#34 excuses for why we failed at love

[metamorphesque]

— 34 excuses for why we failed at love, Warsan Shire

[folkinsomnia]

sure, i can listen to ttpd the anthology end to end while cleaning. but watch out!! so long london's in there!

[dumbseee]

starstruck.

F1 au/fic: in which, daniel attends the met gala and meet his ultimate crush, y/n l/n.

daniel ricciardo x actress!reader.

fc: jasmine tookes.

note: the timing is terrible

when you finally finished your interview with emma chamberlin, you saw in the corner of your eye a man looking at you, smiling from ear to ear. you didn’t recognise him but by his looks you knew he was someone important. you walked up to him and smiled back, his cheeks were red and he struggled to hold your gaze now that you were in front of him.

"hi! first time here?" you asked, waving at him, "i’m y/n l/n." he smiled again and scratched his neck. "is it that obvious? and i know, i’m kinda your biggest fan, daniel ricciardo it’s nice meeting you." he shook the hand you were giving him and gave it a gentle squeeze, you didn’t fail to notice how big his hand was and how it engulfed yours. you laughed and put your hand against your heart. "oh really? what is your favorite work of mine?" you asked him, genuinely curious. you didn’t know why but you were drawn to his energy. he looked up and thought for a second before answering. "there is too many, but i really liked you in the marauders, couldn’t think of a better actress to play dorcas." you laughed and thanked him. "to be honest, it’s not my best work." he looked at you like you just said the most out of pocket thing in the world. "excuse you? you were amazing! you perfectly portrayed dorcas and the way you showcase emotions just with your eyes is just incredible! seriously you’re one of the best actresses out there and i-…" his eyes were full of sparkles, like a kid talking about his favorite football team, he stopped himself when he saw you look at him with a huge smile. his cheeks were even redder and he couldn’t look at you anymore. "i talk to much, right? i’m so sorry, i do that a lot." you brushed him off and patted his shoulder. "daniel, you’re adorable." he smiled fondly but before he could speak again, your agent came to you. "we have to go y/n, donatella is waiting for you." you nodded and waved at daniel. "it was great meeting you daniel, i hope to see you again soon!" he watched you leave and couldn’t wipe off the smile on his face, he knew how good looking you were but seeing you and talking to you in real life was different. from that small interaction only, daniel knew how much he was infatuated with you.

liked by danielricciardo, daniel.jpg, blakelively and 5 681 972 others.

y/n: you guys know how much i love going to the met gala, but this year was even better. thank to anna for inviting me again this year, and i hope to see you again next year! huge thanks to donatella for customising this dress for me, you’re a legend.

_

donatella_versace: donatella VERSACE 💜

zendaya: i’m on the floooor girl

fan1: not daniel liking with all his accounts

fan2: the queen of the met

fan3: the dress looked so good!

fan4: y/n never misses

fan5: who’s daniel?

fan6: @.fan5 y/n’s future husband

liked by danielricciardo.

fan7: WTF DID DANIEL JUST LIKED THIS COMMZNT???2€:8:9

view all 57 899 comments.

liked by danielricciardo, daniel.jpg, selenagomez and 3 792 000 others.

y/n: we worked so hard on this one so i’m glad it’s finally out! the batman is out in all theatres so grab your pop corn and go watch it!

_

selenagomez: such an icon

fan1: y/n as catwoman is something i HAVE to witness with my own two eyes

fan2: y/n and robert pattinson flirting in imax is going to be the death of me

fan3: i hope daniel can fight because y/n and robert’s chemistry is insane

fan4: @.fan3 leave daniel out of this they’re not even friends

fan5: @.fan4 yes they’re not friends, they’re soulmates.

fan6: i understand daniel’s obsession tbh look at HER

fan7: y/n better get her emmy after that movie

view all 34 899 comments.

liked by danielricciardo, dualipa, taylorswift and 4 782 929 others.

y/n: appreciation post for my number one fan, danny ric. i suck at love confessions so just listen to daylight by my good sis taylor swift <3 (idk why he loves taking pictures of me but he’s ALWAYS pointing that camera at my face)

_

danielricciardo: that’s because you’re my favorite view, my love.

liked by y/n.

fan1: AWWWWWWW

fan2: daniel really went from watching her from afar bc he was too shy to talk to her to him being her bf

fan3: my favorite couple

fan4: don’t EVER breakup

taylorswift: you guys are so cute 💜

fan5: daniel is the perfect man for y/n tbh

view all 68 99 comments.

[georgies-ftts]

my thoughts and opinions on this weeks episode as someone who didn’t have time to watch last weeks episode, has never watched live american telly before and has discovered a new found hatred for your adverts. Also i swear a lot.

let’s begin

(spoilers obviously don’t be a knob)

1. he cannae be captain he’s only got two stripes on his epilette why are we focusing so much on this man

2. Bobby eyeing up that gun I like that (the acting)

3. this guy is giving me uncanny valley and i don’t like it

4. hehe dongle

5. i mean fair enough… in and out just like he said

6. Hen love of my life where the hell have you been loca

7. “and you won’t be anymore either” that’s actually dead funny to me

8. husbands that saw together survive trauma together <3

9. “everyone survived” i know foreshadowing when i see it

10. there’s a lot of drunk driver hatred (as deserved) somethings gonna occurr

11. oh he’s dead… lol karma fuckhead

12. Hen, i love you but why can noone on telly give me actual realistic CPR… break them ribs girl

13. christ these american adverts are weird

14. let me tell you advertising prescription medicine isn’t actually a normal thing to do

15. I don’t know boss man am no a dr but that’s an awful lot of blood are you sure you should still be breathing????

16. “Are you happy” “Yeah, Yeah I am” i have a feeling that’s all about to change buddy

17. just me or can anyone else not see a fucking thing that’s going on this episode why’s everyone in the dark for?

18. moving on from that i love the lighting in the office scene… chefs kiss

19. EXCUSE ME SHE WAS DOING HER JOB, NEXT YOU’LL SUSPEND HER FOR CODLING THE DRUNK DRIVER AND GIVING HIM TEA AND CHEEK KISSES PISS OFFFFF

20. Why do American comm’s systems always fail whenever you actually need them

21. They were axed to pieces. I will let you off -_- this time…

22. “I didn’t shoot him” honestly… same i hope you get yer pay out boss

23. Athena please for the love of god pop a paracetamol or a codeine and chill the fuck out

24. cause it has never been hard enough for them you just had to add a bastard bomb

25. ITS BEEN 5 MINUTES WHY MORE ADVERTS

26. WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU ADVERTISING TO YOUR CITIZENS

27. The Rookie ad i love it carry on

28. If he wasn’t under the influence then he was just being a cunt and hen had every right to react as such thankyou very much

29. Oh my fuck what is happening - don’t tear them apart i’ll start crying

30. Bitch you’re taking on water stop being a pussy and help

31. “Don’t test me.” Queen, you rag his arse

32. “port stabilisers are gone” surely you should be tilting like a bitch right now or did i miss a frame

33. MORE FUCKING ADVERTS????

34. why’s that lizard from london?

35. WHY ARE YOU ADVERTISING DEMENTIA MEDICATION THAT IS LITERALLY ADVERTISED ALSO AS A DEATH PILL WHAT DO YOU MEAN COMA AND DEATH THATS NOT HELPING

36. “i didn’t save him either” he quite literally refused your help despite being detained

37. didn’t get that SS Menow reference… try the Mayflower next time

38. “Saving the ship” “course she is” GIVE THEM ONE MOMENT OF PEACE PLEASE I AM BEGGING YOU

39. okay good they are tilting like a bitch i will shut my mouth

40. NO STOP TILTING LIKE A BITCH I DONT CARE ABOUT REALISM I TAKE IT BACK NO

41. HOW MANY MORE ADVERTS DO YOU NEED

42. i don’t know but all your meds just seem to be doing the opposite of.. you know… keeping you alive.

43. woah therapy flash back get me one of those

44. you forgot to mention imminent death in your therapy session Mr Sir

45. “We did what we had to do” YOU’RE ALLOWED TO LIVE TOO.

46. “I couldn’t save my first family and I can’t save you either” and what if that was my last straw Robert Nash

47. ABC you can tone down the writing now i’m fucking sobbing

48. FUCK YOU AUSTRALIAN MAN I WAS CRYING MY EYES OUT

49. glad the us also have those Haribo ads

50. first time in my almost 20 years of life where i’ve seen an ADVERT for ANTIDEPRESSANTS that also actively make you MORE DEPRESSED

51. Hen i knew you were slaying you’ve never not slayed <3

52. no need for it was there mr boss man? no didn’t think so

53. You have no jurisdiction past the Gulf of Mexico??? ummmm??? distressed cruise ship full of your citizens???? idk??? do something????

54. oh. welp. no surviving that one, have fun with poseidon my loves

55. i don’t know about you but once i’ve been capsized like that in anything bigger than a kayak im giving up…

[ametistacollinsworld]

▲ J x Professional! Murder drone Reader ▲

My 34 request! Hope you like!

─── ❖ ── ✦ ── ❖ ───

J wasn't the type to admire or praise others very often, being in fact a rarity. But when it came to you, she was always so impressed, you always managed to exceed her and the company's expectations, making the female murder drone smile proudly every time she thought you were in her squad.

We can tell you were a complete professional, always coming back with your hands full with containers full of oil to share with J, V and N. You never asked if they needed or even wanted oil, you just…brought it! And put it on the snowy floor in silence looking at the three, soon entering the ship to take a nap, leaving the three stunned and confused. Why would you help them? Because you were a pro! And didn't have to worry about being "replaced" in any way…

You've arrived from more than one of your hunts, setting down a barrel of oil you've collected from worker drones, looking around only to see J standing there looking at you.

" How was the hunt today (Y/n)? Everything went well? " J asked with a neutral expression looking at you. This was pretty normal, considering J had to constantly report back to the company.

" Everything went well J! I even managed to break my record! 34 worker drones from a small colony in 8 minutes! " You said giving a small proud smile to the female murder drone, which she tried to keep a serious expression on, but failed to show a fun little smile for you.

" Only you can talk, and do something like this so well (Y/n)! Good job, the company will love to know as always " J spoke in a soft tone, giving a bigger smile.

" Yeah, I already have quite a collection of pens already… do you think I could start getting some crayons or something? " You asked in a playful tone, causing J to let out a small snicker, soon giving you a confident smile.

'' I'm not too sure about crayons…but if it were up to me, you would definitely win medals. You're different from the other two idiots (Y/n), you're as special to the company as you are to me'' J started talking with a playful smile, then speaking in a soft tone watching you carefully, which you gave a smirk at her in realization of her words.

'' Oh?~ I'm special to you J? I feel so honored! What now? Do I win your heart? Cutie ponytails~ You just needed to speak more honestly~ '' You spoke in a malicious and dramatic tone, making J realize what she just said, becoming extremely embarrassed.

'' Hang on! That's not what I meant! '' J exclaimed with an expression of flushed urgency, which you just responded by laughing, placing one of your hands on one of your own cheeks looking at her with a mischievous expression.

'' That conversation was really cool J! Now, if you'll excuse me… I have to go get a little lunch~ Later we'll discuss this more! '' You said giving a fake dreamy sigh, speaking in a mischievous tone as you spread your wings, soon taking off in flight leaving angry J behind.

'' (Y/N) GET BACK HERE IMMEDIATELY! THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT-'' J yelled with hot cheeks, watching you walk away in the blizzard without even caring.

'' Why me Gosh? Oh my- I like an idiot- I'm going to fricking break someone's legs '' J spoke in an irritated tone with cheeks still warm, finally giving up on yelling at you to come back.

But, inside she was happy..you seemed to like her…and she liked you back.

You were going to bring dinner that night just in case. You know- For a date with your favorite boss girl!

We can say that we had a lot of provocations that night lol.

[yaya-tchoum]

I am a lover without a lover.

I am lovely and lonely.

I belong deeply to myself.

~•Warsan Shire•~

#Warsan Shire #34 excuses for why we failed at love

[celticcrossanon]

Hi Celta, so glad you're back and I wish you well. I pray that you will stay healthy, happy, and beautiful. My Tumblr feed was rather uninteresting when you were not around (I need to follow more people!! Lol).

Regarding Camilla, I have always felt that she was the original Meghan, using sex to catch the then future king (Charles) and became successful at it whereas Meghan tried it with the current future king (William) and failed. That’s why Camilla recognized what Meghan was because she was her at another time.

As to why Camilla has become so unhappy as queen, I think she feels the burden of illegitimacy heavily. She knows she’s not a legitimate queen in the hearts of many people. The shadow of Diana looms large even after her death more than a quarter of a century later.

Charles and Camilla stans would like to revise history and paint their story as the greatest love story, that she makes him happy (as if that’s enough to justify her being a queen!), Diana was not a saint, etc.

I think what Camilla (and probably Charles, too) had wanted was to remain the mistress, and let Diana remained the wife and later be queen. Camilla just wanted to be there as the mistress, a normal carry-ons for kings past, and get all the material riches (she keeps asking for money now, is she?), a comfortable life forever, but not the burden of royal duty (Queen Elizabeth at one time did label Camilla as “lazy”).

Unfortunately, Diana was of a newer generation where love trumps all and she could not accept her husband having a side chick and this broke her heart, and it is in the unrelenting quest of love (a love that her husband did not give her) that Diana committed all those unsaintly chasing of men that she eventually did, and put her in a situation that arguably led to her early demise.

I am not excusing Diana, but I understand why she became what she was. She was massively gaslighted by both Charles and Camilla from the get go (Interviewer: Are you in love? Diana: Of course! Charles: Whatever love means.)

I think Charles was also gaslighted by Camilla. If she had not persistently staying there always within his reach, perhaps Charles could have stopped himself from forsaking Diana for her, and things might have turned out differently now. There was a tarot reader I used to watched on YouTube who stated years ago that the marriage of Charles and Camilla is not as happy as they presented, and that from time to time Charles think of Diana and wondered what might have been.

Just imagine if Diana were the queen now, how stratospheric Charles’ popularity (something he has always wanted) would be with the popular Diana by her side, just like how popular William is with a popular and loved princess (Catherine) by his side.

Charles picked the wrong horse, driven by his own cuntstruck gaslighting from Camilla (when Charles accused Harry of being cuntstruck by Meghan, I thought he knew what he was talking about!) And he (Charles) fought so long and schemed so hard for her (Camilla) to become queen, and now that she is one, she is unhappy.

Boohoo!! Some people are just so, so ungrateful.

Hi AranPandora,

I agree that there is an attempt to rewrite the past history of Charles and Camilla, which is a bit useless as many people were there when it happened and know the facts, plus we have scans of newspaper and magazine articles which also show what happened at the time.

Diana turned 20 less than a month before she married 32 year old Charles (who would turn 33 in November) who had a 34 year old mistress, Camilla. Given the age difference, I expected a lot more from both Camilla and Charles than what actually happened.

I remember that "whatever loves means" in the interview and how my heart sank when I heard it. It was not the reply of a man who was in love, and Diana was clearly in love with Charles at that time.

I don't know if Charles still thinks of her, but I would not be surprised if he did, as it is normal to have 'what might have been' moments in your life.

I do think that Charles and Camilla genuinely care for each other. I have seen genuine affection between them, so I don't think it was all 'using sex to trap a man' (that might have been part of it, but I don't think it was all there was to it). That being said, it is obvious that Charles adores Camilla and will do anything for her, but I'm not sure how much Camilla is prepared to do for Charles - I think that while they care for each other, Charles cares for her far more than she cares for him. I could be wrong, but that is how the relationship strikes me.

As I have said before, I think that Camilla would be a lot happier now if she had stayed as a mistress. However, that did not happen, and now both she and Charles have to live with the result of his decision to marry her.

[thedepressedkiddo]

I'm a lover without a lover. I'm lovely and lonely. I belong ; deeply to myself

— 34 excuses for why we failed at love, Warsan Shire

[shammah8]

DAY 22

"I JUST CAN'T FORGIVE MYSELF"

Today we are fasting from the thought that says: "I just can't forgive myself."

Who hasn't thought that at one time or another? The devil would love to keep us in self-condemnation for the things we have done or failed to do. He knows it paralyzes us and prevents us from making the impact that God intended for us.

LET'S CHANGE IT TODAY

1. REALIZE THAT WE ONLY DESERVE FORGIVENESS BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS.

It’s not because our mistakes “never happened,” or “it wasn’t that bad.” Give up rationalizations and excuses, and simply receive God’s mercy and grace.

2. IT WAS THAT BAD, BUT GOD IS EVEN MORE GOOD!

James 2:13 says, “Mercy triumphs over judgment.” His mercy toward you TRIUMPHS over your self-judgment. In Luke 22:34, Peter denied the Lord three times, and Jesus forgave him. Later, Peter preached the first sermon after Jesus rose from the dead, and 3000 people were saved in a day! Peter was able to forgive himself when he knew Jesus had accepted him. In the same way, you too, have been accepted by God, no matter what you have done—simply by believing in His finished work on the cross.

3. GIVE UP YOUR RIGHT TO HOLD ANYTHING AGAINST YOURSELF.

God doesn’t hold anything against you. Forgiving yourself is simply AGREEING with God. His standard is absolute perfection, and He forgives you. Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as east is from west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

4. STOP REHEARSING WHAT YOU DID.

It’s done. It’s over. Now accept the second chance (or third or fourth...) that God offers. Philippians 3:13 says, “Forgetting what lies behind, and reaching forward...” Reaching forward starts in your thought life.

5. BELIEVE THAT GUILT DOESN'T COME FROM GOD.

He doesn’t impose guilt on you to try to get you to stop doing something. Romans 2:4 says, “It is His goodness that draws us to repentance.” Since this guilt and shame doesn’t come from God, there can be only one other source—the devil. James 4:7 says, “Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

6. GIVE UP THE SELF-PUNISHMENT.

Some people think subconsciously: “I’ll make myself feel bad to pay for what I’ve done.” Why should we pay the price that has ALREADY been paid for what we’ve done wrong? Stop beating yourself up. By trying to “pay for what we have done,” we are doubting and insulting the very blood of Jesus that HAS PAID the price in full. Accept His free gift.

THINK IT AND SAY IT

I receive mercy today, because of the blood of Jesus. Though I didn’t deserve it, God proclaims over me, that I am “not guilty.” Where I have failed, God’s mercy triumphs over judgment.

I give up my right today to hold ANYTHING against myself. I deserve to be punished, but Jesus took THAT punishment for me. I forget what lies behind and press on, moving forward in my life with God, even though I feel like I have blown it beyond repair.

I reject this guilt and self-condemnation that the devil is trying to put on me. God is the God of second chances. I will no longer try to make myself feel bad to pay for what I’ve done. The price for what I did or failed at has been paid in full by Jesus’ blood!

In God's great love,

Pastor Gregory Dickow

[productiveandfree]

101 Quotes to Boost Your Productivity Right Now

Sometimes all it takes is an inspiring quote to start getting things done again.

As Zig Ziglar said:

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.

Here are 101 quotes to boost your productivity right now. Showering optional. ;-)

1. Action is the foundational key to all success. -Picasso

2. Actions prove who someone is. Words just prove who they want to be. -Unknown

3. Always carry a notebook. Write everything down… That is a million dollar lesson they don’t teach you in business school! -Aristotle Onassis

4. Always deliver more than expected. -Larry Page

5. Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work. -Stephen King

6. And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years. -Abraham Lincoln

7. And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. -Anais Win

8. Being busy is a form of laziness—lazy thinking and indiscriminate action. -Tim Ferriss

9. By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. -Benjamin Franklin

10. Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus. -Alexander Graham Bell

11. Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection. -Mark Twain

12. Definiteness of purpose is the starting point of all achievement. -W. Clement Stone

13. Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most. -Abraham Lincoln

14. Do something instead of killing time. Because time is killing you. -Paulo Coelho

15. Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves. -Dale Carnegie

Don’t forget to “pin” or save these quotes for later!

16. Doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment. -Oprah Winfrey

17. Don’t expect to find you’re doing everything right — the truth often hurts. The goal is to find your inefficiencies in order to eliminate them and to find your strengths so you can multiply them. -Tim Ferriss

18. Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will. -Suzy Kassem

19. Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. -Benjamin Franklin

20. Effective performance is preceded by painstaking preparation. -Brian Tracy

21. Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. -Benjamin Franklin

22. Everything you want is just outside your comfort zone. -Robert Allen

23. Fall in love with the process, and the results will come. -Eric Thomas

24. Focus on being productive instead of busy. -Tim Ferriss

25. Great acts are made up of small deeds. -Lao Tzu

26. Happen to things, don't let things happen to you. -Stephen Covey

27. Have patience. All things in life are difficult before they become easy. -Saadi

28. He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life. - Muhammad Ali

29. I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks, but I do fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times. -Bruce Lee

30. If you don’t pay appropriate attention to what has your attention, it will take more of your attention than it deserves. -David Allen

31. If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse. -Jim Rohn

32. If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done. -Bruce Lee

33. If you’re going through hell, keep going. -Winston Churchill

34. It is not enough to be industrious; so are the ants. What are you industrious about? -Henry David Thoreau

35. It is vain to do with more what can be done with less. -William of Occam

36. It's not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently. -Tony Robbins

37. Let today be the day you give up who you’ve been for who you can become. -Hal Elrod

38. Live, love, laugh, leave a legacy. -Stephen Covey

39. Love of bustle is not industry. -Seneca

40. Luck is not chance, it’s toil; Fortune’s expensive smile is earned. -Emily Dickinson

41. Most great people have attained their greatest success just one step beyond their greatest failure. -Napoleon Hill

42. Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. -Jim Rohn

43. My favorite things in life don’t cost any money. It’s really clear that the most precious resource we all have is time. -Steve Jobs

44. My future starts when I wake up every morning. Every day I find something creative to do with my life. -Miles Davis

45. My goal is to build a life I don’t need a vacation from. -Rob Hill, Sr. 

46. Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway. -Earl Nightingale

47. Nothing is less productive than to make more efficient what should not be done at all. -Peter Drucker

48. Nothing will work unless you do. -Maya Angelou

49. Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. -Henry Ford

50. Ordinary people think merely of spending time, great people think of using it. -Arthur Schopenhauer

51. Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you. -Oprah Winfrey

52. Perfection is not when there is no more to add, but no more to take away. -Antoine De Saint-Exupery

53. Plans are nothing; planning is everything. -Dwight D. Eisenhower 

54. Practice isn’t the things you do once you’re good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good. -Malcolm Gladwell

55. Productivity is being able to do things that you were never able to do before. -Franz Kafka

56. Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort. -Paul J. Meyer

57. Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking. -Albert Einstein

58. Real artists ship. -Steve Jobs

59. Should you find yourself in a chronically leaking boat, energy devoted to changing vessels is likely to be more productive than energy devoted to patching leaks. -Warren Buffett

60. Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. -Warren Buffet

61. Sometimes, things may not go your way, but the effort should be there every single night. -Michael Jordan

62. Stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be. -Elizabeth Gilbert

63. Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. -Winston Churchill

64. Successful people are simply those with successful habits. -Brian Tracy

65. The best way to predict the future is to create it. -Alan Kay

66. The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it. -Michelangelo

67. The key is to not prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities. -Stephen Covey

68. The least productive people are usually the ones who are most in favor of holding meetings. -Thomas Sowell

69. The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. -Stephen Covey

70. The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried. -Stephen McCranie

71. The best way out is always through. -Robert Frost

72. The society based on production is only productive, not creative. -Albert Camus

73. The true price of anything you do is the amount of time you exchange for it. -Henry David Thoreau

74. The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing. -Walt Disney

75. There are no traffic jams along the extra mile. -Roger Staubach

76. There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction. -John F. Kennedy

77. Think of many things; do one. -Portuguese proverb

78. Try not to become a person of success, but rather a person of value. -Albert Einstein

79. Until we can manage time, we can manage nothing else. -Peter Drucker

80. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. -Aristotle

81. What gets measured gets managed. -Peter Drucker

82. What you do today can improve all your tomorrows. -Ralph Marston

83. When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor. -Elon Musk

84. When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. -Viktor Frankl

85. When you do more than you’re paid for, eventually you’ll be paid for more than you do. -Zig Ziglar

86. Whether you think you can or whether you think you can’t, you’re right! -Henry Ford

87. While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior. -Henry C. Link

88. Why do anything unless it is going to be great? -Peter Block

89. Work gives you meaning and purpose and life is empty without it. -Stephen hawking

90. Work like there is someone working twenty-four hours a day to take it all away from you. -Mark Cuban

91. Yesterday I was clever and tried to change the world. Today I am wise and try to change myself. -Rumi

92. You can have results or excuses. Not both. -Arnold Schwarzenegger

93. You can’t have a million dollar dream with a minimum wage worth ethic. -Stephen Hogan

94. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. -Martin Luther King, Jr. 

95. You don’t need more time in your day. You need to decide. -Seth Godin

96. You may delay, but time will not. -Benjamin Franklin

97. You must either modify your dreams or magnify your skills. -Jim Rohn

98. You need to be doing fewer things for effect instead of doing more things with side effects. -Gary Keller

99. You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win. -Zig Ziglar

100. Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them. -David Allen

101. Your net worth to the world is usually determined by what remains after your bad habits are subtracted from your good ones. -Benjamin Franklin

You can check out some more motivational quotes here to start your week on a positive note.

 Share in the comments below: Which is your favorite? What other quotes do you associate with productivity?

[yhwhrulz]

Today's Daily Encounter Monday, August 7, 2023

The Consequences of Pride

"Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land."1

I love how President Abraham Lincoln pointed out to Americans that our pride can cause our nation to suffer:

"We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us."2

Every time something bad happens in our world, I've heard people use that as an excuse as to why they don't believe in God. I'm sure you've heard, "If God is good, then why do bad things happen?" But until people are willing to see the root of the problem, they will never understand. You see, it is we who stepped away from God. It is we who have disobeyed over and over. It is we who were so caught up in sin, without hope, and in desperate need of salvation. It was because of us that Jesus died on the cross. When we step out of God's protection by disobeying His Word, there are natural consequences to our disobedience.

However, instead of us realizing our fault, we allow pride to sink in and we fail to take responsibility for our part in the chaos our world is in. God's blessings are always available to His children when we choose to submit to His will and walk in obedience to His Word. As Christians, we should be the first ones falling on our knees in humility and crying out to God for forgiveness – not only for ourselves, but for our nation. When Jesus was being crucified, he asked his Father to forgive those who were crucifying him because they didn't know what they were doing (Luke 23:34). We have the certainty that Jesus will come again, so we should daily be seeking God's face, praying for our land, and asking God to use us to reach as many as possible with the gift of His Salvation.

Suggested prayer: Dear God, our world needs You. Until you come again, please use me to share the Good News with others and live in such a way that will bring honor and glory to you. Forgive me for acting in disobedience to Your Word. Restore our hearts and our land we pray. In Jesus' name, Amen.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NLT).

A. Lincoln, Proclamation of a day of National Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer, 1863.

Today's Encounter was written by: Crystal B.

NOTE: If you would like to accept God's forgiveness for all your sins and His invitation for a full pardon Click on: http://www.actsweb.org/invitation.php. Or if you would like to re-commit your life to Jesus Christ, please click on http://www.actsweb.org/decision.php to note this.

Daily Encounter is published at no charge by ACTS International, a non-profit organization, and made possible through the donations of interested friends. Donations can be sent at: http://www.actscom.com

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When copying or forwarding include the following: "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2005-2023 ACTS International

[eolewyn1010]

Dragging Frankenstein - Chapter 23

The one where Victor loses all attachments to his conscience and awareness that other people in fact exist, and also gets really blatant about his religious delusions. And yell about it I shall.

Victor is describing the pretty surroundings again, and I know that’s par for the course, but… he and Elizabeth are on honeymoon now, and he’s looking at the landscape and the weather? Romantic. He’s so not into the idea of having sex with her. DAS GAY: 43

And another right away, because when Victor becomes agitated with nightfall, Elizabeth outright asks him what he fears. There we have the bit of Victor’s issues with his sexuality, his fright being intrinsically tied to his wedding night, and it adds up with his evident disinterest in the wedding preparations and ceremony. DAS GAY: 44

When Elizabeth screams in the bedroom, Victor finally comes to the conclusion that, hey, maybe he wasn’t the one at risk here! IT’S ALL ABOUT ME: 34

Too late, obviously; poor girl is dead. Reunite with Justine and leave the asshole behind you. Victor goes into self-pity, telling us how everyone else’s horror of a young bride being murdered at the inn is just “a mockery” of his feelings. Yeah, man. You’re so deep. IT’S ALL ABOUT ME: 35

For him being a suck-ass fiancé and husband, he sure is a loving widower. Insert here witty comment about Victor being more physically in touch with Elizabeth’s corpse than he ever was with her in life, and how his Oedipal side shines through when that scene of him clutching her corpse mirrors the dream about embracing the corpse of his mother.

“Elizabeth whom I had loved and cherished” – excuse me? When have you ever cherished her? Not for the last seven years, for sure.

I raised my eyebrow at the Creature just smirking in through the window while Victor was waxing poetic about Elizabeth’s corpse. I mean, he sure doesn’t have to fear being shot by Victor, but prancing around in daylight, when there are people around?

While Victor is a bit of a fainting damsel about it all, take note that he’s handling Elizabeth’s death remarkably better than Henry’s. There’s no two-months angst coma. Huh. *side-eyes the Gay count*

The bit about rowing is just… stupid. “I had always experienced relief from mental torment in bodily exercise [as we know from his wandering the mountainside]”, and he makes a big deal out of how he himself grabs for an oar because, wooooooow, he lowers himself to actually contribute to his own means of transport! I SO PRIVILEGED: 17

Except he doesn’t, because he tosses it away after a minute because he gets bored or distracted or whatever. Twit.

“No creature had ever been so miserable as I was” – IT’S ALL ABOUT ME: 36

How nice would it have been if, at least NOW, Victor finally learned that other people’s deaths are not there only for his tragedy. He doesn’t know the book has his name, for fuck’s sake!

“I arrived at Geneva. My father and Ernest yet lived […]” – Ernest? Oh, yeah, him. Good man.

Frankenstein sr. just kinda crumples and dies at the news, and wrings just another count out of me with Elizabeth being named his “more than daughter”, as she was called Victor’s “more than sister”, and we all know what that meant. INCEST VIBES: 20

Underlined by mentioning how he “doted on” her, which is the exact same choice of words formerly used to describe his relationship with his wife. Ew. I’m so done with this family. Why did he send precious Elizabeth off with Victor in the first place? He knew his son wasn’t good news for anyone.

Ernest apparently does the reasonable thing and has Victor locked away for a while to sit out another nervous breakdown. At least he didn’t wax on about it as extensively as the last time.

Victor foams at the mouth thinking of “the monster whom I had created, the miserable demon whom I had sent abroad into the world for my destruction”, but still fails to point out his own responsibility. THAT GUY WOULDN’T EXIST WITHOUT YOU; YOU JUST SAID SO YOURSELF!

Also, “that I might have him within my grasp to wreak […] revenge on his cursed head.” Heh, forgotten about the super-strength again? DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR: 18

This is The Last of Us, Victor, not The Walking Dead. This one can run, and knock you the fuck out.

But at least he’s proactive about his wish for vengeance, setting out to slay his unnatural offspring. I’m just the tiniest bit outraged that he tells his story to the local magistrate to ask for help, and is instantly believed. *takes brick and starts hitting Victor over the head* YOU COULDN’T BE ARSED TO RISK YOUR CREDIBILITY AND REPUTATION TO SAVE JUSTINE, BUT NOW IT’S JUST SO EASY TO TELL EVERYTHING, AND THERE’S NOT A SINGLE ACCUSATION OF YOU BEING CRAZY! FUCK YOU, IN THE NAME OF JUSTINE!!

And then he gets outraged when the magistrate isn’t really so eager to fight an Übermensch. “My revenge is of no moment to you […] You refuse my just demand,” yeah, alright, get over the hissy fit. Some people wanna stay alive, y’know? IT’S ALL ABOUT ME: 37

There’s one sentence I wanna look at in detail before I wrap this up. “[T]here was a frenzy in my manner and something, I doubt not, of that haughty fierceness which the martyrs of old are said to have possessed.”

WHAT.

I’m not a religious person, and I cannot believe the sheer hubris he’s throwing around here. Comparing yourself to a Christian martyr??? DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR: 19

Well, first of all, no. You of all people have no right to call someone haughty who died for their convictions.

Second, martyrs died by themselves, you absolute twat. Demanding others die for your frenzy and cause is not the manner of a martyr, it’s that of a cult leader. Fuck you.

Third, you do realize that martyrs were martyred because of what they said and believed, right? For opinions. Setting a murderous creature out into the world is not a belief. Demanding people put their life on the line for your need of a vicious revenge is not an opinion. The word martyr means witness. You are not a witness, Victor, you are the cause of everything that went wrong here.

Fourth, has he really deluded himself into thinking that what is ultimately only correcting his own wrong is tantamount to the nobility that is usually ascribed to a martyr’s cause?

Fifth. Victor is alive, and what will kill him is his quest for vengeance, not the scourge on the land. William, Justine, Henry, and Elizabeth are dead, and blameless. If anyone here is a martyr, it’s them.

GAWD, but I hate this guy.

He reinforces my point by talking of his “ideas of devotion and heroism” (not going into this again), and then I cracked up when he, Victor fucking Frankenstein, yells at the magistrate: “How ignorant art thou in thy pride of wisdom!”

The hypocrisy, my dear.

And then it’s off to merry murdering. Woo, finale!

Oof. I'm very sure that Mary Shelley wrote him that way on purpose; she wanted Victor to be that self-centered, unloving jerk incapable of reflection and taking responsibility - and she wrote him well. But that doesn't mean he's not an exhausting protagonist to read. The Delusions Of Grandeur count is really the worst; I don't deal well with arrogance, and Victor has zero awareness of how self-aggrandizing his religious comparisons are. Doesn't paint a too flattering image of Percy Shelley.

[folkinsomnia]

warsan shire's '34 excuses for why we failed at love' but it's only the parts about the women in my family

[harrypotterhousequotes]

SLYTHERIN: “I belong deeply to myself.” –Warsan Shire (34 Excuses for Why We Failed at Love)

[roblesalia]

34 Excuses for Why We Failed at Love

1. I’m lonely so I do lonely things 2. Loving you was like going to war; I never came back the same. 3. You hate women, just like your father and his father, so it runs in your blood. 4. I was wandering the derelict car park of your heart looking for a ride home. 5. You’re a ghost town I’m too patriotic to leave. 6. I stay because you’re the beginning of the dream I want to remember. 7. I didn’t call him back because he likes his girls voiceless. 8. It’s not that he wants to be a liar; it’s just that he doesn’t know the truth. 9. I couldn’t love you, you were a small war. 10. We covered the smell of loss with jokes. 11. I didn’t want to fail at love like our parents. 12. You made the nomad in me build a house and stay. 13. I’m not a dog. 14. We were trying to prove our blood wrong. 15. I was still lonely so I did even lonelier things. 16. Yes, I’m insecure, but so was my mother and her mother. 17. No, he loves me he just makes me cry a lot. 18. He knows all of my secrets and still wants to kiss me. 19. You were too cruel to love for a long time. 20. It just didn’t work out. 21. My dad walked out one afternoon and never came back. 22. I can’t sleep because I can still taste him in my mouth. 23. I cut him out at the root, he was my favorite tree, rotting, threatening the foundations of my home. 24. The women in my family die waiting. 25. Because I didn’t want to die waiting for you. 26. I had to leave, I felt lonely when he held me. 27. You’re the song I rewind until I know all the words and I feel sick. 28. He sent me a text that said “I love you so bad.” 29. His heart wasn’t as beautiful as his smile 30. We emotionally manipulated one another until we thought it was love. 31. Forgive me, I was lonely so I chose you. 32. I’m a lover without a lover. 33. I’m lovely and lonely. 34. I belong deeply to myself . 

by Warsan Shire

[cityofchapin]

Poetry Break

Some times you just stumble upon poems like one does bad romances. They take up your time and leave you a different person.

Enjoy.

14. We were trying to prove our blood wrong. 15. I was still lonely so I did even lonelier things.