.”

“Yeah? Well, I wish I could say I hate you,” Wally says, noticeably through the mind link and not out loud.

“What is going on?” Kaldur asks, voice sounding ready to switch into discipline mode at a moment’s notice.

“And I guess our discussion is moving to the mind link,” Dick says.

“Uh, yeah, because I can’t talk,” Wally says, voice hostile.

“What are you talking about?” Dick asks. He didn’t think Wally had been seriously injured in the fall, or maybe this is another spell from The Pranksters. Dick had really thought they would’ve been out of their range by now …

“I mean, I haven’t been able to talk since you told me to “shut up” in the lair,” Wally hisses.

Dick pauses, everything suddenly clicking into place.

“Will one of you please tell us what’s going on?” Artemis asks, attempting to hide her worry with impatience and annoyance.

“We were grabbed by The Pranksters. I think they cast some kind of spell on us when we were escaping that forces us to follower each other’s commands, even if they aren’t meant to be taken literally. So KF has to “shut up” and I have to “stay still,” and you know, whatever else slips,” Dick explains, a lump forming in his throat as panic tries to set in.

“Think it’s limited to just following each other’s orders?” Wally asks, but really, Dick has no idea what this spell’s limits are. For all he knows, the spell is progressive and soon his heart will be “staying still” as (technically) ordered. (He tries not to think about how real of a possibility that is considering he used to be able to shift more of his body in the lair than he can now. He tries not to think about what else “being still” involves.)

“Let us avoid testing that theory,” Kaldur decides. “How long ago did this occur?”

“Five minutes ago, maybe?” Dick says, not exactly sure how much time has passed. “Or maybe sooner. But that was when I first noticed something was up.”

“Way to share, Rob. If you knew, why didn’t you say something?” Wally asks angrily. “Better yet, why did you tell me to shut up if you knew what was going on?”

“Hey, you were the first one to trigger the spell,” Dick points out with a huff. “And I didn’t know what was happening, just that there was something going on.”

“Please, could the two of you stop arguing?” Kaldur asks, choosing his words carefully to prevent him from ordering them to do as told. As much as he wants them to listen to him, he wants to make sure they retain their free will more. Dick appreciates it, but even with the offered free will, he knows getting along isn’t really a choice.

“Fine,” Dick and Wally both say begrudgingly.

“We need to locate you both and get you back to the Cave as soon as possible,” Kaldur continues. “We have already alerted Red Tornado to the current situation, and he has further requested Zatara’s presence to assist with the reversal of the spell.”

“Alright, I’m tracking your location,” M’gann announces. “Stay put, the Bio-ship should be at your location in five minutes.”

“Or I could just run and meet you guys where you are,” Wally offers. “It would be faster.”

He’s kidding, right? Was he not in the same fall as Dick? “I am not doing that again.”

“Stop whining, I just tripped.”

“And almost got us killed!”

“Well, maybe if I wasn’t busy panicking because I couldn’t talk and if you weren’t holding on to me so tightly, I would’ve seen—”

“Are you seriously blaming me for this? You told me to hold on tight!”

“Enough,” Kaldur tells them, and Dick can so easily picture him massaging his temples in annoyance. “I do not know why the two of you are behaving this way, but you need to put your feelings aside until we have this sorted out. Understood?”

“Yes,” they both mumble.

“Can you get off of me now?” Dick says out loud, not wanting to be lectured in the mind link any longer.

Wally follows his lead and doesn’t reply mentally, but he does nod and sit up, removing his hands from under Dick’s knees to make them more comfortable. They sit there in thick silence; Dick not knowing what Wally is thinking, only that he himself wants to stop fighting with him. But he also can’t bring himself to apologize for snapping just yet.

So instead, he goes back to something easier and less emotionally charged: figuring out their current situation. “Do you think we can undo orders? Like, maybe you could talk if I told you to?” He would have to be careful with his wording though; instead of permanent silence, he might be stuck with permanent speech.

Wally shrugs, rubs his ankle absently.

“Wanna try?”

He shrugs again.

“Okay. Um, talk whenever you want,” Dick orders. He waits a few seconds, but Wally doesn’t say anything. Dick slumps a bit. “Guess that’s not working, huh?”

Wally nods in agreement, landing them back into their awkward silence. After another minute, Dick finally asks, “You okay?”

Wally nods, then tilts his head up and back to indicate a return in the question.

“I think so,” Dick says, but honestly, he’s not sure. Not being able to brace himself during the fall left him vulnerable. It doesn’t help that he had a Wally-sized weight on top of him for half of it. “Sore.”

Wally pats his knee; he doesn’t want to fight anymore either. Dick rests his head on Wally’s shoulder, and Wally drops his cheek to rest against it. They don’t say anything, but the atmosphere gets less tense.

By the time the Bio-ship lands, Dick is feeling tired and dizzy. He thinks—knows—that that’s a bad sign, but he pushes the thought away to deal with later.

“Finally!” he calls when he sees M’gann walk out. His voice is cheerful and he’s smiling, but he doesn’t pick his head up from Wally’s shoulder. Too tired. Too comfortable.

“Sorry it took so long,” M’gann apologies.

“No worries, Sugar,” Wally says, and Dick can practically hear the flirtatious smirk.

Dick takes his head off of Wally’s shoulder and the anger returns.

“Zatara has already arrived at the Cave and is waiting for us. He is looking over the possible spells that could have caused this and the techniques to reverse them. He is very hopeful that he can undo its effects,” Kaldur explains.

“Cool. Can we go already?” Dick asks, not able to keep his eagerness out of his voice.

“Right with you. I think I twisted my ankle, though. Can someone help me up?” Wally asks. He’d probably be able to limp on his own under normal conditions, but with Dick glued to his back, that’s not happening.

“Superboy, can you get a stretcher and the first aid kit?” Kaldur requests, and without a word, Conner is heading back to the ship. “Robin, can you let go of Kid so we can examine the two of you before departure?”

Dick can’t budge, so he explains, “KF told me to hold on to him, and I can’t let go now. Apparently, orders can’t be undone either.”

“Hmm,” Kaldur ponders. “That is an inconvenience, but we will find a way to work around it.”

“Robin, you’re bleeding,” Artemis says. When did she get behind him?

“You said you were fine?” Wally accuses.

“So did you,” Dick points out. “And I am fine.”

“I couldn’t talk. And bleeding isn’t synonymous with fine,” Wally points out in an almost-hiss.

Dick hums but doesn’t say anything. Doesn’t want to.

Conner comes back with the supplies, and Artemis takes a few pieces of gauze from the kit before prodding the back of Dick’s head. “Do you feel dizzy? Nauseous?”

“Dizzy,” Dick says quietly. So dizzy.

“Dude!”

“Now is not the time, Kid,” Kaldur says calmly, briefly resting his hand on Wally’s shoulder where Dick’s head used to be. “Are either of you injured anywhere else?”

“Just my ankle,” Wally assures.

Dick takes an inventory of himself, which only makes him realizes how bad he actually feels. He just can’t pinpoint anything specific; his head is too fuzzy. “Don’t know. Don’t feel good.” He drops his head down against Wally’s back, not able to resist putting it down any longer.

Wally squeezes his knee again, something Dick would normally appreciate, but now he hates it. The spell might allow for head movement, but it’s not cutting him any slack in the knee department, otherwise he would move it away.

Kaldur squeezes Dick’s shoulder but he can’t bring himself to look up. “We will be back at the Cave shortly.”

Artemis finishes bandaging his head, and then they’re being maneuvered onto the stretcher before being brought into the ship. M’gann manages to create a type of seat belt to keep them secure, but other than that, they just stay on the stretcher. Dick does his best to stay awake, but he doesn’t think he succeeds.

oOo

Dick comes to in a lightly-lit room—no Wally pressing against his stomach. The soreness has been pushed into background noise by a pleasant numb feeling, too. He’s not wearing his uniform anymore either, and someone has their hand held tightly between his. Dick opens his eyes, squinting at the lights. He blinks a few times, allowing Bruce’s face to come into full view. “Hi.”

The left corners of Bruce’s lips twitch upwards for a millisecond—his version of a smile. “Hi,” he repeats. “You banged yourself up pretty good back there.” The words are soft, the fingers running over the back of his hand gentle.

“Mmm,” Dick moans in agreement. Now that he’s more awake, the numbness is leaking away and he can feel that his head is pounding. “We got out?”

“You sure did.”

“I fell?”

“So I hear.”

“I’m going to puke.” The warning is said more as an offhand comment than anything else, but Bruce manages to pull out a pink bowl for Dick to spill his guts into just in time anyway. When he finishes retching, Bruce is basically the only thing keeping him upright. “M’ head hurts. Tired.”

“You have a concussion,” Bruce says, and even though it’s not a question Dick hums in agreement.

Dick closes his eyes and presses closer against Bruce. “I wanna go home.”

Bruce rubs his hand up and down Dick’s left arm. “Soon. They want to keep you here for a few more hours to make sure the spell doesn’t restart itself.”

The spell brings back all of the details. Fuzzy details sure, but details all the same. His body being forced to move, his body not being able to move, resting his head on Wally’s shoulder, Artemis telling him he was bleeding, Wally, Wally, Wally. “Wally okay?” he asks, opening his eyes again.

“Fine. His ankle will need a few days to fully heal, but it’s wrapped and the swelling is already going down. His jaw is a little sore from being clenched for an hour, but he’ll be okay. Neither of you should suffer any long-term effects,” Bruce explains, noticeably leaving out details.

“Good.” He doesn’t understand the jaw soreness thing, but he thinks he’s too tired to retain anything, so he doesn’t ask for an explanation just yet. After a nap maybe.

It’s weird, he knows he didn’t cast the spell, but he still feels responsible for what it caused. Even if Wally is okay, he could be better if Dick hadn’t said anything. Add that with the poor way they handled the situation, and it isn’t a stretch to think the speedster might be a little ticked off. “Did he seem mad?”

“I didn’t speak with him. From briefly observing him, however, he seemed worried about you if anything,” Bruce tells him. Then, “Robin, you are not at fault for today’s events. You were not aware that you had been hexed, nor what that entailed. And neither of you intentionally used the knowledge of the spell to harm each other, correct?”

“Yeah.”

“So neither of you are responsible.”

“Right,” Dick agrees, but the guilt doesn’t really go away.

Bruce grunts, as if that settles it.

Dick doesn’t say anything else. He wants to go home and not think about anything.

“Are you asleep?” Bruce asks after a few minutes of silence.

Dick cracks one eye half-way open (when did they close?) to look at Bruce. Dick realizes he is actually half-asleep, but sadly, not asleep yet. “Yes.”

“Hn. We need to check on the spell, then you can rest some more. Promise.”

“Sure thing, Boss,” Dick says, rubbing his eye as he pushes himself away from Bruce to sit up on his own.

Bruce pulls his cowl back on and hands Dick some shades. When they’re secured on his face, Bruce says, “Enter.”

Flash, Zatara, and Wally walk in, and Dick wonders how long they were standing in the hall waiting for Batman’s okay.

“Dude, thank god you’re okay,” Wally says the second his eyes land on Dick. His eyes shift to the bandage wrapped tightly around Dick’s head. “You are, aren’t you?”

“Dandy. You?”

Wally gives a soft laugh. “Never better.” Wally turns to Zatara. “So, how are we doing this?”

“Try giving each other commands and see if you can ignore them,” Zatara explains. “Kid Flash, you can start.”

“Wait, hold on. How do we know we won’t just be following your orders to not follow each other’s orders?” Dick asks.

“We already tested to make sure that couldn’t happen when you first arrived at the Cave,” Zatara explains quickly. “I can guarantee that the spell is limited to the two of you.”

“Gotcha,” Dick says, making a note to ask questions about his arrival later because right now he’s getting nothing.

“If there’s nothing else?” Zatara says, and when no one says anything, he signals for Wally to start.

They take turns giving each other commands, and both of them are able to suppress them. Dick still feels a pull to obey, but he’s in control. When they’ve finished, Bruce tells him that he needs to speak with Kaldur about the mission details (none of which Dick can seem to remember) and makes his leave. Zatara and Flash file out, but Wally stays behind. He’s fidgeting a little. Nervous.

“So, uh, you still mad at me?” Wally asks.

Dick wants to sigh. Wally is referring to their argument (if you can call Dick’s silent treatment and huffiness towards Wally an argument) before the mission even started, and Dick really, really doesn’t want to deal with it right now. He slides down on the bed. “Do we have to talk about that now?”

“I’ll take that as a yes then,” Wally says, running a hand through his hair. “Look, I’m sorry, okay?”

“You’re just saying that so I’ll stop being mad at you.”

“But isn’t that kind of the point of apologies?”

“You don’t even know why I’m upset,” Dick says, turning his head to glare at him.

“Don’t be like that,” Wally almost whines. “And for the record, I do know why you’re upset, I just don’t think it makes sense.”

“And that’s part of the problem!”

Wally let’s out a breath and sinks into the chair. “Look, I like you okay? I do.”

“So you’ve claimed.” They’ve never really sat down and said it, but they’ve both made their interest in the other pretty clear. It just hasn’t gone anywhere (official) yet. The topic merely hangs in the air and circles them as they go on with their lives. And Dick’s fine with that. He can be patient and let the relationship develop naturally, he could even enjoy watching as it does. He just wished Wally could stop flirting with anything that has a pulse in the meantime.

“Come on, you know I’m just—”

“Trying to protect a representation of lies?” Dick crosses his arms. “You know, it’s really confusing for you to say you like me when we’re alone, and then see you flirting with M’gann or whoever first chance you get. Not to mention hurtful. And I know we’re technically not dating or anything, but still.”

Wally sits there for a second, quiet. Thinking over what Dick has said. “I’m sorry I hurt you, I didn’t mean for it to be taken that way. I thought you knew I—”

“Look, Wally, if you want to keep us on the down-low for a bit, fine. I can wait. But you don’t have to flirt with other people,” Dick reasons.

Wally swallows. “You’re right.” They’re both quiet; Wally stuck in his head thinking, Dick confused because he’s still hurting but he’s also wanting to forgive Wally. Then Wally says, completely serious and without a teasing undertone, “So, you want an us?”

Dick smiles a little. “Dude, I’ve wanted an us way before you kissed me in the closet on your birthday.”

“Oh, you had a crush on the Wall-man, eh?”

“Shut up.” Dick rolls his eyes.

Wally doesn’t shut up. “Is that why you always got annoyed when I would try to hang out with M’gann alone? Is that why you ruined our camping trip?” he teases.

“Like you didn’t know.” Dick rolls his eyes again. “Besides, I have a suspicion you were only flirting with her to make me jealous.”

“Oh, is that so? Isn’t it possible that I can have more than one crush at a time? I am young you know. And handsome. I think it would be a crime to the human race if I didn’t have a little fun.”

“You’re such a dork.”

“But I could be your dork.”

Dick wants that. So badly.

“Really, say the word,” Wally grabs his hand. “I don’t want to mess around with a bunch of people; I want you. And if you want me to stop flirting with people I have no interest in anymore, I will.”

“Really?”

“Course. I mean, flirting, even meaningless flirting, can be fun,” Wally admits, “but being with you is more fun. And it’s not even a trade-off, more like an upgrade if you ask me.”

Dick doesn’t even hesitate. “Okay, let’s do it then. Us.”

“Us,” Wally agrees. Then he climbs up on the bed next to Dick. “Um, but, I would like to keep this on the down-low. Just for a little bit.”

“Whatever you need,” Dick says, leaning into Wally. They lapse into silence, but it’s not tense or awkward. Just comfortable, beautiful silence.

Dick thinks he’s drifting off again, body feeling numb and warm. But then he’s pulled back when Wally murmurs, “You really scared me, you know? I thought I—thought I—”

“Hey,” Dick says, voice tired as he forces his eyes open once more. “You didn’t do anything. And I’m fine. We’re both fine.”

“But you almost weren’t,” Wally chokes. And, god, Wally’s really upset.

Dick pushes himself up and tilts his head towards Wally, covering the white-knuckled fist with his own IV-ridden hand. “It’s a concussion. I’ll be fine.”

Wally shakes his head. “The spell was progressive. I told you to be still, and you were in a coma by the time we got back here.”

Wally’s sore jaw.

“A coma?” He’s going to kill Bruce; that definitely falls into the “information you tell Dick immediately” pile. At least that explains why he was out so long. His body was moving slower, maybe that made the reversal spell take longer to do its magic.

“Yeah,” Wally’s shaky voice lets out. “I thought I was going to kill you.”

“Don’t say that. Even if something had happened, it wouldn’t’ve been your fault. It was The Pranksters. And the fact that we’re blaming ourselves is just another part of their prank.”

“Right, I know. I mean, logically, duh,” Wally word vomits.

Dick squeezes the hand below his. “How’s your jaw? I guess that was my doing, huh?” He can picture Wally’s mouth slowly shutting more and more, he can picture the panic on Wally’s face growing.

Wally nods, smirking a little. “Yeah, but it’s fine. A little sore. Barry got me some ice, though, and it’s pretty much back to normal now.”

“Good. It would kind of suck to have your broken jaw on my conscience.”

“After what you put me through? You kind of deserve it,” Wally decides.

“I’ll make it up to you later,” Dick promises. And he does mean later. Right now, he’s too tired. He relaxes back against Wally. “Tired.”

“I should probably go. Let you get some sleep,” Wally says, pushing himself upright and up from under Dick’s form.

“Hmm.” Dick is already back in a horizontal position, eyes closing slowly. “Miss you.”

Wally gives this small puff of air, almost like a content laugh. “You too. Hey.”

Dick opens his eyes. “Huh?”

“I’m glad you’re not mad at me anymore.”

“Me too. I don’t like fighting.”

“Me neither. Promise to never fight again and have a perfect Instagram relationship?”

Dick laughs a little and Wally joins in. “Definitely,” he gets out.

Wally bends down and twirls some hair out of Dick’s face. “Night. Dream of me.”

“You wish,” Dick retorts, closing his eyes again. It’s at this point he realizes how hard he’s been fighting to stay awake. He can’t hear what else Wally says, if anything, but he does hear the door click shut. It’s dark now, too. He’s warm and happy as he falls asleep. And maybe Wally gets his wish.

[healthylifepage]

READ YOURSELF STRONGER! 🤓📚💪

One of my evergreen ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ is to gain breadth through a spot of reading; the brain is similar to the body’s muscles in the sense that lack of regular exercise sees it shrink! So following a frenzied two months of book-worming, I wanted to share a varied suite of 8 ‘health books’ that have had somewhat of a positive impact on me, whether they be books on mindfulness, educational fitness or nutrition/recipe books. I’d love to hear what ‘health’ books you’ve enjoyed reading as I’m always on the lookout for a good new read, so please pop a comment below with your top picks! Hopefully you might feel inspired to think through the pages of one or two of the books listed here…

1) It’s All in Your Head, by Suzanne O’Sullivan

I sort of HIIT-sprinted through ‘It’s all in your head’ as I was struggling to put it down. This is the first book of Suzanne O’Sullivan, a clinical consultant in neurophysiology and neurology with over 20 years’ experience. In it, she shares a collection of real-life stories of patients who she’s seen over the years who all suffer from psychosomatic illness also often referred to by some as ‘imaginary illness’. It’s a subject I personally knew very little about but found it utterly compelling. That the mind has control over physical outcome such as blushing when we become embarrassed, or that feeling nervous can trigger ‘the sweats’ is accepted, but I’d never considered how that crosses over to psychological and physical illness in far greater and unexplained ways. These stories enlighten in a very real, humbling and equally baffling way, just how powerful the mind can be over the body.

2) The Lonely City, by Olivia Laing

This biography explores ‘the art of being alone’ – something which I personally have felt in my life, but haven’t really spoken about and certainly not read about. Laing takes you on a meandering trip through the urban artistic 20th century landscape of New York up to present day, told through the lives of iconic artists. For a book about solitude, it’s surprisingly uplifting and helps you see how to bridge isolation and creativity. It’s rare that I pick up a book in my life and have someone put words to thoughts and feelings I didn’t even know I had, in such a beautiful, honest and vulnerable way. I think it’s a fascinating read as resonates disturbingly with the world in which we live today, one which is so superficially connected via the internet and social media, yet which can feel socially isolated. There are multiple lenses through which to view this book.

3) Trail Guide to The Body

For anyone who is interested in anatomy and wants to geek out or gain a better understanding of the body, I couldn’t recommend this book more. It is beautifully illustrated which really helped me to visualise and conceptualise how my body works, and it also comes with an online interactive platform which through massage and movement, beautifully illustrates the muscle origins and insertions. It’s not cheap (£55) but it’s my go-to book (still, after all these years) and I LOVE dipping into it! Highly recommended for Personal Trainers and fitness enthusiasts alike!

4) 12 Rules for Life, Jordan Peterson

The #1 Sunday Times and International Bestseller from ‘the most influential public intellectual in the Western world right now’ (New York Times) Written by the Canadian clinical psychologist and physiologist professor Jordan Peterson, this book has become a best-seller, fast. It’s proclaimed as ‘an Antidote to Chaos’, and is a variant on the form of ‘self-help’ book which administers life advice. I’m around half way through at present, and am massively enjoying it. Much of Peterson’s advice is surprisingly straightforward and logical, and I’m yet to bump into anything close to controversial – a trait for which he’s known. I’ve watched several of his YouTube videos/lectures and find much of what he asserts to be fascinating (and at the very least engaging), so I can’t imagine the second half of the book will disappoint at all. A mind-sharpening read, best orated in your head with your finest ‘Peterson’ voice switched on!

5) Not in Your Genes: The real reasons children are like their parents, by Oliver Jones

A friend recommended this book to me at the end of last year and it genuinely blew me away. It’s written by child psychologist Oliver James and explores the nature/nurture debate. The idea he tests and re-tests throughout the book is that genetic predisposition accounts for only a tiny fraction of what constitutes ‘personality, mental health and one’s emotional outlook’. Rather, it’s nurture which plays the biggest role. All of what Jones writes is backed up through clinical, medical research and evidenced in an unexpectedly compelling fashion. I found this book liberating and hugely empowering, and helped me to internalise that the beliefs you may hold regarding your identity, are entirely your own choice.

6) The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, by Eckhart Tolle.

This falls into the ‘oldie-but-goodie’ category. I read it many years ago when I was 20 and travelling though India; I was staying at Osho, an Ashram in Pune when I came across the book. It’s your stereotypical ‘Guru’ book but despite that cynical lens, I genuinely really enjoyed the read. It’s the kind of book you can pick up whenever and read a random chapter in total isolation, then return to it a full month later when you’re in the mood for some incremental soul searching!

7) The Food Effect Doctor

This compact tome is authored by my dear friend Dr. Michelle Braude, a qualified medical doctor and nutritionist who’s advice I genuinely trust and cherish. Forget unhealthy ‘quick fix’ restrictive diets, this book is a heavyweight in delivering a realistic long-term and healthy way of eating, also making allowance for alcohol and chocolate. The book also contains a four-week programme including menu plans which can be adapted to suit different taste preferences, lifestyles and nutritional needs, and 70 delicious and easy recipes, many of which I’ve tried!

8) The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari, by Robin Sharma

This is a sweet tale which tells the story of the title, namely a man who one day through a major wakeup call decides to radically change his life and ends up becoming a monk. He shares the many learnings to his old friend and college when he returns home from India. It’s an easy read, a lovely story and reminder of the importance of seeking balance in life.

That’s a brief precis of my list. More to follow after my next literary haul.

Faya x

P.S. These glasses were a gift from my friends at Specsavers, who have a 2-for-1 offer on Balmain glasses right now. £169 for two pairs, including eye test and lenses. That is good!

The post READ YOURSELF STRONGER! 🤓📚💪 appeared first on Fitness on Toast.

READ YOURSELF STRONGER! 🤓📚💪 posted first on yummylooksbest.blogspot.com

[yolandadsims]

READ YOURSELF STRONGER! 🤓📚💪

One of my evergreen ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ is to gain breadth through a spot of reading; the brain is similar to the body’s muscles in the sense that lack of regular exercise sees it shrink! So following a frenzied two months of book-worming, I wanted to share a varied suite of 8 ‘health books’ that have had somewhat of a positive impact on me, whether they be books on mindfulness, educational fitness or nutrition/recipe books. I’d love to hear what ‘health’ books you’ve enjoyed reading as I’m always on the lookout for a good new read, so please pop a comment below with your top picks! Hopefully you might feel inspired to think through the pages of one or two of the books listed here…

1) It’s All in Your Head, by Suzanne O’Sullivan

I sort of HIIT-sprinted through ‘It’s all in your head’ as I was struggling to put it down. This is the first book of Suzanne O’Sullivan, a clinical consultant in neurophysiology and neurology with over 20 years’ experience. In it, she shares a collection of real-life stories of patients who she’s seen over the years who all suffer from psychosomatic illness also often referred to by some as ‘imaginary illness’. It’s a subject I personally knew very little about but found it utterly compelling. That the mind has control over physical outcome such as blushing when we become embarrassed, or that feeling nervous can trigger ‘the sweats’ is accepted, but I’d never considered how that crosses over to psychological and physical illness in far greater and unexplained ways. These stories enlighten in a very real, humbling and equally baffling way, just how powerful the mind can be over the body.

2) The Lonely City, by Olivia Laing

This biography explores ‘the art of being alone’ – something which I personally have felt in my life, but haven’t really spoken about and certainly not read about. Laing takes you on a meandering trip through the urban artistic 20th century landscape of New York up to present day, told through the lives of iconic artists. For a book about solitude, it’s surprisingly uplifting and helps you see how to bridge isolation and creativity. It’s rare that I pick up a book in my life and have someone put words to thoughts and feelings I didn’t even know I had, in such a beautiful, honest and vulnerable way. I think it’s a fascinating read as resonates disturbingly with the world in which we live today, one which is so superficially connected via the internet and social media, yet which can feel socially isolated. There are multiple lenses through which to view this book.

3) Trail Guide to The Body

For anyone who is interested in anatomy and wants to geek out or gain a better understanding of the body, I couldn’t recommend this book more. It is beautifully illustrated which really helped me to visualise and conceptualise how my body works, and it also comes with an online interactive platform which through massage and movement, beautifully illustrates the muscle origins and insertions. It’s not cheap (£55) but it’s my go-to book (still, after all these years) and I LOVE dipping into it! Highly recommended for Personal Trainers and fitness enthusiasts alike!

4) 12 Rules for Life, Jordan Peterson

The #1 Sunday Times and International Bestseller from ‘the most influential public intellectual in the Western world right now’ (New York Times) Written by the Canadian clinical psychologist and physiologist professor Jordan Peterson, this book has become a best-seller, fast. It’s proclaimed as ‘an Antidote to Chaos’, and is a variant on the form of ‘self-help’ book which administers life advice. I’m around half way through at present, and am massively enjoying it. Much of Peterson’s advice is surprisingly straightforward and logical, and I’m yet to bump into anything close to controversial – a trait for which he’s known. I’ve watched several of his YouTube videos/lectures and find much of what he asserts to be fascinating (and at the very least engaging), so I can’t imagine the second half of the book will disappoint at all. A mind-sharpening read, best orated in your head with your finest ‘Peterson’ voice switched on!

5) Not in Your Genes: The real reasons children are like their parents, by Oliver Jones

A friend recommended this book to me at the end of last year and it genuinely blew me away. It’s written by child psychologist Oliver James and explores the nature/nurture debate. The idea he tests and re-tests throughout the book is that genetic predisposition accounts for only a tiny fraction of what constitutes ‘personality, mental health and one’s emotional outlook’. Rather, it’s nurture which plays the biggest role. All of what Jones writes is backed up through clinical, medical research and evidenced in an unexpectedly compelling fashion. I found this book liberating and hugely empowering, and helped me to internalise that the beliefs you may hold regarding your identity, are entirely your own choice.

6) The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, by Eckhart Tolle.

This falls into the ‘oldie-but-goodie’ category. I read it many years ago when I was 20 and travelling though India; I was staying at Osho, an Ashram in Pune when I came across the book. It’s your stereotypical ‘Guru’ book but despite that cynical lens, I genuinely really enjoyed the read. It’s the kind of book you can pick up whenever and read a random chapter in total isolation, then return to it a full month later when you’re in the mood for some incremental soul searching!

7) The Food Effect Doctor

This compact tome is authored by my dear friend Dr. Michelle Braude, a qualified medical doctor and nutritionist who’s advice I genuinely trust and cherish. Forget unhealthy ‘quick fix’ restrictive diets, this book is a heavyweight in delivering a realistic long-term and healthy way of eating, also making allowance for alcohol and chocolate. The book also contains a four-week programme including menu plans which can be adapted to suit different taste preferences, lifestyles and nutritional needs, and 70 delicious and easy recipes, many of which I’ve tried!

8) The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari, by Robin Sharma

This is a sweet tale which tells the story of the title, namely a man who one day through a major wakeup call decides to radically change his life and ends up becoming a monk. He shares the many learnings to his old friend and college when he returns home from India. It’s an easy read, a lovely story and reminder of the importance of seeking balance in life.

That’s a brief precis of my list. More to follow after my next literary haul.

Faya x

P.S. These glasses were a gift from my friends at Specsavers, who have a 2-for-1 offer on Balmain glasses right now. £169 for two pairs, including eye test and lenses. That is good!

The post READ YOURSELF STRONGER! 🤓📚💪 appeared first on Fitness on Toast.

from Health And Fitness Updates http://fitnessontoast.com/2019/03/05/read-yourself-stronger/

[rebeccaflaneus]

READ YOURSELF STRONGER! 🤓📚💪

One of my evergreen ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ is to gain breadth through a spot of reading; the brain is similar to the body’s muscles in the sense that lack of regular exercise sees it shrink! So following a frenzied two months of book-worming, I wanted to share a varied suite of 8 ‘health books’ that have had somewhat of a positive impact on me, whether they be books on mindfulness, educational fitness or nutrition/recipe books. I’d love to hear what ‘health’ books you’ve enjoyed reading as I’m always on the lookout for a good new read, so please pop a comment below with your top picks! Hopefully you might feel inspired to think through the pages of one or two of the books listed here…

1) It’s All in Your Head, by Suzanne O’Sullivan

I sort of HIIT-sprinted through ‘It’s all in your head’ as I was struggling to put it down. This is the first book of Suzanne O’Sullivan, a clinical consultant in neurophysiology and neurology with over 20 years’ experience. In it, she shares a collection of real-life stories of patients who she’s seen over the years who all suffer from psychosomatic illness also often referred to by some as ‘imaginary illness’. It’s a subject I personally knew very little about but found it utterly compelling. That the mind has control over physical outcome such as blushing when we become embarrassed, or that feeling nervous can trigger ‘the sweats’ is accepted, but I’d never considered how that crosses over to psychological and physical illness in far greater and unexplained ways. These stories enlighten in a very real, humbling and equally baffling way, just how powerful the mind can be over the body.

2) The Lonely City, by Olivia Laing

This biography explores ‘the art of being alone’ – something which I personally have felt in my life, but haven’t really spoken about and certainly not read about. Laing takes you on a meandering trip through the urban artistic 20th century landscape of New York up to present day, told through the lives of iconic artists. For a book about solitude, it’s surprisingly uplifting and helps you see how to bridge isolation and creativity. It’s rare that I pick up a book in my life and have someone put words to thoughts and feelings I didn’t even know I had, in such a beautiful, honest and vulnerable way. I think it’s a fascinating read as resonates disturbingly with the world in which we live today, one which is so superficially connected via the internet and social media, yet which can feel socially isolated. There are multiple lenses through which to view this book.

3) Trail Guide to The Body

For anyone who is interested in anatomy and wants to geek out or gain a better understanding of the body, I couldn’t recommend this book more. It is beautifully illustrated which really helped me to visualise and conceptualise how my body works, and it also comes with an online interactive platform which through massage and movement, beautifully illustrates the muscle origins and insertions. It’s not cheap (£55) but it’s my go-to book (still, after all these years) and I LOVE dipping into it! Highly recommended for Personal Trainers and fitness enthusiasts alike!

4) 12 Rules for Life, Jordan Peterson

The #1 Sunday Times and International Bestseller from ‘the most influential public intellectual in the Western world right now’ (New York Times) Written by the Canadian clinical psychologist and physiologist professor Jordan Peterson, this book has become a best-seller, fast. It’s proclaimed as ‘an Antidote to Chaos’, and is a variant on the form of ‘self-help’ book which administers life advice. I’m around half way through at present, and am massively enjoying it. Much of Peterson’s advice is surprisingly straightforward and logical, and I’m yet to bump into anything close to controversial – a trait for which he’s known. I’ve watched several of his YouTube videos/lectures and find much of what he asserts to be fascinating (and at the very least engaging), so I can’t imagine the second half of the book will disappoint at all. A mind-sharpening read, best orated in your head with your finest ‘Peterson’ voice switched on!

5) Not in Your Genes: The real reasons children are like their parents, by Oliver Jones

A friend recommended this book to me at the end of last year and it genuinely blew me away. It’s written by child psychologist Oliver James and explores the nature/nurture debate. The idea he tests and re-tests throughout the book is that genetic predisposition accounts for only a tiny fraction of what constitutes ‘personality, mental health and one’s emotional outlook’. Rather, it’s nurture which plays the biggest role. All of what Jones writes is backed up through clinical, medical research and evidenced in an unexpectedly compelling fashion. I found this book liberating and hugely empowering, and helped me to internalise that the beliefs you may hold regarding your identity, are entirely your own choice.

6) The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, by Eckhart Tolle.

This falls into the ‘oldie-but-goodie’ category. I read it many years ago when I was 20 and travelling though India; I was staying at Osho, an Ashram in Pune when I came across the book. It’s your stereotypical ‘Guru’ book but despite that cynical lens, I genuinely really enjoyed the read. It’s the kind of book you can pick up whenever and read a random chapter in total isolation, then return to it a full month later when you’re in the mood for some incremental soul searching!

7) The Food Effect Doctor

This compact tome is authored by my dear friend Dr. Michelle Braude, a qualified medical doctor and nutritionist who’s advice I genuinely trust and cherish. Forget unhealthy ‘quick fix’ restrictive diets, this book is a heavyweight in delivering a realistic long-term and healthy way of eating, also making allowance for alcohol and chocolate. The book also contains a four-week programme including menu plans which can be adapted to suit different taste preferences, lifestyles and nutritional needs, and 70 delicious and easy recipes, many of which I’ve tried!

8) The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari, by Robin Sharma

This is a sweet tale which tells the story of the title, namely a man who one day through a major wakeup call decides to radically change his life and ends up becoming a monk. He shares the many learnings to his old friend and college when he returns home from India. It’s an easy read, a lovely story and reminder of the importance of seeking balance in life.

That’s a brief precis of my list. More to follow after my next literary haul.

Faya x

P.S. These glasses were a gift from my friends at Specsavers, who have a 2-for-1 offer on Balmain glasses right now. £169 for two pairs, including eye test and lenses. That is good!

The post READ YOURSELF STRONGER! 🤓📚💪 appeared first on Fitness on Toast.

from Donald Fitness Tips http://fitnessontoast.com/2019/03/05/read-yourself-stronger/

[muscledemandsrespect]

READ YOURSELF STRONGER! 🤓📚💪

One of my evergreen ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ is to gain breadth through a spot of reading; the brain is similar to the body’s muscles in the sense that lack of regular exercise sees it shrink! So following a frenzied two months of book-worming, I wanted to share a varied suite of 8 ‘health books’ that have had somewhat of a positive impact on me, whether they be books on mindfulness, educational fitness or nutrition/recipe books. I’d love to hear what ‘health’ books you’ve enjoyed reading as I’m always on the lookout for a good new read, so please pop a comment below with your top picks! Hopefully you might feel inspired to think through the pages of one or two of the books listed here…

1) It’s All in Your Head, by Suzanne O’Sullivan

I sort of HIIT-sprinted through ‘It’s all in your head’ as I was struggling to put it down. This is the first book of Suzanne O’Sullivan, a clinical consultant in neurophysiology and neurology with over 20 years’ experience. In it, she shares a collection of real-life stories of patients who she’s seen over the years who all suffer from psychosomatic illness also often referred to by some as ‘imaginary illness’. It’s a subject I personally knew very little about but found it utterly compelling. That the mind has control over physical outcome such as blushing when we become embarrassed, or that feeling nervous can trigger ‘the sweats’ is accepted, but I’d never considered how that crosses over to psychological and physical illness in far greater and unexplained ways. These stories enlighten in a very real, humbling and equally baffling way, just how powerful the mind can be over the body.

2) The Lonely City, by Olivia Laing

This biography explores ‘the art of being alone’ – something which I personally have felt in my life, but haven’t really spoken about and certainly not read about. Laing takes you on a meandering trip through the urban artistic 20th century landscape of New York up to present day, told through the lives of iconic artists. For a book about solitude, it’s surprisingly uplifting and helps you see how to bridge isolation and creativity. It’s rare that I pick up a book in my life and have someone put words to thoughts and feelings I didn’t even know I had, in such a beautiful, honest and vulnerable way. I think it’s a fascinating read as resonates disturbingly with the world in which we live today, one which is so superficially connected via the internet and social media, yet which can feel socially isolated. There are multiple lenses through which to view this book.

3) Trail Guide to The Body

For anyone who is interested in anatomy and wants to geek out or gain a better understanding of the body, I couldn’t recommend this book more. It is beautifully illustrated which really helped me to visualise and conceptualise how my body works, and it also comes with an online interactive platform which through massage and movement, beautifully illustrates the muscle origins and insertions. It’s not cheap (£55) but it’s my go-to book (still, after all these years) and I LOVE dipping into it! Highly recommended for Personal Trainers and fitness enthusiasts alike!

4) 12 Rules for Life, Jordan Peterson

The #1 Sunday Times and International Bestseller from ‘the most influential public intellectual in the Western world right now’ (New York Times) Written by the Canadian clinical psychologist and physiologist professor Jordan Peterson, this book has become a best-seller, fast. It’s proclaimed as ‘an Antidote to Chaos’, and is a variant on the form of ‘self-help’ book which administers life advice. I’m around half way through at present, and am massively enjoying it. Much of Peterson’s advice is surprisingly straightforward and logical, and I’m yet to bump into anything close to controversial – a trait for which he’s known. I’ve watched several of his YouTube videos/lectures and find much of what he asserts to be fascinating (and at the very least engaging), so I can’t imagine the second half of the book will disappoint at all. A mind-sharpening read, best orated in your head with your finest ‘Peterson’ voice switched on!

5) Not in Your Genes: The real reasons children are like their parents, by Oliver Jones

A friend recommended this book to me at the end of last year and it genuinely blew me away. It’s written by child psychologist Oliver James and explores the nature/nurture debate. The idea he tests and re-tests throughout the book is that genetic predisposition accounts for only a tiny fraction of what constitutes ‘personality, mental health and one’s emotional outlook’. Rather, it’s nurture which plays the biggest role. All of what Jones writes is backed up through clinical, medical research and evidenced in an unexpectedly compelling fashion. I found this book liberating and hugely empowering, and helped me to internalise that the beliefs you may hold regarding your identity, are entirely your own choice.

6) The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, by Eckhart Tolle.

This falls into the ‘oldie-but-goodie’ category. I read it many years ago when I was 20 and travelling though India; I was staying at Osho, an Ashram in Pune when I came across the book. It’s your stereotypical ‘Guru’ book but despite that cynical lens, I genuinely really enjoyed the read. It’s the kind of book you can pick up whenever and read a random chapter in total isolation, then return to it a full month later when you’re in the mood for some incremental soul searching!

7) The Food Effect Doctor

This compact tome is authored by my dear friend Dr. Michelle Braude, a qualified medical doctor and nutritionist who’s advice I genuinely trust and cherish. Forget unhealthy ‘quick fix’ restrictive diets, this book is a heavyweight in delivering a realistic long-term and healthy way of eating, also making allowance for alcohol and chocolate. The book also contains a four-week programme including menu plans which can be adapted to suit different taste preferences, lifestyles and nutritional needs, and 70 delicious and easy recipes, many of which I’ve tried!

8) The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari, by Robin Sharma

This is a sweet tale which tells the story of the title, namely a man who one day through a major wakeup call decides to radically change his life and ends up becoming a monk. He shares the many learnings to his old friend and college when he returns home from India. It’s an easy read, a lovely story and reminder of the importance of seeking balance in life.

That’s a brief precis of my list. More to follow after my next literary haul.

Faya x

P.S. These glasses were a gift from my friends at Specsavers, who have a 2-for-1 offer on Balmain glasses right now. £169 for two pairs, including eye test and lenses. That is good!

The post READ YOURSELF STRONGER! 🤓📚💪 appeared first on Fitness on Toast.

from Fitness on Toast https://ift.tt/2IU2EqN via IFTTT

[sarahdlukeusa90]

READ YOURSELF STRONGER! 🤓📚💪

One of my evergreen ‘New Year’s Resolutions’ is to gain breadth through a spot of reading; the brain is similar to the body’s muscles in the sense that lack of regular exercise sees it shrink! So following a frenzied two months of book-worming, I wanted to share a varied suite of 8 ‘health books’ that have had somewhat of a positive impact on me, whether they be books on mindfulness, educational fitness or nutrition/recipe books. I’d love to hear what ‘health’ books you’ve enjoyed reading as I’m always on the lookout for a good new read, so please pop a comment below with your top picks! Hopefully you might feel inspired to think through the pages of one or two of the books listed here…

1) It’s All in Your Head, by Suzanne O’Sullivan

I sort of HIIT-sprinted through ‘It’s all in your head’ as I was struggling to put it down. This is the first book of Suzanne O’Sullivan, a clinical consultant in neurophysiology and neurology with over 20 years’ experience. In it, she shares a collection of real-life stories of patients who she’s seen over the years who all suffer from psychosomatic illness also often referred to by some as ‘imaginary illness’. It’s a subject I personally knew very little about but found it utterly compelling. That the mind has control over physical outcome such as blushing when we become embarrassed, or that feeling nervous can trigger ‘the sweats’ is accepted, but I’d never considered how that crosses over to psychological and physical illness in far greater and unexplained ways. These stories enlighten in a very real, humbling and equally baffling way, just how powerful the mind can be over the body.

2) The Lonely City, by Olivia Laing

This biography explores ‘the art of being alone’ – something which I personally have felt in my life, but haven’t really spoken about and certainly not read about. Laing takes you on a meandering trip through the urban artistic 20th century landscape of New York up to present day, told through the lives of iconic artists. For a book about solitude, it’s surprisingly uplifting and helps you see how to bridge isolation and creativity. It’s rare that I pick up a book in my life and have someone put words to thoughts and feelings I didn’t even know I had, in such a beautiful, honest and vulnerable way. I think it’s a fascinating read as resonates disturbingly with the world in which we live today, one which is so superficially connected via the internet and social media, yet which can feel socially isolated. There are multiple lenses through which to view this book.

3) Trail Guide to The Body

For anyone who is interested in anatomy and wants to geek out or gain a better understanding of the body, I couldn’t recommend this book more. It is beautifully illustrated which really helped me to visualise and conceptualise how my body works, and it also comes with an online interactive platform which through massage and movement, beautifully illustrates the muscle origins and insertions. It’s not cheap (£55) but it’s my go-to book (still, after all these years) and I LOVE dipping into it! Highly recommended for Personal Trainers and fitness enthusiasts alike!

4) 12 Rules for Life, Jordan Peterson

The #1 Sunday Times and International Bestseller from ‘the most influential public intellectual in the Western world right now’ (New York Times) Written by the Canadian clinical psychologist and physiologist professor Jordan Peterson, this book has become a best-seller, fast. It’s proclaimed as ‘an Antidote to Chaos’, and is a variant on the form of ‘self-help’ book which administers life advice. I’m around half way through at present, and am massively enjoying it. Much of Peterson’s advice is surprisingly straightforward and logical, and I’m yet to bump into anything close to controversial – a trait for which he’s known. I’ve watched several of his YouTube videos/lectures and find much of what he asserts to be fascinating (and at the very least engaging), so I can’t imagine the second half of the book will disappoint at all. A mind-sharpening read, best orated in your head with your finest ‘Peterson’ voice switched on!

5) Not in Your Genes: The real reasons children are like their parents, by Oliver Jones

A friend recommended this book to me at the end of last year and it genuinely blew me away. It’s written by child psychologist Oliver James and explores the nature/nurture debate. The idea he tests and re-tests throughout the book is that genetic predisposition accounts for only a tiny fraction of what constitutes ‘personality, mental health and one’s emotional outlook’. Rather, it’s nurture which plays the biggest role. All of what Jones writes is backed up through clinical, medical research and evidenced in an unexpectedly compelling fashion. I found this book liberating and hugely empowering, and helped me to internalise that the beliefs you may hold regarding your identity, are entirely your own choice.

6) The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, by Eckhart Tolle.

This falls into the ‘oldie-but-goodie’ category. I read it many years ago when I was 20 and travelling though India; I was staying at Osho, an Ashram in Pune when I came across the book. It’s your stereotypical ‘Guru’ book but despite that cynical lens, I genuinely really enjoyed the read. It’s the kind of book you can pick up whenever and read a random chapter in total isolation, then return to it a full month later when you’re in the mood for some incremental soul searching!

7) The Food Effect Doctor

This compact tome is authored by my dear friend Dr. Michelle Braude, a qualified medical doctor and nutritionist who’s advice I genuinely trust and cherish. Forget unhealthy ‘quick fix’ restrictive diets, this book is a heavyweight in delivering a realistic long-term and healthy way of eating, also making allowance for alcohol and chocolate. The book also contains a four-week programme including menu plans which can be adapted to suit different taste preferences, lifestyles and nutritional needs, and 70 delicious and easy recipes, many of which I’ve tried!

8) The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari, by Robin Sharma

This is a sweet tale which tells the story of the title, namely a man who one day through a major wakeup call decides to radically change his life and ends up becoming a monk. He shares the many learnings to his old friend and college when he returns home from India. It’s an easy read, a lovely story and reminder of the importance of seeking balance in life.

That’s a brief precis of my list. More to follow after my next literary haul.

Faya x

P.S. These glasses were a gift from my friends at Specsavers, who have a 2-for-1 offer on Balmain glasses right now. £169 for two pairs, including eye test and lenses. That is good!

The post READ YOURSELF STRONGER! 🤓📚💪 appeared first on Fitness on Toast.

source http://fitnessontoast.com/2019/03/05/read-yourself-stronger/

[watchstandpray]

From the Creator of Watch Stand Pray

Though the subtitle reads “Moral Motivation”, I do not consider myself any moral authority by any means. Morality is a topic society is hungry for. It would be a crime not to spread the news: Morals are good.

Note that the title is not “Moral Perfection”. I write these words to myself as much as to everyone else. As the words suggest, this work is both a motivation for morals and a set of moral-centered motivationals.

I was inspired by my many students and friends, as well as Oswald Chambers. I was introduced to his work when a kind of spiritual grandmother in my life gave me a copy as I went off to Moody. My Utmost for His Highest, the gold standard of Bible-based devotionals, was a collection of notes from Chambers’ widow; our loved ones often know our best values best. He died at 43 years old of a health condition. His first book, Biblical Psychology, was published five years before that. If he could address both Bible and culture at such a young age, I can too.

I write this at 37 years old. When I first wrote this Introduction, I had only finished the first read, drafted about eleven other candidate reads, and had a list of about 180 for other topics, at least 100 of them Bible Theology topics. Most of those are rants I have given to friends on more than one occasion. It seems, according to the fact that his wife took notes of what he would say at home, Oswald was a bit of a “ranter” like myself. What writer/teacher isn’t?

My father would also go on “wisdom rants”. He called them “little Walter thoughts”. Our family treasures them today. Toward the end of his life, he started to write them down, but most of what he said remains only in memory. I don’t want that for my own ideas for future generations. Although I have written political columns, Bible teachings of many kinds, fiction, and numerous other pieces in various genres, nothing I ever wrote before this really had “Jesse thoughts”. This does.

Oswald Chambers brought us all something special. His daily readings aren’t just “Bible study”. They were real, passionate, and natural from the moment. Those kinds of “household wisdom rants” have the strongest “didactic” teaching impact in childhood. Some of our best books are the ones we don’t know we write. Oswald remains unique in the devotional world.

The lesser among devotionals can often be with cliche, are quite dry, belong best under dust on a coffee table’s lower shelf, or were invaluable for readers from another time. Many good Bible devotionals are aimed at novice Bible readers who love Jesus and need elementary teaching to enrich their busy, hectic lives. There are many rich daily-Bible books, such as 365 Read-Aloud Bedtime Bible Stories, the “Uncle” Arthor Maxwell collections, and it goes without mention that Max Lucado and my dear friend, Joe Stowell, are generally awesome. But, all of these are heavily focused on traditional Bible-preaching topics.

What about the professional? What about the Christian who wants to minister through the marketplace or in government? Wisdom such as, “Make sure you’re nice to people because God really loves you as much as them,” carries truth that can be properly applied if we take it to heart; but it doesn’t necessarily answer all challenges of the working professional.

Who disciples the Daniels and Josephs? Who motivates the motivational speakers? They weren’t without mentors of their own. Without any spite, I believe there is a “red ocean” marketable need for a book that daily enriches the lives of self-proclaimed “Christian yuppies”. I wanted “Tony Robins meets Oswald Chambers”. Frankly, that’s Jesse Steele.

Oswald Chambers didn’t intend to write the book he wrote. That was part of its magic. The only reason that I can justify even being worthy to want to follow in his shoes is that every one of these 365 reads—353 of them yet-to-be-drafted—are from rants I have already made. I’m doing zero research and zero outlining for these devotionals. I’m simply sitting at a keyboard and pounding out “repeating broken record rants” of my past that people have thanked me for time and again. The book will be finished as fast as I can type. (Now we know how long it took.)

(Don’t tell her, but this is arguably a romance tactic. If I publish all my brilliant ideas before I meet my future wife, that might deter her from taking notes while I’m ranting. Wouldn’t that have been kind of funny—a young couple getting into it when the wife suddenly pulls out a pad of paper and starts taking notes? Just sayin’. But, I kinda’ like that kinda’ woman.)

No, I’m not married. I just haven’t had time to pursue it, being too busy with other important things that I won’t have time for in the future. So, how can I even include anything about marriage and family in these readings?

I am a son and an uncle, for what it’s worth. I hope I’m valuable to my nieces and nephews. Still, I severely limit myself on the topic of raising a family. I can’t speak to the 24/7 parenting gig; it’s exhausting just to think about. But, if it is wrong to write wisdom for children when you don’t have any of your own then most of CS Lewis’ work would be unqualified.

In terms of marriage, I am just an inquisitive observer. I’ve often picked the brains of married couples to see what works for them, why they fail, why they succeed, and I often know more about what goes on behind the scenes than people realize. I’m somewhat of the grapevine in that sense. I don’t think God would let those little “bees” buzz over and keep me so informed if I flapped jaw about other people’s problems. I keep a tighter lip than most will ever know. Many a secret will go to my grave with me. From those secrets, I have a wide scope of what I have seen fail and succeed. I think it would be a crime not to share at least a little from that insight.

These reads contain the warnings and wisdom anyone can see in advance, with a little diligence and “grapevining”. I’ll probably write a post-parenting book on how it all worked out. My mother often told me with all sincerity and no animosity, “I can’t wait to see how your ideas actually work out when you’re a parent.”

What do I have to say about being a father?

I write this not as a father, but as a godfather of a godson whose father left him forever when he was three, to whom I gave my name. I have none of the rights nor powers of a real father, yet I carry much of the responsibility. I have no influence in his regular instruction or situation. I am only available when called on and can only act in the capacity of a commentator and cheerleader. In many ways, I wish I had even some of the powers of a real father to David, with no second thought for the burdens that would come with them. I did not ask for him to be my godson and I cannot ask to be released. I only write about the topic of fathering because no devotional would be complete without it. In this, I write from what I little I do know and from what the Bible teaches. I hope that God grants you the powers to glean from my wisdom and disregard my lacking.

But, I am no novice to these matters either.

My grandmother was called “Grandma” even by her elders because of her wide and long work with children in her local church. Even after she died, my aunt’s neighbor, who barely knew her, had a dream in which she called her “Grandma”. My mother was listed in the local newspaper among the top ten local daycare providers. My own babysitter, from before I entered elementary school, was a leader in her community and I am still in touch with her to this day. We often talk about dealing with people as we never stop growing up.

During the ages of nine and ten, when I was homeschooled, I listened to Dr. Kevin Leman on the radio every day as parents called into his national talk radio program for advice. Sadly, yet honestly, I believed I have studied the subject of parenting more than most parents. In addition to that, I have twenty-three years of one-on-one tutoring experience with ages ranging from five to seventy and in three different cultures. I have seen many parenting styles, what fails and what succeeds, and I say confidently as humbly: It’s all predictable.

Books have already been published about most every problem and conflict. Talk radio hosts, even the less famous, have addressed many challenges. Yet, most of the people who face great challenges in family relationships rarely seek advice, let alone seek advice in advance. Not seeking advice in advance is usually among the greatest problems in family. Never have I encountered a situation where my own counsel had not already been published by men more experienced than I. When it comes to family, I have absolutely nothing new to say, yet I think I have seen one quarter of all there is to see, the total being unfathomable.

I do not have experience as a husband or as a biological father. I can’t speak from impure relations either. I can only speak from the perspective of one who has the wisdom to wait for things for which I know I am not prepared. Of all the experience I lack, the greatest is preventable and unnecessary failure. For the failures I have, I am glad I was at least absent from the bleachers and present on the game field.

Aside from parenting, I feel competent in the areas of which I write. I survived nine years overseas with my only financial plan being God as my provider. Everything I write about money came from what I have observed in life and read in the Bible. The same goes for leadership, whether organizationally, in business relations, friendship, or positions of authority such as controlling a classroom or working in government.

My work speaks for itself, including the fifteen other books I have written as of 2018, all of them available as ebooks and through print on demand, as well as the inkVerb and PinkWrite projects along with many others. I have a degree in Bible, ten years of work in food service, twenty years in education, and am a pianist of thirty. I am son to a widowed mother and Military Police renaissance-man and teacher of a father. I am a brother, uncle, godfather, Linux programmer, designer, podcaster, columnist, predictor of politics, adviser to unnamed few, ESL and piano teacher, forever student, individual sport enthusiast, hands-on student of culture, lover of people almost as much as I am lover of our Creator God, sinner, mentor, friend, hunter, tamer of animals, writer, editor, survivor, and hope-to-be-better every day all-around good guy.

I write this at 37 years old. At this time, I have only drafted the first read, about eleven other candidate reads, and have a list of about 180 for other topics, at least 100 of them Bible Theology topics. Most of these are rants I have given to friends on more than one occasion. It seems, according to the fact that his wife took notes of what he would say at home, Oswald was a bit of a “ranter” like myself. What writer/teacher isn’t?

My father would also go on “wisdom rants”. He called them “little Walter thoughts”. We treasure them today. Toward the end of his life, he started to write them down, but most of what he said remains only in memory. I don’t want that. Although I have written political, Bible, fiction, and numerous other pieces in various genres, nothing really had “Jesse thoughts”. This does.

Oswald Chambers brought something special. His daily readings aren’t just “Bible study”. They were real, passionate, and natural from the moment. Those kinds of “household wisdom rants” have the strongest “didactic” teaching impact in childhood. Some of our best books are the ones we don’t know we write. Oswald remains unique in the devotional world.

The lesser among devotionals can be filled with cliche, quite dry, belong best under dust on a coffee table’s lower shelf, or were invaluable for readers from another time. Many good Bible devotionals are aimed at novice Bible readers who love Jesus and need elementary teaching to enrich their busy, hectic lives. There are many rich daily-Bible books, such as 365 Read-Aloud Bedtime Bible Stories, the “Uncle” Arthor Maxwell collections, and it goes without mention that Max Lucado and my good friend, Joe Stowell, are generally awesome. But, all of these are heavily focused on traditional Bible-preaching topics.

What about the professional? What about the Christian who wants to minister through the marketplace or in government? Wisdom such as, “Make sure you’re nice to people because God really loves you as much as them,” carries truth that can be properly applied if we take it to heart; but it doesn’t necessarily answer all challenges of the working professional.

Who disciples the Daniels and Josephs? Who motivates the motivational speakers? They weren’t without mentors of their own. Without any spite, I believe there is a “red ocean” marketable need for a book that daily enriches the lives of self-proclaimed Christian yuppies. I wanted “Tony Robins meets Oswald Chambers”. Frankly, that’s Jesse Steele.

Oswald Chambers didn’t intend to write the book he wrote. That was part of its magic. The only reason that I can justify even being worthy to follow in his shoes is that every one of these 365 reads—353 of them yet-to-be-drafted—are from rants I have already made. I’m doing zero research and zero outlining for these devotionals. I’m simply sitting at a keyboard and pounding out “broken record rants” of my past that people have thanked me for time and again. The book will be finished as fast as I can type.

(Don’t tell her, but this is arguably a romance tactic. If I publish all my brilliant ideas before I meet my future wife, that might deter her from taking notes while I’m ranting. Wouldn’t that have been kind of funny—a young couple getting into it when the wife suddenly pulls out a pad of paper and starts taking notes? Just sayin’. But, I kinda’ like that kinda’ woman.)

No, I’m not married. I just haven’t had time to pursue it, being too busy with other important things that I won’t have time for in the future. So, how can I even include anything about marriage and family in these readings?

I am a son and an uncle, for what it’s worth. I hope I’m valuable to my nieces and nephews. Still, I severely limit myself to the topic of raising a family. I can’t speak to the 24/7 gig; it’s exhausting just to think about. But, if it is wrong to write wisdom for children when you don’t have any of your own then most of CS Lewis’ work would be unqualified.

In terms of marriage, I am just an inquisitive observer. I’ve often picked the brains of married couples to see what works for them, why they fail, and I often know more about what goes on behind the scenes than people realize. I’m somewhat of the grapevine in that sense. I don’t think God would let those little “bees” buzz over and keep me so informed if I flapped jaw about other people’s problems. I keep a tighter lip than most will ever know. Many a secret will go to my grave with me. From those secrets, I have a wide scope of what I have seen fail and succeed. I think it would be a crime not to share at least a little from that insight.

These reads contain the warnings and wisdom anyone can see in advance, with a little diligence. I’ll probably write a post-parenting book on how it all worked out. My mother often told me with all sincerity and no animosity, “I can’t wait to see how your ideas actually work out when you’re a parent.”

What do I have to say about being a father?

I write this not as a father, but as a godfather of a godson whose father left him forever when he was three, to whom I gave my name. I have none of the rights nor powers of a real father, yet I carry much of the responsibility. I have no influence in his regular instruction or situation. I am only available when called on and can only act in the capacity of a commentator and cheerleader. In many ways, I wish I had even some of the powers of a real father to David, with no second thought for the burdens that would come with them. I did not ask for him to be my godson and I cannot ask to be released. I only write about the topic of fathering because no devotional would be complete without it. In this, I write from what I little I do know and from what the Bible teaches. I hope that God grants you the powers to glean from my wisdom and disregard my lacking.

But, I am no novice to these matters either.

My grandmother was called “Grandma” even by her elders because of her wide and long work with children in her local church. Even after she died, my aunt’s neighbor, who barely knew her, had a dream in which she called her “Grandma”. My mother was listed in the local newspaper among the top ten local daycare providers. My own babysitter, from before I entered elementary school, was a leader in her community and I am still in touch with her to this day. We often talk about dealing with people as we never stop growing up.

During the ages of nine and ten, when I was homeschooled, I listened to Dr. Kevin Leman on the radio every day as parents called into his national talk radio program for advice. Sadly, yet honestly, I believed I have studied the subject of parenting more than most parents. In addition to that, I have twenty years of one-on-one tutoring experience with ages ranging from five to seventy and in three different cultures. I have seen many parenting styles, what fails and what succeeds, and I say confidently as humbly: It’s all predictable.

Books have already been published about every problem and conflict. Talk radio hosts, even the less famous, have addressed many challenges. Yet, most of the people who face great challenges in family relationships rarely seek advice, let alone seek advice in advance. Not seeking advice in advance is usually among the greatest problems in family. Never have I encountered a situation where my own counsel had not already been published by men more experienced than I. When it comes to family, I have absolutely nothing new to say, yet I think I have seen one quarter of all there is to see, the total being unfathomable.

I do not have experience as a husband or as a biological father. I can’t speak from impure relations either. I can only speak from the perspective of one who has the wisdom to wait for things for which I know I am not prepared. Of all the experience I lack, the greatest is preventable and unnecessary failure. For the failures I have, I am glad I was at least absent from the bleachers and present on the game field.

Aside from parenting, I feel competent in the areas of which I write. I survived nine years overseas with my only financial plan being God as my provider. Everything I write about money came from what I have seen in life and read in the Bible. The same goes for leadership, whether organizationally, in business relations, friendship, or positions of authority such as controlling a classroom.

My work speaks for itself, including the fifteen other books I have written as of 2018, all of them available as ebooks and through print on demand, as well as the inkVerb and PinkWrite projects along with many others. I have a degree in Bible, ten years of work in food service, twenty years in education, and am a pianist of thirty. I am son to a widowed mother and Military Police renaissance-man and teacher of father, brother, uncle, godfather, Linux programmer, designer, podcaster, columnist, predictor of politics, adviser to unnamed few, ESL and piano teacher, forever student, individual sport enthusiast, hands-on student of culture, lover of people almost as much as I am lover of our Creator God, sinner, mentor, friend, hunter, tamer of animals, writer, editor, survivor, and hope-to-be-better every day all-around good guy.

— Jesse Steele Creator of Watch Stand Pray