fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Thank you for hurting me
By: Damaris Fey
Tags: Self-awareness, Love Yourself, Mindfulness, Self Improvement, Self Love

Today I am grateful for the hurt you caused me because it helps me to see who you are and why my friends were right to warn me about you.

I read that I am responsible for my feelings and nobody can do anything “to” me. I’m sure that’s right. But you decided to do something that would hurt me and I am sad. I trusted you but yes, that was my own fault. There were enough signs to tell me what kind of person you are. Enough red flags that should’ve made me think twice before falling for you. But I didn’t think twice. I loved everything about you and so I overlooked what could’ve warned me. I closed both eyes and embraced you as you were. By doing that I abandoned myself. I knew I was doing it but I couldn’t stop, didn’t want to stop. Because when it was good it was so so good.

But now I feel terrible. Because you didn’t choose to embrace me, it seems. Or at least not enough to be considerate of my feelings.

But actually, I want to thank you for hurting me. It shows me where I abandoned myself. It teaches me to stop doing that (hopefully). It helps me to grow. To be wiser next time. To embrace myself first. To love myself. Because I can’t ever ask someone else to love me if I can’t even do it. So thank you for the lesson. Thank you for being there during this time of my life to teach me self love.

I will always be grateful.
FANCY A CUP OF TEA?
By: Yours Truly
Tags: Love Yourself, Téa, Meditation, Letters

Dear Reader,

How are you? It’s been a long time since I wrote something. I had busy days and less inspiration to write.

Well, for today, I would like to talk about one of my obsessions. Obsession might sound very negative; let’s just say it’s one of my happy place or happy activity.

As you might have guessed from the title, it’s drinking tea.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

I used to think( and still think) I love tea on an average level. But my friends tell me that I am addicted to it.

Let’s analyse this, ok? Let me know in the comments if you think I am obsessed or not?

Do I have more than one flavour of tea? Well, I do have. But, every flavour has a purpose. Like, if I want to feel the tropical feel, I go for my mango flavoured one. If I am anxious, I go for my Melissa tea or chamomile. And if I feel extra healthy(which doesn’t happen often ), I go for my green tea. To have a feel of winter during summer, I go for my winter flavoured tea.

Photo by Alice Pasqual on Unsplash

Do I prefer tea more than any other soft/hard drinks? I do. I like iced tea over any other beverages. But in my defence, it tastes heavenly than coke or any other juice( Sorry to coke lovers).

What do I feel when I drink my tea? A lot of things, the whole process of making a cup of tea until I drink it, I consider it a form of meditation. It’s so calming and peaceful for me.

Photo by Lisa Hobbs on Unsplash

Drinking a cup of tea sip by sip, listening to music or even while watching the rain gives me an immense pleasure or feeling of being content in the present moment

Each sip gives me relief; it’s like a calming balm for my mental stress sometimes.

Do you think I am obsessed? It doesn’t sound like that, right?

But dear reader, if you feel stressed or lonely or just tired, I would advise you to drink a cup of tea.

Take your time. Make a cup of tea and sit somewhere you think you can unwind.

Take each sip by enjoying the flavour. Observe your surrounding, look out through the window, enjoy the feeling of wind, the pitter-patter sound of the rain, the playfulness of the sunlight through your curtains. Above all, the feel of warmth that envelops your hands while holding the cup of tea, like someone holding your hand for comfort.

Photo by Chad Madden on Unsplash

You might be thinking, who has this much time to do it? Or it’s just a cup of tea. Why do we have to do it? We don’t have that much time to waste etc., etc.

But that’s the point, to take that tiny bit of time for yourself from your busy world, a world full of noises. By noises, I mean everything, the responsibility, the work pressure, quarrels, people around us, etc.

Taking that small amount of time for yourself to feel that peace. It might help you a lot. Finding happiness in small things for yourself is a form of healing that everyone needs right now.

Also, a cup of tea can be a great conversation starter.

I hope you have that calming cup of tea from now onwards.

With Lots of Love

Yours Truly…
Curated: me?
By: Juanene Frydman
Tags: Love Yourself, Personal Development, Stories, Inner Journey, Life

A girlfriend who I’ve known for almost a decade sat me down earlier this week and asked if she could give me feedback. I have to say that my stomach did tighten given that it is usually me, the giver of feedback.

You have to know what is coming when the sentence starts “you know how much I love you J”. Here it comes, the but that follows an intro like that!

“But, I wonder what you’d be like if you weren’t quite so curated?”

Curated? According to the various dictionaries on line the verb ‘to curate’ is to organise, arrange or manage and the noun ‘curate’ is given to a member of clergy.

“If I wasn’t curated, what would the opposite of that be for you?” I asked

“Messy, gorgeously messy!”

What comes to mind for you when you hear the word curated? Would you ever describe someone as curated? Are you?

5 days in, I have to admit and own the fact that I am to a large extent ‘curated’ and far from messy. I have this story, this inner dialogue that seldom shuts up, that says I ‘have to’ be put together, that it’s easier to suck it up then ask someone for help, that there’s no time to be sad or mad, that people don’t care — that they’re so focused on their own lives that they don’t have the bandwidth for anything else.

But I don’t want to be known only for the polished, put together, sometimes up my own rear kinda person… I also want to be known for the fact that I do mess up, badly. That I don’t cry pretty! (who does?). That I don’t have all the answers. That there are days that all I want is to stay under my duvet and believe that by morning my heart won’t be so heavy and that all the answers to all of my questions will be made known. That I will be okay.

So messy it will be (’cause curated I do with my eyes closed). Over the next weeks I intend sharing all the times that ‘messy has become me’ and what I’m learning along the way. Hell, who knows, I might even get it wrong.

Here’s to a non-curated version of messy!
SPEAK TO YOUR HEART. The same way we have our session”…
By: Huma Javaid
Tags: Love Yourself, Taking Flight, Amal Fellow, Speak To Your Heart

As human beings we always crave attention and love from others. To fill these cravings we always love to talk with others. One of the best communications is when people talk about themselves. It brings them close to each other. Because whenever someone opens his heart, there is a person who makes their space in it. And that conversation becomes a lifelong moment for him.

The same way we have our session” Taking flight” in which we talk about ourselves. This was one of the best sessions of my fellowships. I really feel their pain when they talk about themselves. After the sad moments of our life we change our discussion to happiness. I love the way everyone accepts their situation and has positive energy. This session really touched my heart.

Beautiful Amal Fellows :)

Such activities give you lifelong learnings and have the power to change you from the core of your heart. As a human being I also have some sad scenarios in my life. After hearing the story of their pains and how they overcome those pains really motivates me. It gave me the energy to overlook my problems as well .Now I have decided to let go of all those pains which restrained me in a cage. Now I do everything which makes me happy and makes me a good person.
A reminder to myself
By: Brandon Williams
Tags: Love Yourself, Reminders To Self

I’ve never just naturally dated someone for a period of time, took a liking to them, and just gradually fell in love over time. I’ve always just dived into a relationship head first without a parachute. Ignoring mountain sized red flags just because I wanted to have someone there. And now that I’m on this journey of loving and discovering myself, I know the next time i experience love it’s going to be unlike anything I’ve ever felt before.

I’ll know exactly who I am and exactly what I want. I’ll be taking note of EVERY red flag, I’ll have standards for myself that I WONT hedge on, and it’ll be Love built on a genuine connection I have with that person. It makes my mind wonder cause the possibilities for the love I hope to experience are truly endless.

So I have to remind myself everyday, that the love I’ve experienced in the past doesn’t have to reflect my future experiences. That I’m capable and worthy of a love that makes me feel warm, secure, and protected. That I’ll have a genuine connection with someone for the first time in my life, no trauma bonding.. just love. And I won’t settle for anything less than that. But until then, you guys know my story, you know my journey. I have to be the man who falls in love with self, before any of that is possible.

A reminder to myself.
Courage
By: Deepthi Indurthi
Tags: Love Yourself, Bravery, Courage, Emotional Intelligence, Self Improvement

What is Courage?

From the times of yore till today, there have been many statements made by great minds about Courage. Aristotle called it a virtue. Seneca said, “Sometimes to even live is an act of Courage”. Buddha emphasized on being open-hearted and vulnerable in a cruel world is courageous.

A simple google search on the meaning of courage gives — “the ability to do something that frightens one”. Not only google but many dictionaries have a similar definition. Does Courage mean not to have fear at all?

I happened to come across this snippet from the book “Courage: The Politics of Life and Limb, by Richard Avramenko which says

“Courage… is the willingness to risk life and limb for the sake of something. In other words, courage reveals what we care about… It reveals that which inspires us to overcome ourselves. And it is the self-overcoming character of courage that makes it so poignant. When we are witness to real acts of courage, we know immediately what matters most fundamentally to the courageous actor — and it is not herself, not her own physical well-being.”

Nelson Mandela said, “I learned that… the brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers fear.”

This made complete sense to me. I knew of these people, the mother and the military pilot. It his not “herself nor her own physical well-being” that matters to her but the welfare of her child !!

These statements perfectly describe courage. It is not that these people are fearless, they chose to overcome their fears that they deeply care about.

Courage is being scared to death but saddling anyway.

Courage is grace under pressure.

Courage is knowing what not to fear.

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear but not the lack of it.

Courage is simple. It is not always grand. It is not something that is only expressed in life and death situations. Courage can be quiet, it is doing what needs to be done despite the consequences.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
touching feet
By: Dr. Anita
Tags: Love Yourself, Human Touch, Alone, Touch, Love

5/15/15. A journal entry. (it is blessedly quiet today. not even the sun is talking)

i have a secret with myself in Bikram yoga. every time i do the pose where i kneel, facing the front of the room, with my butt resting on my heels . . . and then separate my feet so my butt sits on the floor, between my heels — i know what comes next. it is sacred. lovely. sad.

a moment of touch.

i lean back and rest my hands on my heels, and then lean all the way back — head resting on the floor. in the moment before i lean back, i trace the bottoms of my feet with my fingertips, feeling the gentle sensation.

this is the moment of touch that takes me back. the tracing. i feel me touching me, and i remember when, two years ago, i started doing this — tracing and touching my feet at this moment. it felt like someone else was tracing my feet. i loved it. i had no one to call my own — i wasn’t getting touched, at all. it made me happy to trace my feet. my neurons felt glad. a part of my brain relaxed, and i came close to sensing i was cherished.

i realized how alone i was, that this felt so good. although i knew it was (only) me, tracing me, the tenderness of the touch gave me the sensation of love. i saw it as medicine for my body, hoping that my neurons would absorb it, and work the magic that ONLY TOUCH CAN.

during this dark time, the touch served as a harbinger — a promise, that someday, somebody WOULD touch me; this meager tracing of feet would no longer be such a thing. i’d get oodles and oodles of hugs, traces, fucks. my heart would be glad. meanwhile, i had to hang on. touch me. be my own somebody.

and i did. and i was.

anita, i was so alone.

those were my darkest days.

people sometimes say — and they said — “you have to be happy with loving yourself — content with being alone, before you find someone.” NO. not me, not then! my aloneness had gone on too long. i DID love myself. i was ready for someone else to love me.

fuck being alone.

now that i have someone, i sometimes like alone. but i could never like alone as much as i do, without knowing that ultimately, i’m not alone.

i still trace my feet, during yoga. it’s a thing i have. it tells me where i’ve been. where i am. what i can make it through. no matter how much touch i get from someone else, there’s an intimacy of “hey, anita, i’m here for you,” that i get from touching my feet.
Find your Niche
By: Ezinne Clare
Tags: Stick To Your Guns, Love Yourself, Finding Yourself, Finding Happiness, Niche

Nobody is the most popular person, no one is the best person. There are people who still don’t know Beyoncé, not because she is not good but because they don’t care. Brutal truth. You may want to become the greatest this or that but there would always be people who wouldn’t acknowledge you because what you do doesn’t concern them. this is where sticking to your niche comes in.

Fishes can’t walk. But they are terrific swimmers. That doesn’t make them the greatest animals in the world. They are sticking to what they know and do best because walking on land is going to get them killed regardless of their swimming skills.

Moving to individuals, just because someone excels in one thing and you don’t, doesn’t make you terrible. It just means that you need to work harder or that it’s not your niche and you are better off at something else. If you love art, any form at all, and you are hung up on trying to look like that Instagram personality who is nothing like you, there needs to be a change in focus. You would gradually lose yourself trying to chase who you are not and regardless of how good you might get, you would never be truly happy within because it’s not a hundred percent, the authentic you.
The Red Flags I Ignored and Why I don’t Regret it (Even though it led to heartbreak)
By: Quinn Sandoval
Tags: Relationships, Love Yourself, Dating, Relationships Love Dating, Love

Red Flag 1: I knew how he treated his previous girlfriends and conquests

As I said, we were very good friends prior to entering into a romantic relationship. During our friendship I was a sort of moral compass for him. He would often explain his situation with girls, or who he had been with that weekend, or a mistake he felt his girlfriend at the time made and how he was going to get his revenge. These conversations generally led to me attempting to convince him to take the moral high ground and him trying to convince me why he didn’t need to.

So, to say the least, I aboslutely was aware of who he was. Despite this I thought the dangerous thought.

He’s different with me.

He’ll choose to be better for me.

Oh, what a naive thought. Spoiler. He did not change for me. The toxicity ran true in our relationship just as it had in his previous relationships.

But the issue wasn’t me.

It was that he did not want to change for anyone. I know I’m worth changing for. Worth fighting for. And to anyone reading this I hope you know you are as well.

Now, that isn’t to say that a person won’t try to better themselves for their significant other. But not to the extent I had hoped. I expected an entire character shift in someone who changed for no one.
What Happens When You Choose Yourself
By: Adria Crawford
Tags: Love Yourself, Encouragement, Growth, Happy, Self Love

The pandemic changed all of us, hopefully for the better for most of us. I am notorious for often being far too kind and stretching myself thin for other people’s comfort. I prided myself on being a peacemaker, and at times that meant taking a lot of hits on the chin. You know how easy it is to tell a nice person no because they will be consistently who they have always been? I’ll tell you; it’s effortless. Disappointment frequently comes as a people pleaser, but the joy is so rewarding when things work out in your favor. This is an exhausting emotional rollercoaster of constantly navigating everyone else’s feelings but your own. Now, this is not a memo or a sign to do a 180 and become a mean girl or a bad boy, but this is the encouragement to start choosing yourself.

At the beginning of the pandemic, after battling a severe bout of seasonal depression, I vowed that I was going to start doing things that make me happy. I began to choose myself first. I knew that I needed to start taking more time to fill my cup so I could pour into others. Here is what I did during my happiness journey:

· Dyed my hair a bronze orange color

· Started a business

· Enrolled in grad school

· Got a tattoo

· Bought expensive things

· Booked last minute flights

· Took weekend getaways

· Got a new job

· Rekindled old friendships

· Turned strangers into friends

As a people pleaser, I was worried about what my friends and family, the people I love and care about, would say. One question they all asked me continuously was, “Are you happy?” In those moments, I came to a realization; the people who love you are going to love you for who you are, not what you do for them, and all they ever want is for you to be happy.

It is never too late to start choosing yourself. Choosing yourself does not mean you are selfish. It doesn’t mean that you do not care about others. Choosing yourself is not a personality trait. Choosing yourself does not mean you fundamentally change who you are. Choosing yourself means seizing every opportunity presented to become the best version of yourself.

The next time you have the opportunity to do something that will make you happy, do it. The people who love you will love you for it, and those who don’t will miss out on the good within you.
Your Life’s Task
By: Wayne Trout
Tags: Purpose, Inner Peace, Love Yourself, Happiness, Discover Yourself

Hello friends and enemies,

What I am about to give you is some timeless wisdom. Your greatest task in life is to find your purpose. Your true purpose that sets your heart and soul on fire and wakes you up in the middle of the night if it needs you to act. A purpose that is not driven by money but by its nature in your heart. It makes you feel complete and warm in your soul.

How do you find this purpose? Each one of us has a journey to find their purpose, to look on the inside and allow yourself to be quiet and alone. Others can never truly define your purpose and it will not be found in some online test. Let’s first look into ourselves, into the deepest parts of ourselves and be honest with who we are and our nature and understand your starting point. Your purpose will change this as it makes you whole and fills some of the voids that you will surely have in the beginning of this journey. How to look inside? Find a safe place where you can be alone and free from distraction, no phone, no internet, no nothing just you and nature. Find time during the day where you can feel the warmth of the sun and a sunrise if possible and a time into the night when you can see a sunset and experience the stars away from the city and see the stars as they are meant to be seen unobstructed with no artificial light dimming their brilliance. Now that you have found your places both day and night and can be bathed by them you need to get comfortable in your own skin and get to deep lucid thought. This will come through breathing, specific methods with specific focus. I will outline these below. Along with this you will need prayer and focus on your desired outcome. Speak deeply to yourself and ask your heart to reveal to you what you desire. Focus on your breathing, focus on your question and let your mind wander. It may take several of these experiences to embed this task into your subconscious to work on and bring to you. I know it sounds crazy but these exercises will open you up to have your purpose revealed to you. Most people don’t allow themselves to be open to their heart and don’t make time to listen to it. I sure didn’t and chased my purpose for years. This journey should be done alone, others will always have some known or unknown influence and keep you from deep thought and inner connection. I plan on making videos of what this experience looks and feels like and going into deeper details of the process in up coming posts. Let me know if you like this and if you have any questions.
You know your worth. Do not let other people tell you otherwise.
By: Just A Girl
Tags: Reminders To Self, Love Yourself, Family, Dysfunctional Family, Self Love

But I’m writing here, now, is because I’ve been falling into the same trap again. Of letting what others think of me, hit me deep and straight in the core. How could I not though? The “others” I’ve been mentioning are my so called family…

Photo by Jochen van Wylick on Unsplash

What do you do when in your own household, you are made to feel you are never enough?

There are a lot of articles saying how one should cut out toxic people in life, even if they are family.

I don’t think I ever could.

I don’t think I ever would.

I was raised into believing how family is everything. How it doesn’t matter what other people think, except your family. How at the end of the day, it is going to be your family who’s going to have your back — be there with you when you get hospitalized or caught in any bad situation.

(Side track to this statement: It doesn’t matter what other people think, except your family. Is this because they are the ones who should know you better than anyone else, next to yourself?)

But what if your family is dysfunctional?…

My family is dysfunctional and I am honestly having a hard time coping into accepting this reality of mine. Yes, they are the ones who will be there for me when I get sick or get caught in any bad circumstance I faced/will face in life. But it is the little things they do everyday and how they show how my dad and I are some sort of an extra in this household and what we do is just never enough, is what’s killing me in the inside. I guess what’s bothering me the most is how unappreciative everyone in this household can be. Being stuck at home because of the pandemic, isn’t helping!

I have completely understood by now, how whatever I say or do will not change their thinking. More importantly, it is not a reflection of me anymore, but of them.

But it hurts and I wish I was dense enough not to feel any of this.

It sucks, that I care too much and it’s going to take a lot from me to change how I feel and make the best out of my situation.

It sucks being born in a dysfunctional family. Where out of 5, only 1 thinks for the family. And the rest of the members, continue to create divide among ourselves, myself included — because I do not like how I am being treated.
Wake up, look within!
By: Prachi Mule
Tags: Love Yourself, Looking Back, Life Lessons, Women

Looking outside will only get you so far

Who is your enemy?

It has to be the guy who was promoted over you but didn’t do any work to deserve it. Or it has to be the new girl who seems so put together but doesn’t know the world as much as you do. Or it has to be the neighbor who loves to gossip about you.

We spend so much of our time thinking about other people and getting vexed by their actions. But rarely do we take the time to understand, well, us. Do I really know myself? Or have I made excuses justifying all the decisions in my life? Have I cut myself slack for acting out that time(s)? Have I forgiven and forgotten about those who wronged me?

Your greatest enemy is you.

You carry the weight of the world and wonder why you can’t run sprints tirelessly. You pull yourself down with every milestone and wonder why you can’t climb that mountain. You believe those who say you can’t fly and wonder why are you not across the ocean free.

With eight days remaining in the new year, think about what you can do for you. Look at your life as a third person and forgive yourself for the things that happened in the past. Never regret the decisions in your life as they have shaped you to be the person you are today. Forgive others for the same reason. Tell your story because that story deserved to be heard.

You are your best friend. Happy Women’s Day!
His Secret Obsession
By: Ankit Kumar
Tags: Relationships, Love Yourself, Relationships Love Dating, Secrets, Lovestory

His Secret Obsession has helped thousands of women improve their relationships

Hey friends, I am going to tell you the story of a book. The author of that book is JAMES BAUER. According to the author of that book-

Hi, My name is James…..

And just 90 sec from now I'm going to let you in on something every man is secretly obsessed with.

It’s Something He CRAVES……

More than love, more than money, even more than sex.

And the craziest part is this one secret obsession holds the key to winning a man’s love, attention, and total devotion for LIFE but not one woman in a thousand even knows it exists!

And those that do almost never share it with another soul.

After 12 years of working with thousands of amazing women as a relationship coach, I’ve witnessed the secret male obsession to be the key to a man’s heart.

Because once you understand it, you’ll be able to make the man of your choice feel a burning desire for you that’s so powerful that you’ll literally become the most important person in his life.

The person he thinks about all day long.

There’s something every man is secretly obsessed with, more than love, money, even more than sex!

And you’ll also hear the real-life stories of women who used this same secret obsession to create the deepest love of their lives, all from seemingly “hopeless” situations and how you too can create the love you deserve.

Because no matter how bad your situation seems right now…

Even if you’re worried your man is losing interest after getting intimate with him too soon…

you’re worried your man is losing interest after getting intimate with him too soon… Even if you’ve given up hope that your man will ever commit to you…

you’ve given up hope that your man will ever commit to you… And even if he’s been completely ignoring your calls and texts

…it doesn’t matter.

Because the moment you flip this secret trigger in a man’s heart (a trigger so secret that 99% of women and men don’t even know it exists) he’ll feel a surge of desire for you that goes far beyond physical attraction… and makes him see you in a whole new light.

Without even realizing it, he’ll start to picture you in his life and every other woman, past and present, will fade from his mind.

Because when you tap into a man’s most primal, inner desire, you literally become his OBSESSION.

And even though he’s starting to feel the deepest love connection of his life, he won’t know why…

Because this secret flies completely under his radar.

So by now, you’re probably wondering what this Secret Obsession is, right?

Read the full article: https://bit.ly/34BNIWf
Journal of Being
By: Javier Rivera
Tags: Philosophy, Love Yourself, Poetry On Medium, Journal, Life

Fernando Pessoa Portrait

There is a despair that is most pressing against us. For we yearn to alleviate the human being and beings in this epoch but few can escape the realm of cognition that has swallowed us whole. Do I dare point with my finger the realms of possibility that lay before our thinking? It is not a concern of will or fate for me but the possibilities that are ignored, those landscapes of being that have always existed right before us.

We have encased ourselves in a direction, a frame, and false chains yet filled with desire to change, but we take action blindly before having soaked up existence and the words it desperately begs us to hear. A veil is before us and many after , but we are thrusted into existence falling victim to a mode of life that is deformed and degenerate. It is the great danger, the journey of the Odyssey. We were never home in this being, whatever this being maybe. I will perhaps, spend the rest of my life deconstructing this false given.

For this, I at least know, that the human being is not a given but an immense task that lays before us. The deconstruction is the journey of the great return. How else can I feel more at home in this existence? Perhaps, this “ lack of meaning” is the limitations of one mode of being. It is my believe that life is an ironic self correcting mystery that demands to be explored, though my own life may never be able to fully survey. However, this is not a despairing conclusion but a divine relief.

We must never presuppose a level of insight to alleviate the human being and I mean this in a static way. The insight itself must align with the pulsating features of existence, always changing and full of its own demands. To be able to distinguish the voice of every moment and live in its full measure is something only a laborious solitude can bring. I can at least abide by this measure of living.

I must not create conditions before me but let this Nature itself set the conditions. This is the sole beauty of solitude, to be in this mode where I can hear the conditions that are demanded upon me. It is here, where I find my holding and an immense love. If Being and beings are anything like love, we must spend an eternity in this meeting place. The fostering environment where knowing this Beloved is knowing myself.
Embracement of masculinity
By: Rani Hirani
Tags: Love Yourself, Stereotypes, Toxic Masculinity, Masculinity, Men

There have always been people who criticize men for living their lives the way they want to live. Our society has set a definition of men and if you try to do something divergent than their expectations, you’re not ‘man enough’. Things coming in that domain could be wearing make-up, having low and soft voice, lack of facial hair, thin body type, etc.

Prohibiting someone from their basic right to live and eating up the peace of their mind by making judgments about their sexuality is entirely stupid. It is not the facial hair but the actions, mentality and behavior which portrays what kind of a man you are.

There are world famous celebrities like Conan Gray, Harry Styles, members of BTS who often face such criticisms but they keep living their lives in their way, they express themselves through their art and also hit the world records. This sets a different image of masculinity where you don’t let stereotypical aspects to shackle your personality, you listen to your heart, by yourself and do what makes you happy.
Rilke Meditations ( Part 4)
By: Javier Rivera
Tags: Advice, Philsophy, Love Yourself, Rilke, Solitude

Having Alone Time with Blind Fate

By: Javier Rivera

“A conscious fate that is aware of our existence . . . yes, how often we long for such a fate that would make us stronger and affirm us. But would such a fate not instantly become a fate that beholds us from the outside, observes us like a spectator, a fate that we would no longer be alone with? The fact that we have been placed into a “blind fate” that we inhabit allows us to have our own perspective and is the very condition of our perspicacious innocence. It is due only to the “blindness” of our fate that we are so profoundly related to the world’s wonderful density, which is to say to the totality that we cannot survey and that exceeds us.” — Rilke

A fate that is blind is something that provokes itself to be our very own. Rilke points to the profound mystery contained within life and that our own innocence within it could not be more beautiful by its very own participation. However, there is a looming kind of erotic intimacy here concerning “blind fate”. It is a fate that we can be alone with and what does this mean? Any attempt to answer this question and you will find yourself already in the participating fields of this “wonderful density” that Rilke speaks of.

And so, we find ourselves again at the feet of solitude and patience. For a fate that you can be alone with is a fate that you can learn to know and grow from. I cannot say with certainty that I am correct in this interpretation, but I can say with confidence that this corresponds quite adequately and consistently with Rilke’s teachings. There is a lover that we must know, a lover that is distant and vast yet still in our most immediate proximity. This solitude is the only way, to sit, eat, and hear your lover. If our fate is truly blind then you must hold its hands and let it speak to you as if those fingers were gently passing through your own hair. We can only hope for such an intimacy with this “blind fate”.

Notes: Ulrich, Baer, The Poets Guide to the Life Wisdom of Rilke by Rainer Maria Rilke
Loving Others
By: Nwamaka Ezeanya
Tags: Love Yourself, Christianity, Love Others

My focus today is loving others in God’s light.

Sometime last year, I had a discussion with my fellow Bible Study coordinators based on Matthew 22:39, which says, “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” It was a question of ‘Should we glorify self love or Jesus’ love?’ This came up because at that point in the semester, the idea of self love preceding the love for others began to be emphasized, and we needed to see things from God’s Word. So we embarked on what I would call a mini research project (Bible Study for short).

I’d like to bring out a few Bible verses and then talk about them.

‘Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” ’ — Matt 22:34–40 [NIV]

‘If then there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal. Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus,’ — Philippians 2:1–5 [HCSB]

‘Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.’ — Ephesians 5:2 [NIV]

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God — 1 John 4:7 [NKJV]

Before you read further, please read these verses again and attempt to digest them (that’s if they’ve not already entered)
The Introverted Short Love Story
By: Emad Iqbal Ali
Tags: Love Yourself, Storytelling, Introvert, Storyofmylife, Love

Photo by Inge Maria on Unsplash

A cloudy morning with a little sunshine sparkling in the sky, blue but white yet it was an amazingly peaceful day just like how it is before raining.

I could smell Petrichor sitting under a tree waiting for the rain to fall. I could see the pigeons flying around and around the sky and then suddenly sitting idle on the balcony railings, just like me waiting for the rain.

The High School ground was filling with a lot of students preparing to leave for their homes. I could suddenly hear a lot of murmurs filled the calm environment. I turned my head towards the ground filling with students and my eyes noticed something very calming than nature itself. My brain was diverted from nature to her.

There I see the breathtakingly beautiful creature reflecting in my eyes. As I watch her go, it was almost my first heartbreak. It’s certainly because It is love at first sight. Do you believe it? Of course, you do. Love, at first sight, is common.

I was flabbergasted upon seeing her. I could feel the ache and urge in wanting to go to her as like a magnet would show to metal.

The pretty soul didn’t show mercy on me. She kept reflecting in my eyes ever since I noticed her at the ground. I no longer had control over my feelings and attraction towards her.

It was as hard for me, as it would for any introverted guy. Coming from a background where Social life was a myth to me, I was taken aback seriously.

I broke my heart myself. I betrayed my feelings myself. I was blaming all on me now but then wasn’t taught to handle social life as easily as others can.

I was then a little priceless kid with a broken heart who cannot achieve what his heart wanted to. All he can do was, reflect herself in his own eyes time to time creating a good amount of memories so that it can be filled in words.

My story might be a joke to you but you can’t relate to it unless you believe that Introverted guys like me exist. I was mature, willingly good at everything except the social thing.

Social Life would always drain me to the core. I used to get recharge only when I’m either alone or with limited people thinking about what he didn’t achieve because of his sucking Social life or just hear what people have to say and observe. I felt boring, I looked boring, & I was actually boring. I could only imagine the ways we could end up with each other and most importantly I could imagine nuclear fission there.

Well, there wasn’t left anything to do rather than focusing on what’s important for me. That’s how the love story was buried and I chose to remain the same despite loses due to the current situation!

People call me a fool, retard and more for not changing myself. But, I believe that’s not how it works!

You’ve to be you, you’ve to be different in order to make history. In the end, all it matters is that you remained you.
Settling: We All Do It But Why?
By: Olivia Dutra-Cormier
Tags: Love Yourself, Dont Settle, Self Esteem, Know Your Worth, Self Love

Hola mis amigos!!! Hope you’re all well! Have you ever been in a situation that wasn’t right for you, but you participated in it anyway? And then looking back, you’re like, dang, I really settled? Yeah, me too. Let’s be real with ourselves, we have all settled at some point or another. Whether that’s settling in a relationship, a job, or education. But, fully aware of our settling, we do it anyway. Why do you think that is?

I’ve settled a lot in my life. For one, my first relationship, I settled. It’s a relationship that should have never really taken off. We weren’t a good match, and ultimately, it wasn’t someone I could have seen myself having a future with. It’s easy to point this stuff out now, but in the moment, I thought this person was the one for me. But, I never really asked myself why I was with this person. Well the hard truth is, I was 18 and never had a boyfriend and I wanted one. I wanted to feel wanted. And I felt like someone might never love me so I needed to take any chance I got, even if they weren’t right for me. Sad, but true.

Another example of me settling would be when I didn’t go to a 4 year college. I think I was so scared of failing that I just settled on going to a community college. Now, don’t come for me! I think community college is amazing and the education you get there and the skills you acquire are invaluable. You can’t go wrong with going to community college! However, for me, I went to community college and kind of gave up. I never even finished my degree, something I regret but am in the process of rectifying. I got lazy and I lost the drive I once I had for my education.

I can’t speak for everyone but I know most people tend to settle because of low self-esteem. I know that’s for sure why I have settled for things. I went into a relationship that wasn’t meant for me because my confidence was so low. I didn’t think anyone could love me for who I was. I didn’t apply myself in school because I didn’t feel like I was good enough which led to a fear of failure. Luckily, as I’ve gotten older, my self-esteem has grown and I have realized that I deserve things in life that bring me joy and fulfillment. I look back on that young Olivia, wishing I could go back in time, hug her, and let her know how worthy she is.

So, if you aren’t in the place to fully know your worth yet, let me enlighten you. You will get there. You are worthy of everything you want and need. You will find a man/woman that will cherish and love you, and that is the perfect person for you. You will get your dream job, get your degree, or go after any dream you want. You can achieve anything you set your mind to. Oh and guess what? You are ALL that and a bag of Hot Cheeto Puffs!! Know your worth babycakes!!! And like I said, you may not be in that place yet, but, you will and you can be. Things that are worth it take time. Know there are people that love and care for you (I do)! I believe in you cuties!

Love always,

Liv <3
SELF LOVE IS IMPORTANT TOO.
By: Alishba Virani
Tags: Love Yourself, Self Love

Photo by Bart LaRue on Unsplash

From the day we’re born, we’re taught to respect others and not to hurt anyone. But have we been taught the concept of self-love? Some people are even not aware of it but this is a very important element of our life. Self-love refers to a state of being in love with yourself. This includes thinking about what makes you feel good and special. We always care about the people in our surroundings and we forget our value. Is it good? Doing everything just for the sake of others who don’t even appreciate you and one day will surely leave you alone. Even your best friend will also leave you at a certain point in your life. It’s only you who will stay with yourself in your good and hard times. So why to care for people so much that you forget that you, yourself exist too.

There are times when we hate ourselves for the things we’ve done in our past and we regret. Look, the things you’ve done or the time you’ve been through won’t come again. The only thing you can do is to correct yourself rather than hate yourself. You should be your own role model and love yourself except for loving others who don’t even care for you. Don’t forget your worth in front of anyone. That being said:

“Self-love, self-respect, self-worth: There’s a reason they all start with self, you can find them in anyone else.”

This itself means that you are the only one that can make yourself happy and you can’t find yourself in anyone else. You are an original and a best version of yourself which no one can ever replace until and unless you change yourself for others. So, always love yourself and be proud of whatever you’re doing. Don’t just change yourself for anyone. Last but not the least, don’t think what the society will say, do whatever makes you feel happy.
Self Respect
Tags: Love Yourself, Confident, Believe In Yourself, Independent

Self respect means the regard that a person keeps for himself or herself, it means the honour that one gives to himself because of his values and principles. Trust in our own self to say and what we feel to be right. Self respect is essential to every human being. A certain degree of self- respect develops in us by itself without teaching of anyone. It comes when we respect others, do our work honestly, try to do whatever is right and avoid whatever is wrong. The degree varies from person to person according to their values. As much a person takes care of his values, as person he starts respecting himself.

A person without self-respect either can’t make any decision for himself or if he makes, these prove to be wrong in the long run. It happens because of the selfishness present in him while taking decisions. Such persons might win temporarily but they end up being cheated by others.

Sometimes the meaning of self-esteem is misunderstood. It is related with the status, power and money, It is judged by the clothes one wears, the kind of car one drivers and the kind of society one is seen which is absolutely wrong. Self-respect has nothing to do with all this. A person at the post of minister if feels fear of getting caught for the scam which none else knows except him that means he is far from it. Contrary to it, a self-respecting person is always fearless. Plato was of the view that a person can be a self-respecting person if he follows morals and ethics. But is seen now-a-days in society that such a person makes these people angry, frustrated and disappointed who want to dictate him. The survival has rather become difficult for self respecting persons. It is only because there are few. we students can do a lot in this regard by increasing the number .This is possible if we become truthful,do our homework regularly, don’t copy sums from others students copies, don’t try to cheat during exam time and respect our teachers from heart.To become truthful in the eyes of others is easy to become truthful in one’s own eyes and to have self respect is difficult but never impossible .In the end ,I give a call to all of you to become truthful to yourself and develop self respect as this is the only way to bring mental peace and happiness.
Love Yourself Lyrics - Justin Bieber
By: Nitish Kumar
Tags: Songs Lyric, Purpose, Love Yourself, English Songs, Justin Bieber

Love Yourself Lyrics

For all the times that you rained on my parade

And all the clubs you get in using my name

You think you broke my heart, oh, girl for goodness’ sake

You think I’m cryin’ on my own. Well, I ain’t

And I didn’t wanna write a song

’Cause I didn’t want anyone thinking I still care. I don’t

But you still hit my phone up

And, baby, I’ll be movin’ on

And I think you should be somethin’ I don’t wanna hold back

Maybe you should know that

My mama don’t like you and she likes everyone

And I never like to admit that I was wrong

And I’ve been so caught up in my job

Didn’t see what’s going on

But now I know

I’m better sleeping on my own

’Cause if you like the way you look that much

Oh, baby, you should go and love yourself

And if you think that I’m still holdin’ on to somethin’

You should go and love yourself

But when you told me that you hated my friends

The only problem was with you and not them

And every time you told me my opinion was wrong

And tried to make me forget where I came from

And I didn’t wanna write a song

’Cause I didn’t want anyone thinking I still care. I don’t

But you still hit my phone up

And, baby, I’ll be movin’ on

And I think you should be somethin’ I don’t wanna hold back

Maybe you should know that

My mama don’t like you and she likes everyone

And I never like to admit that I was wrong

And I’ve been so caught up in my job

Didn’t see what’s going on

But now I know

I’m better sleeping on my own

Continue reading…

Read full lyrics at:- https://lyricspadle.blogspot.com/2020/01/love-yourself-lyrics-justin-bieber.html