lesbianbeliever

[lesbianbeliever]

this is your thanksgiving reminder that the chinook tribe is still fighting for federal recognition, which means they are unable to access programs and resources. please take some time today to sign their petition and donate if you’re able to. and if you live in washington or oregon please write to your elected officials.

[lesbianbeliever]

[lesbianbeliever]

Important

[lesbianbeliever]

charlie brown thanksgiving 🍗🥧🍿🏈

[lesbianbeliever]

[lesbianbeliever]

I don’t care if you make fun of Catholicism as long as it’s accurate! The best humour has its roots in the truth.

[lesbianbeliever]

sorry, this got long. but here are some thoughts on shame, shame as an affecting force on all of us, that i have been thinking through from all angles:

a person’s mistakes are not the sum of who they are or who they have been. every person has a consciousness, a perceiving and reacting heart, that is vaster than their actions.

if you think, i forgive myself, my consciousness, for actions of my past and smaller consciousnesses, so that in the present, I don’t suffer under the weight of my own shame, and think this over and over, then perhaps you will come to peace.

we worry that if we stop remembering our mistakes, we might repeat them. but the body remembers mistakes for you, so that you never truly repeat them. your body remembers the lessons you’ve learned, which means you don’t need so many bad memories. your heart need not carry such shame.

sometimes i visually look like i am being too easy on myself and letting myself be irresponsible. this always coicides with the times that something deep down inside me is being merciless towards myself. so it’s all out of alignment. when the thing very deep down inside you is good to yourself, believing of your worthiness, then on a day to day outer basis you actually do take stronger responsibility for yourself and behave with more grace. when you hate yourself, deep down, you don’t always believe you’re even capable of doing better.

when shame is let go of, it is not as though we lose ourselves and our integrity. instead, it’s the opposite: the less shame you have, the more graceful you are. the better you listen to others. shame ultimately protects you from nothing. it does nothing that a sense of integrity doesn’t do better. shame serves no purpose towards a good existence. it does not make you a better person.

some people forgive themself for their mistakes very quickly with no thought for who they’ve affected. That isn’t what i mean, here, either. instead, i mean—to look at yourself honestly, see all your actions’ consequences truly, and not flinch or look away—and after all that looking, still forgive yourself—to keep your integrity and self-mercy together in combination—that is the ideal.

your potential is infinite. you can always do better. but is it not easier to do better without your shame constantly shooting you in the foot?

[lesbianbeliever]

[lesbianbeliever]

God Loves His Lesbian Children (Digital Media, 2023) by salmonbyte

if you like this artwork, consider supporting me on ko-fi !!

[lesbianbeliever]

“If God were the sort of being most Christians suppose him to be, he would be beside himself with boredom listening to their whinings and flatteries, their redundant requests and admonitions, not to mention the asinine poems set to indifferent tunes which are solemnly addressed to him as hymns.”

— Alan Watts

[lesbianbeliever]

daily reminders

no human being is 100% happy 100% of the time

being a person is extraordinarily difficult even in the best of times

this is not the best of times

someone is grateful you exist (don't argue, it's true)

a bad day does not predict a bad existence

it's gonna be okay

[lesbianbeliever]

First cat video ever? 1899, colorized & speed corrected.

[lesbianbeliever]

I turn 30 next month so here’s what I learned in my 20s:

—don’t work for startups, they’re always one ‘innovative idea’ away adding ‘sell your kidneys on the black market’ to your job description.

—keeping a collection of basic OTC medicine on you will save your life one day. I recommend Advil, Imodium, and TUMS.

—those little single-use glasses cleaning wipes are 1000% worth the money

—overly self-depreciating jokes just make people uncomfortable, wean yourself off of them

—you can buy dehydrated mini marshmallows in bulk online and they’re a godsend for hot cocoa

—people don’t care if you have fidget toys on your desk they just want to play with them

—try to go to bed BEFORE the existential ennui kicks in

[lesbianbeliever]

You’ve made it through every breakdown you’ve ever had. Even the ones you thought you wouldn’t. You’ve made it through all the stuff you thought you could. You’ll make it through this, too.

[lesbianbeliever]

You can’t expect yourself to go from a negative mentality to a positive one overnight, but every time you correct a bad thought you are growing! So focus on your growth, not the fact that you aren’t “there” yet.

[lesbianbeliever]

there is always more than what is happening today. maybe today sucked. that’s okay. there’s always tomorrow. maybe you’ll bake cookies, and see a cat on your way to work or school. maybe next week you’ll see your friend for the first time in a while, and you’ll feel at home again. maybe next year you’ll feel happier than you thought possible. there are always new movies to watch, animals who want petting, books to read, candles to light, a comfy bed to come home to. today’s only a snapshot of your life. maybe tomorrow will be a prettier one. you got this.

[lesbianbeliever]