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ahgastae · 4 years ago

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worst chefs in seoul (outline) – kim seokjin x gn!reader

➥ word count: 3.9k | reality/cooking show au | crack | fluff

➥ m.list

➥ a/n: we’re back at it again with another wip i never finished lol. this one is the outline for what was intended to be a social media au (as evidenced by some of the notes i left for myself), though it’s likely that’s not how it actually would’ve come out. i’d love to hear some of your thoughts/reactions, and i hope you enjoy ♡

day ???

start w y/n and yoongi goofing off on twitter

the whole y/n eating a moldy grape thinking it’s a kiwi thing

and yoongi panicking bc of it

could transition into them talking about the finale episode of their favorite show: worst chefs in seoul

they’re both huge fans, and equally complete disasters when it comes to culinary skill

yoongi likes the show bc he likes the competition aspect and tbh he got addicted after y/n forced him to watch the first season w them

y/n also likes it for that reason, but the main reason they watch it is bc of a certain kim seokjin

anyway, they talk about the finale, and then yoongi says something about the next season’s ‘nominations’ coming up soon

y/n jokingly says they’re going to nominate yoongi bc of that one time he made tacos with dog food

and yoongi fires back w the time they managed to light the microwave on fire making cup o’ noodles

they agree to let each other live

…..for now

sike!

the two actually do end up nominating each other w/o the other knowing

y/n honestly just thought it would be funny if yoongi got picked and yoongi was like “fuck it why not”

little did they know…..

while the nomination guidelines assure that the selection process is completely random, this is a reality show

meaning for anyone w a brain that’s obviously not the case

contestants are actually chosen by the show’s assistant producers and approved by the chefs themselves and then the higher ups

but who are those assistant producers??

none other than park jimin and kim taehyung

neither of them keep their involvement with the show a secret, and one takes it a teensy bit more seriously than the other

anyway, they’re usually told to find a batch of contestants (that they feel) would conjure up the most drama for the show

it is tv, after all, and they have to keep people watching

and that part is crucial

to their credit, they do (somewhat) succeed for the most part

jimin selects yoongi and namjoon from the nomination pool bc he thinks joon’s clumsiness w yoongi’s nonchalant nature will work for max chaos

and taehyung chooses y/n and jungkook bc while their competitive drives are similar, y/n’s subdued nature has a big chance for conflict w jk’s out-there attitude

(how do they know all this? they’re experts at what they do leave me alone)

day ??? 2.0

y/n (and yoongi, secretly) is ecstatic when they get the emails/DM/whatever that they’ve been “chosen for the next hot season of worst chefs in seoul!”

but then yoongi asks if it’s allowed for them to know each other and accept the nomination

like they’re best friends. is that going to present some kinda problem that’ll get them both kicked off??

should only one of them accept it?

(he’s immediately ready to sacrifice his own nomination bc he knows how much y/n cares about this stupid show)

y/n says they’re not going to let him do that bc they were both chosen, meaning they both should get to go

but—

“it’s fine!! we can just pretend we don’t know each other when we’re on set!”

and so they’re off

to some undisclosed location in seoul

day 0

jimin and taehyung are the first to greet everyone, collecting all four contestants together for a tour of the dorms

and y/n starts texting yoongi in a panic bc both of their dumbasses forgot that the contestants are separated into teams as soon as they arrive

yoongi prolly says smth like i’m two feet away from you why are you texting me

(y/n reminds him they can’t make it seem like they know each other)

yoongi acts like it’s not that big of a deal

prolly says there’s a good chance they’ll end up on the same team

and if they don’t they can just hang out in the dorms when the cameras are off and away

which is when jimin loudly announces that this season, each team is getting their own dormitory

and that contestants will be required to stay in their dorm while filming the season, except for approved ‘outings’ for the show

he moves on before anyone can ask what that means

they’ll be allowed to pick whichever dorm they want to stay in for the first night, since they want to get the contestants’ reactions on camera when they reveal the teams

but after they’re revealed tomorrow, it’s your dorm and your dorm only

y/n and yoongi automatically gravitate towards each other

they end up together in the ‘new’ dorm, which yoongi grumpily notes is practically bigger than their whole apartment

y/n wonders if they ended up in seokjin’s dorm, and gets excited at the thought of this being a ‘test’ to see which chef’s team they’ll be on

to which yoongi asks what makes this dorm his?

“idk i just...feel his aura in here”

“.......okay, weirdo. i’m gonna go ‘feel his aura’ in the bathroom and take a—”

“yoongi!!”

y/n can either ask what yoongi thinks of the other contestants or they can both pretty much blow them off entirely for the time being

idk which yet

day 1

next morning, the contestants are woken up bright and early by none other than our favorite assistant producers

the wake up call comes in the form of a new group chat between the six of them

along with a link to ‘download’ the calendar for the shooting schedule

(which is really an app/virus that disables certain functions on their phones)

((such as most social media and texting numbers outside their ‘parameters’))

after that’s all hashed out, jm & t explain that this group chat is for any and all notifications and updates about the show, as well as any questions and/or concerns the contestants might have

“can i just vote to eliminate myself now and go home?” and

“how do i get this fucking thing off my phone” and

“when do we find out what team we’re on??”

the answers to which are

you’ll find out when filming is finished

and right now!

they tell the contestants to get up and get dressed as their first day on set officially starts now

y/n and kook immediately jump into action and leave the gc

joon lags behind a little confused but follows the flow

yoongi, ever the people person, gets aggressive when they don’t answer his questions about their goddamn malware

“is this even legal?? are you even fucking allowed to just disable our devices like this?”

“what if there’s an emergency??”

“looks like you’ll just have to find out, huh?”

yoongi’s phone then crashes and won’t let him unlock it until the first block of filming is finished

jm: “oops ƪ(˘⌣˘)ʃ”

day 1 recap

we find out through our superfan what happens during the first episode

(maybe do something like this person is some kinda press/‘news’ account dedicated entirely to w.c.i.s. and the two chefs)

((mayhaps they leak the contestant list before it goes public??))

((jimin and tae could have some kinda unspoken rivalry w them lol))

anyway the story is told through them in a series of twitter threads

(plus a few messages from y/n to yoongi freaking out about the teams they get put on)

first event of the day is: the team announcements

yoongi and joon end up on team kim seokjin and y/n is on team jyp w kook

being split up puts a bit of a damper on their plans, and with this stupid cell block they don’t know if they’ll even be allowed to talk to each other

none of them get much time to react, though, as they’re then shuffled off to their respective kitchens

where they finally meet their respective chefs

and, lo and behold, y/n is goddamn terrified

jinyoung is even scarier in person than he is on tv

“don’t laugh at me yoongi!! this is the guy who made a girl sob on live television!”

“and now ur gonna be the next person what’s the problem lmao”

while y/n tries to get past their fear, they’re given their first official task: work together with their new partner to create a meal of their choice

the catch is that they aren’t allowed any help from their chef yet

and since the teams were just announced literally like 10 minutes ago, none of them have had much of a chance to get to know each other

(the network knows this, and does this on purpose since most of the seasons’ first episodes are spent either arguing or being completely lost)

things go about as well (read: badly) as expected

y/n and kook soon discover their very conflicting personalities and spend the majority of the round bickering back and forth about what to make/how to do it

meanwhile yoongi slaps a piece of sliced cheese directly on the stove while joon runs around like a chicken w its head cut off

in the end, team jyp somehow manages to come out victorious

they cobble together some (semi) edible banana milkshakes to present to the judges

(‘together’ meaning y/n wanted to make plain vanilla milkshakes and kook switched it for banana milk when they weren’t looking)

yoongi and joon tried (keyword being tried) to make grilled cheese

but between yoongi’s cheese-to-stove method and joon dropping their two pieces of burnt toast right before the timer rang

they didn’t get many points

as their reward, team jyp has the honor of picking what they’ll be making tomorrow

they’re given the rest of the day to think and talk it over while team ksj is told to reflect on what went wrong in today’s trial

back at the dorms (now in their separate teams), y/n finds that yoongi finally graces them w a response

(and that they were right about which one was ‘seokjin’s’ dorm)

yoongi tells them about ‘that little shit’ locking him out of his phone and that he honestly just wants to get tf out of there contract or not

y/n convinces him to stay and stick it out, if not for them then for the prize money at the end

yoongi then asks what dish they’re going to pick for tomorrow, and asks if they can pick something he at least has an idea how to make

cue y/n saying that they were thinking of suggesting one of seokjin’s signature dishes but not knowing if kook would go along w the idea

“he kept trying to switch out our ingredients for banana milk and i don’t know how to tell him to knock that shit off”

“honestly you know i’m not one to take charge but he wasn’t even listening to me!! what’s to say he’s actually going to listen to the PROFESSIONAL chef here to help us??”

“aNd SPeAkINg oF THaT”

cue y/n whining about how they wanted to be on jin’s team and it’s not fair that they both got stuck w jinyoung AND a bratty kid on their team

yoongi sympathizes since he was looking forward to them being on the same team, but makes y/n agree that if he has to give the competition a chance then they have to give kook one too

“i mean yeah he seems like a bit of a dumbass but isn’t that why we’re all here? bc we have no fuckin clue what to do in the kitchen?”

hmm...fine they’ll give him a chance

but they still think he’s a lil shit and don’t really wanna talk to him at all, let alone reach some kinda compromise on what to make

they don’t get much or a choice, though, as they both receive a mysterious message from...jungkook? in another group chat?

the contestants find that they have all been manually added to another gc

except this one is missing the two assistant producers who love to breathe down their necks

everyone but jk is immediately suspicious

is this some of trick to get them to screw up?

to break some kinda hidden clause in the contract none of them actually read?

wasn’t that thing they downloaded supposed to block incoming messages like this?

“but wait, yoongi, then how were we able to…?”

but as of right now, they don’t get any answers

and they’re all too afraid to ask anyone but each other

“well we’re all here so...we might as well get to know each other right?? :D”

this is where we get our first in-depth look at the four people stuck on this show together, who in their lives nominated them and why

(y/n and yoongi’s lying skills are put to a bit of a test as they each rush to pull stories right out of their asses)

kook talks about bambam and says his nomination said smth about “adding banana milk to everything f*ckin thing he makes”

he doesn’t really get why that was enough to land him a spot on the show but he thought it would be pretty cool to be on tv and just went along with it

namjoon talks about hobi and emphasizes that he’s not that bad of a cook

he just gets nervous and confused when it comes to recipes and cooking which expresses itself in the form of his unabashed clumsiness

joon then asks if they’ll really be prevented from having any outside communication until filming is finished

he, like yoongi, questions the legality of deceitfully installing the block on their phones

y/n says there probably was some kind of hidden clause that allowed them to do that, as they “can’t imagine seokjin would take part in a competition that abuses its contestants”

to which joon replies that they don’t actually know seokjin so they can’t really ‘imagine’ anything about how he will or won’t act

right as yoongi is about to jump in and tell him to back off, jungkook decides that that’s way too much legal talk for him

he forces changes the subject back to the gc as a whole and says that even if they’re prevented from talking to their friends he’s happy they’ll “at least have each other :D”

y/n feels like part of that is directed at them and feels bad for how they thought he was ‘just a dumb kid’ before

namjoon, however, is still hesitant

he’s not sure if this chat could get them in trouble in regards to the show and their contract and what not and says that they all should probably delete it just to be safe

but that is unanimously vetoed by y/n and kook (and yoongi, reluctantly) and they decide that if the block allowed it to pass through then it must be allowed

before joon can argue anymore, they all receive a message from tae in the ‘official’ gc

he briefly explains the lights out policy of the dorms and tells them that they’re probably going to want a good night's sleep for their ‘big day’ tomorrow

yoongi then says smth like “well...guess that’s lights out then” and jk responds excited as ever w “night guys!! see you all in the morning! :)”

and y/n can feel their soul leaving their body for even thinking anything ill about him

day 2

contestants are woken up bright and early by alarms they didn’t set

(“oh great, so they just hijacked every app on our fucking phones then”

jimin tells them all to hurry up, get dressed, and meet the chauffeur outside bc they can’t afford to be late

(“literally! every second you waste is money docked from the network’s wallet! so get your asses in gear, guppies!”)

y/n and kook get outside first, but yoongi and joon are nowhere to be seen

y/n decides to text the q & a gc to get the dirt on seokjin

they kinda start sucking up to jimin and tae to see if they’ll reveal any info, particularly about what the chef is like and if it’s possible for him to talk to the ‘other’ team’s contestants

and while the producers are pleasantly surprised that one of the contestants actually want to use that gc for something other than yelling at them

they unfortunately can’t give much info besides what most people already know

and confirm that one of the chefs talking to the other’s students was probably not allowed, but that it’s also never really happened before so they’re not really sure lmao

(“taehyung!!” “what? was i not supposed to say that?”)

jimin cuts the conversation short there as yoongi and joon arrive and they all get on the shuttle for the set

taehyung does say one last thing tho

“good luck!! hopefully they don’t tear u up too bad!”

but first

our superfan gives us the downlow on the competition and how it works

after being split into teams, the contestants will rotate between ‘training’ w their chef and competing against each other in timed trial rounds

prizes can be won for both events, but the ones for the trial rounds are generally more competition based while the ones for the training rounds are more about luxury/quality of life while filming

each trial round win counts as a point towards the team’s score in the competition

only trial rounds affect this score

once a certain number of points has been reached (5), that team moves into the next phase of the competition

instead of working as a team, they are split up and now have to work against each other to win the favor of their chef

and in the finale, after one last big cookout competition, an individual winner is chosen and crowned a ‘former’ worst chef in seoul

once the contestants arrive on set, the chefs reiterate that today is just a training round

(they all let out a collective sigh of relief)

and it’s a good thing everyone woke up so early bc they’re just in time to learn how to make breakfast!!

“it’s not like we had much of a choice-oof.”

“anyway! team jyp, since you won the pretrial round yesterday, you get to decide what both teams will be learning how to make today. so, y/n, jungkook. think carefully. what do you want for breakfast?”

y/n is about to suggest seokjin’s signature strawberry and cream crepes when jungkook, who is still half asleep, blurts out “omelette”

(also i’ve decided that jackson is the host of the show now and i’m not changing my mind)

and it’s decided. they’re makin’ omelettes

(y/n is only a little bit peeved)

shuffled off to their separate kitchens, y/n is reminded of just how terrified they are of jinyoung

sure, they thought he was scary yesterday when they realized they were on his team, but now he has to actually teach them and they can’t help but think he’s going to make them into an idiot sandwich by the end of the day

as such, they try to keep half-asleep kook in between them and jinyoung at all costs, even if it meant running around the kitchen like a lost puppy

jinyoung, fully aware of how the show portrays him and how fans view him, notices this almost instantaneously

but he unfortunately doesn’t get to pull y/n aside to address it before jungkook starts digging through the fridge for banana milk and almost throws the entire carton of eggs on the floor

professional chef jyp mode: on

and they’re off

it’s a little difficult with y/n dancing around the kitchen anxiously and jungkook’s absolute aversion to being told what to do (as y/n predicted), but jinyoung manages to whip them into shape long enough to (barely) make a ham, cheese, and “green onion? wtf is that?” omelette

team seokjin, however, does not favor as well

yoongi apparently doesn’t know what tf a green onion is either and just throws in whatever green vegetable he can find while jin is struggling to keep namjoon from setting himself on fire

….and it turned out to be celery

that, plus joon somehow managing to burn the omelette to a crisp, costs them the training round

y/n and kook start to celebrate their victory and actually working as a team when jackson informs them that their ‘prize’ is they get to eat what they cooked while the other team gets whatever is left over on the catering table

“i hope you listened to your chef!”

“...jungkook, please tell me you used actual milk in this”

“um…”

back at the dorms, the contestants share their thoughts on their first day of training, as well as their first official day w their chefs

(also include y/n saying something about their banana milk omelettes actually not being half bad)

y/n immediately recalls how much they were terrified of jinyoung, almost cutting their finger off when he glanced over their shoulder when they were slicing the green onions

jk agrees, adding smth about how he didn’t think a scowl could ever be so intimidating

“it reminded me of my mom’s face when she found out i tried to pierce my own ears in the bathroom in middle school!! i was too afraid to push the needle all the way through and walked around with it in my ear all day until one of my teachers finally noticed and sent me to the office!”

...ok jungkook

during all of this, yoongi and joon are both like...wtf

“seokjin was literally nothing but nice to us. even when namjoon almost set his sleeve on fire lmao”

“hyung how did u manage that” “doesn’t matter”

jungkook thinks the difference in the chefs is hilarious, but y/n is only upsetti spaghetti

they go on a bit of a rant about how badly they wanted to be on jin’s team

saying something about how jinyoung is scary and mean and they’re almost positive he can sense their fear or something and probably use it against them while jin’s team would be so much better on the sole fact that they wouldn’t feel like he would turn them into an omelette for getting something wrong

cue jk being all babey asking “you...don’t wanna be on a team with me? :((“

and y/n immediately PANICS and tries to explain that NO, it’s not HIM but yoongi saves their ass by saying that seokjin is just their favorite and that’s all

jungkook feels better, but then namjoon is like “hol up. we all just met. how could you possibly know that?”

insert more y/n fumbling and jk confusion

yoongi (once again) covers w some bullshit story that he was able to just guess that based on what y/n’s said in the gc so far

joon wants to question it further, but jungkook informs them that the lights out call just came in before he can

another yoony/n sigh of relief

in private, y/n freaks out to yoongi for almost blowing their cover to the others

prompting a short conversation over whether they think they can trust them or not

y/n admits that they’re warming up to kook, but is a little suspicious if namjoon will keep their secret yet

convo ends with yoongi saying something like “well, the kid’s right about one thing. at least we know we have each other”

end.

#kim seokjin x reader #kim seokjin x you #jin x reader #jin x you #bts jin x reader #jin #kim seokjin #bts jin #jin fic #seokjin fic #bts x reader #bts x you #bts crack #bts fluff #me releasing my old wips to try and make up for the fact that i haven't actually written or posted anything for months?#it's more likely than you think #my writing #on hiatus 🌙

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thestudyfeels · 6 years ago

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How To NOT Be Depressed.

(Or If You Prefer — How to Be Substantially Happy About Life.)

WARNING: This is one rollercoaster ride of a post. Proceed with extreme caution. For some, the staggering levels of insight may induce true purpose and re-establish their warrior spirit. For others, side effects may include grammatically incorrect hate or aloof eyerolls. We advise exiting if the said group includes you, for we're very tired of cleaning vomit off the seats.

Step aboard at your own risk.

If you’re one of the brave souls who stayed back to join us, I congratulate you for even I am scared of how crazy this post truly is. Alrighty then, kick back and relax folks, today we’re having a mature, adult conversation. Merely another cheery afternoon spent talking about life and its realities. Not too bad, eh?

Before we begin, spoiler alert! For those of you already turned off by the mention of 'depression’ and packing their bunnies to leave, sit tight. This ISN'T really about depression. This is about HAPPINESS. No clickbait. That got your attention, right butterfly? Nice, now stay.

A welcoming, maybe demanding A/N: Do me a favor and read this in one go. Maybe even plug in those headphones and listen to the songs dedicated to each part as you read. It's long, you have the new Riverdale episode to catch up on, but don't hop away just yet because (I had a couple moments writing this, alright) it's life changing. You'll prolly cry a few tears of realization, nod all nod-able body parts in agreement, beat your chest at random instants 'cause the hype’s too real, and perhaps, if it isn’t too much to hope for, finally go change your life for the better. In case you've forgotten, this'll remind you that there’s always hope, that you're a born conqueror, and you were made to THRIVE, not survive. Convinced? Kay, roll the cams.

To clarify first-hand, no, I'm not depressed although I’ve experienced mild depression for a period before. Glad to say I'm out of it but I still struggle with tackling what I'm about to detail next.

Insert bitter voice, it’s this: My life is nowhere near I want it to be. Though I know vaguely what I wanna do, I haven't yet figured out how the hell I’m supposed to get there, or how my dream life is to be sketched out. It’s all a blurry mess. Which, to put it bluntly, hurts. I HATE feeling powerless and worthless, roaming about aimlessly.

There are many such moments where I hit the brakes to wonder why I’m not living THE Life already. There have been several times when I curl up and cry a frickin’ Amazon. There are horrible nights where I'm shaking with emotions, but they won't release, leaving me choked. (…not in that way, you hoes. Um, just ruined the dramatic mood with a lame dirty joke, sorry.)

They say talking helps and that's why I figured I'd drop in. But perhaps more importantly, I wanted to hang because no matter how unfocused the lens may seem at my future, I don't consider myself a dopey loser incapable of the crazy dreams or wild bucket lists I fantasize about– and I thought I'd skip along to remind you that neither should you. (Or maybe I just came to sniff the new appetizers, who knows?)

PS: I also broke a sweat listing six ways to get outta depression– alternatively, to be more of a conqueror– because y'all are always pestering me with asks that go “how do I conquer omg send supplies” (Like, imagine a conqueror saying that! Oh, the crime, the atrocity!)

So yes, you're welcome. Have a feast with this litness.

The main reason behind people being so frightfully sad, I’ve found, is a huge lack of fulfillment. We don't do what we love, for either— [ 1 ] we aren’t living life the way we want to (since we keep doing things we feel we're supposed to do) OR [ 2 ] because Mama, Papa and Mrs. Carter next door feel that struggling is the only way, and project their traditional beliefs onto us. Either way, whether or not we consciously realize this, subconsciously, we're all hurting because of it. Badly.

That lingering feeling of emptiness never seems to leave. You feel drained every night when you drop into bed, not because you gave it your all, but because you couldn't. And so, we do the next best thing. Drugs. Maybe not literally, but figuratively. We numb out this subconscious pain by binge watching Netflix shows. We deaden ourselves to that discomfort by reading smut in the bathroom or by playing dumb video games all day. We try (and fail) to extinguish this feeling of not ‘being enough’ by having silly flings or fake friendships.

And ultimately, we NUMB ourselves out to LIFE for we can't bear to live the way we're living. There's a reason why “How to Stop Procrastinating” posts are so popular (they’re a blogger’s most foolproof way of paying the month’s rent, and yes, even I'm guilty of a couple). We’re constantly having FOMO and tuning into others' highlights on social media– completely missing out on our own lives in the process. We fail to realize that the culprit is lack of genuine purpose more than zero self-control (or maybe it’s both, but that’s a tale for another day).

[On a side note, obviously I did generalize a bit– video games can be a passion for you, watching shows a way of winding down. But for most, they’re only DISTRACTIONS, just another way of ignoring the calls of life by hanging up the phone.]

And here's the bitter truth about depression: The longer you wait to start living authentically, the more you start tuning out the inner cries wanting change, the faster your dreams start to ebb away, and the more you'll want to become insignificant. And to me, that's the scariest part of this journey to my dream life.

Nothing frightens me more than knowing that the moment I stop pushing, the very moment I give in to distractions and fears, my goals will stop manifesting themselves and I'll be stuck in this small town with its small people eternally. And THAT, I'm certain, won't be any more fun than working your way through a soggy ham sandwich, ironic as soggy is what life has become. (Yes, I have a thing against soggy sandwiches. They were a kid's worst lunch nightmare.)

If you relate, and I’m sure you do (it’s probably why you stopped scrolling through cheesy fanfic for ten minutes to read this, I know you amigo) — here are six ways to NOT be depressed. Or more accurately, to gift wrap yourself some sweet ol’ happiness.

You're a Samurai and the Following Be Your Katanas —

Hol’ up. The second you reach the End Card, I want you to drop your Cheerios and implement at least THREE of these six strategies. Just follow the Takeaways, I've made this really simple. And as a rule, one of them has to be this one. (Look, don't whine. If you wanna climb outta that dark hole, you gotta put in some effort. So pop that booty, and let’s get down to business!)

Here’s the most truthful, though cheesy thing I’ll ever say: I would be nowhere I am today without this blog. If not for it, I would most likely be weeping in a dug-out hole somewhere, drowning in my salty little pond of tears and chiming every loser’s favorite words (“there's no point”). Creating this blog gave me a definite purpose – putting out fiery content, dipping myself deep into my newly found passion for writing and influencing, and connecting with other conquerors on the platform.

I meet a lot of folks, whether at Sad School, Mouldy Mall, or Boring Bus stop, who always seem to be in a state of death-inducing boredom. When asked about their favorite thing to do, they’ll mumble “sleep” or “food” like Siri narrating your cat’s evening routine. And then you see adults, dragging through life mindlessly. Utterly clueless, floating like a piece of driftwood in an ocean bubbling with life. My sympathy quota gets overdosed everytime I think about it.

To spell it out, find something to do. Anything! Learn a language, try some ballet, take pictures of your neighbor's rose garden, make an art piece and show it to your mom, stitch buttons onto shirts for fun, heck, make an entire shirt out of buttons, take a break from reading smut to write your own, frutify your farts, WHATEVER, just get up and move.

And here’s why – nay, not to keep you engaged or make you feel less worthless, not that bullcrap. It’s to put in gear the journey of figuring out what is the shite that you love doing. Too often we get stuck thinking about what our oh-so-great passion is. Get this, passion is energy. A spark for something. A magical fortune cookie which, when cracked, seems to explain everything, gives you the very reason for being alive. You can only feel that fire, that wild love, when you actually do it. So get cracking is all I’ll say!

Takeaway:

Attempt something. Nah, scratch that, imagine you’re in a sweet shop with shelves lined with free samples and try everything. Pick up that Polaroid cam, take that dreaded history course, buy that children’s cooking kit– in short, start working. Pull out all the stops, get curious, and get creative. In the process, if you promise to try hard enough, you WILL (money back guarantee) find out what makes your little heart burst with mad happiness and would willingly do for free, if needed, because you really are that crazy about it. And that, my dear, will be your oh-so-great-indeed passion. Have no doubt, you’ll never be “bored” again.

Real talk, having a dream is a big deal. And unfortunately, I’ve witnessed, rarely anyone has one to begin with. They’re either more dead than the cheap skeleton I bought for Halloween or believe they have a dream, but in reality, it belongs to mom, dad, or Uncle Sammy. Listen, doing something for someone you love (my Uncle Sammy used to supply me with cold cash whenever he came around, loved that guy) is great! YET, if you’re willing to throw away your life to fulfill others’ expectations, convincing yourself it's because they love you, even when YOUR lonely heart craves bigger things than just a marketing job, then you, my friend? Are the biggest fool. Don’t get offended, we both know it, this girl needn't ramble.

Recently, my relatives were over (nope, sadly not Uncle Sammy) and my cousin and I had a chat about life (correct, I grab every opportunity to do so). It wasn't very exciting I must say, he kept staring off into the distance (I wonder why), but what he SAID is what I'll talk about. After I’d gushed about my dreams, he asked skeptically if being an influencer would still be an ambition two years from now when I graduate. I raised my eyebrows, mock hurt, like eff you son, I ain’t giving up on my dreams! But that question got me thinking.

Life is wild. Unpredictable. An unexpected call, a single person, a random BLOG POST (cough) – can turn your life upside down, sometimes in the affirmative, other times not. This variability of life isn’t uncommon, and everyone experiences some part of it– unpaid student loans, failing startups, talent and art going unnoticed in industries dominated by wealth and connections, you name it. If all of that doesn’t make you run for the Himalayas and abandon any dreams, throw in a quick side dish of dysfunctionale famiglia with a sprinkle of self-image issues.

It ain’t easy, darling. The world is one cruel headmistress; it loves slapping awake the daydreamers and wishful thinkers. That hasn't ever actually stopped the dropouts and class clowns from building castles in the air though. And the common blueprint you notice they follow? Let me introduce you to… Madness. Obsession. Maniacal obsession, to say. (Yes, I'm done playing with my words.)

I struggled writing this point. A pestering voice in my head kept mumbling – They'll go back to doing the same sad shit anyway. Um, does anyone even read your posts? Lol, call yourself an influencer, hun. Hesitation started creeping in. Then the irony of the situation struck me. I laughed, shook my head and got back to typing.

We ran out of juicy gossip weeks ago, so here’s your tea served cold: insecurities and self doubt WILL get in the way. That whiny voice was just a mild version of what you face when you go all in. Fear traps you in its cage, and those who prattled behind your back now progress to talking shit in your face. Criticism and self doubt resurfaces, so unless your defenses are strong, you'll be crushed. Destroyed REAL quick.

When hell breaks loose (oh honey, and it WILL), your self defense comprising of maniacal obsession must be well learnt. Let them attack, mock, heck, drag you away from the desk and hurl you at the top of a damn mountain, but you better STILL hike back down, show them the middle finger, and continue working. That's how bulletproof you've gotta be. That's how madly do you have to love your dreams. And if you really think this will be a cake walk or want to continue complaining about Stuart being born with a silver spoon, hop off the train already. Your destination isn't on the tour list.

Look, my dreams terrify me. But they certainly make me feel more alive than complying with what every parent said about getting good grades and holding together a roof on my head. My ambitions set me free, give me a reason to fucking live. And yet, every now and then, something makes me question them. A fear engulfs me, some doubter proclaims I suck, someone I love is so blinded they can't see my vision. And that's okay. My defenses are way stronger. The next day rolls round, and you'll find me hustling again, thriving again. All because I know that even if no one reads my posts (the worst case scenario, I know y'all love me lol), someday in the future, someone will. I know that even if I’m not an influencer yet, if just one reader becomes a conqueror because of my words, it would be a win. A big win. I'd have done my job. All because I’m wildly, yes maniacally, obsessed with my dreams.

So hey, cousin? This influencer thing? This will be my dream long after I've graduated. Till the day I die, and maybe even then I'll rise from my grave to give a dead pal a lively pep talk. My watchtower has just been upgraded, so thank u, next.

Takeaway:

“General, we've arrived!” Finally! Position those cannons, Martha, let’s talk them through the defenses. All aboard? AHOY MATEY! (wait, that was one for the pirates). Step one, dare to create a dream in your mind’s eye. The bigger, the crazier, and the scarier, the better. Doesn’t matter how impossible it is, don’t care how many voice their opinion against it, just imagine, keep a million possibilities in mind.

Once you see the life you truly want (you’ll know, everything will seem to zing)— have a sip. Become OBSESSED for that life. Thirst after that vision, itch to manifest it, and pine for the satisfaction that’ll come to your soul once it’s made a reality. Fall madly in love with the process and how magical it feel when you do it. And THEN, bellow a loud war cry and charge headfirst into battle, shields held high at all the criticisms. We conquerors never cared much for them anyway.

(play ♬) Picture this: forehead stamped with beads of sweat. Calloused hands working their fingers to the bone and eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration. Conjure an image where powerful beats are pulsing hard in your ears, synced with your own elevated heartbeats, and you’re thriving. Performing. Winning. Guess the secret to that? Preparation. Champions prepare. You can’t throw anything to the winds or rely on ‘luck’ or chance to conquer.

Tough days are in everyone’s calendar, be it your extra cheerful neighbor, Sally, or lone wolf classmate, Derrick. We’ve all found ourselves sulking over an awful situation, scooping into mint ice cream to forget mistakes, errands, and ghosting exes. Yet guess what? The solution isn’t the proclaimed “be positive!” or “It all happens for a reason, don’t you worry” - the key is coming up with a method to dodge the discouraging effect these hiccups have on us.

So every bad day, I bring out a mason jar containing a knot of chits and one secret letter which is, on most days, kept hidden on the top shelf of my cupboard. I make myself comfortable on the bed, read all my bits of paper carefully, including the letter addressed to yours truly, close my eyes, and mentally fight back whatever’s bringing me down.

A short while later, I get up, now a warrior, and go slay the rest of the day like it was my last one on this planet. That jar is my jar. A Conqueror’s jar. One look at those powerful reminders, and I’m grounded once again, the beast within me now unleashed to kill.

Takeaway:

Honey, go get yourself a jar. Along with some papyrus and ink. Then start jotting down. Document past victories, future visions, fears that mean zilch to the person you’re about to become, batty goals you’ve still gotta chase, reminders that the majority will never understand what it is you’re tryna do here, and how that’s perfectly alright 'cause you'll find your conquerors, your squad one day. Create your victory jar. And then go knock ‘em down dead. Bad days stand no chance against you. You’re a winner, a fucking rebel. Go take what’s yours.

Y’know, I’m perfectly aware that many muggles reading this will whine that dealing with depression ain’t no piece o’ pie and it’s hella hard to get up and take the crown when you feel like a pile of dino dung.

Stop it. Get some help. (See what I did? Like Michael- ok ok, calm thyself.) For real though, and I’m tired of repeating this with my kitten stamped microphone (but I’ll keep at it ‘cause it’s that significant) – whining is WORTHLESS. It saps up precious energy that could be used to make life a scrumptious smoothie. (Loothie? As in life + smoothie? Right, yes, I’m shutting up.)

And even THEN, we find denizens complaining about slow WiFis and thin crust pizzas and how the market’s down and the government’s incompetent. Because blabbering makes us feel important. Heard. But keeping yo’ trap shut and actually doing stuff? Hustling for your dreams when nobody’s watching? Actually walking the talk? C’mon, Emma, don't be naive, ain’t nobody getting recognition for that.

Trust me, I get it. The world is yet to become a feminist, turns out your boyfriend was cheating on you while you were looking up wedding dresses, mommy’s a drunk loser, and idiots are being voted into office. It’s a lot to handle. But thanks to our immense and ever increasing population (we folks really love our rumpy pumpy, can you tell) — there will surely be one chum, facing exactly the same misfortunes as you, but still turning up at every party and bulk-spamming his friends with puppy pictures while you sit and wail. (One Moaning Myrtle is enough, thank you very much.)

Look, I’m not undermining your worries or obstacles. I’m only reminding that you have the marvelous choice of positivity. To CHOOSE hope and a better future when others won't. To FIND (and it's always possible) something to look forward to even when the to-do’s a big snore. To KNOW, deep inside, that you're a magnificent conqueror, no matter what mess you’re in at the moment, and that the world dances to your rhythm. Realise that it's up to you to let yourself be happy. At any moment, you have the very say-so to get up and start rocking. Dumbledore said it himself, “It is our choices, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” So choose better, and you’ll unconsciously do better as well. And yes, that being said, this is the last HP reference, don't fret. Be positive instead. (Edit: Ha, look at these quips, the girl's all grown up now.)

Takeaway:

Your new occupation is to be a sunflower. If you think back, you'll probably recall Miss Honey rattling on about phototropic movement in AP biology. No? Me neither. Point is, sunflowers always face the sun. Put them ANYWHERE, hide them in the dungeons, throw them in a trash bag and shoot it off to the moon, they’ll still turn around and face the sun. No matter what. And taking inspo from that, you too can stop scripting creative soliloquies for being depressed. Happiness is YOUR right, YOUR priority, don't let anyone take it away from you or diminish its importance. DON’T let sadness ruin your vibe, do what you've gotta do to protect yourself. Track happiness in yo’ journal, set 84 reminders on your phone, and tattoo “Long as you’re beaming up at the sun, all the shadows will be left behind” on your boobs. Do whatever, just don’t turn the corners of your mouth down. You’re so pretty this way.

The other day, I was doing the deathly Plié Alternative Heel Lifts (these names, I swear) and my legs felt dead. Gone. Put to sleep like the Wicked Witch of the East. Now obviously, the timer wasn’t not even halfway done yet, but my cheeks were already flushing red like dear Santa, and NOT because I was high on choco chip cookies. I sighed, and at that point, I was so over giving up. All this while, I’d been whining and protesting because my muscles felt sore, but in that moment, I made up my mind. I bit my lip and kept going. On and on. Keep pulsing, you got it, don't stop, was the mantra I kept chanting.

Won’t sugarcoat it, I honestly hadn’t died this much since that time Miss Honey buried me alive with trig assignments. My legs were now basically Play-doh and I was shaking, fighting for balance. A few seconds in though, something crazy happened. My legs went numb. My grumbling mind quietened and the pain vanished. That evening, I had the upper hand, not my physical perceptions of myself. I was powerful. Flawless. (Hey Santa, do you even lift bro?) Real talk, I was in the Zone, bitches.

I’m not sure if that was the result of excessive pain or because Wonder Woman’s spirit possessed ma bod, but staying loyal to my love for metaphors, I’ll use the experience to explain what I’m tryna get at here.

Look, here’s the real deal — if all of the greats gave up the second things got frowny, we probably would have no one to worship. Nix role models, nix inspirations, none to stalk on Insta - we’d all be bumbling about like Sad from the even sadder Emoji movie (no shade, emojis be lit).

And that'd be very sad (pun definitely intended). Hence, cue some tangible ways to boosting your grit, so that you can be your own superhero:

1) Get yo’self a goddamn motto,

2) Know your “Why,”

3) Repeat the cycle till it’s in your blood. Btw, Shawn, if you here, I’m still a single pringl—HEY PAL I SEE YOU, DON'T SCROLL.

Seriously, don't brush these prime steps aside. We're always going for the advanced modes, and deeming these basic levels a waste of time. Well guess what, compadre, YOUR LIFE IS A GODDAMN WASTE O’ TIME IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR BASICS RIGHT. Excuse my outburst, but listen. You can’t do a hundred bicep curls on your first workout if you haven't lifted anything more than a crisps packet. Likewise, if you simply jump into Life one day, and decide “ok, here it is, 12 habits to build, sleep schedule to fix, man to ask out, let's go,” you ain't getting nowhere, chum. Start small. Take baby steps. It's clearly not as fun (definitely negates the bragging on Facebook part of it) but it'll stick. You’ll create a consistency that not even Grandma's cake batter can achieve.

1. Talking mottos — For context, a motto that I always mutter (my mom thinks I'm cursing, oh what a bad child) every time I spill milk while making coffee is “Do more. Give more. BE more.” Not only does it help me stay right on track for the rest of the day but it helps me clean up my mess, figuratively and otherwise, or I’d just be sitting in a puddle of spilt milk, cursing adulting for real this time and with more laundry to do.

2. Why you need the Big Why — Owning up, I’m guilty of attempting to learn Welsh for less than 48 hours because I hadn't a single reason to speak the language. A similar thing happened with half of my 2018 resolutions, which had a bunch of rubbish like “Floss daily”, something my eyes got trained to skip because, um, who the hell flosses every day?

Lame humor aside, I still workout almost daily because I have my Why straight. 1) I want to feel good about my body and get closer to the confident badass I envision my future self to be, 2) I simply HAVE to sustain my health to live to build my legacy and fulfill my dreams of opening a bakery at 90 and 3) Because I’m an influencer, and want to walk my talk and be the inspiration people need. Those are the reasons as to why I turn up to my yoga mat everyday, shut my jabbering mind, and keep on pulsing. This “Why” strategy applies to everything. Wanna get outta depression? Why? Wanna lose 20 pounds? Why? Wanna listen to your dentist’s desperate pleadings and floss already? WHY EH? Unless you know your intentions, you’ll give up at the first chance you get to not act on your goals. And watch out, because there'll be a LOT of those.

For me, leaving a legacy behind means more than having a slice of cake or missing a workout because there’s a fun movie playing. Find what's important to YOU, make it your why, and go marry your goals.

3. And then, Repeat — Bear in mind, if you're not living your best life yet, there are NO weekends. NO work-shy days. No weak days, no pick-me-up days, no eat-candy-do-nothing days. Everyday is a damn Monday. EVERYDAY is life or death. Every holy day you wake up is a chance to push your limits, challenge your mindset, and see how far you can go. And every 24 hours, when the cycle starts again, it’s your mission to race to build a stronger, wiser and crazier you.

And who knows, perhaps one day, you and I will just be casually sipping tea in our dream home, laughing at how the milk is still being spilt but knowing, proudly, fiercely, that we’ve come so far, even though there’s still more left to do, more to give and so much more to be.

Takeaway:

Quit quitting. You're, guaranteed, 20x stronger than you think. I doubted I could go through with the workout, it seemed beyond my present physical capabilities. But I did, because I treated it as life or death. Understand this, the second you start making excuses, for being depressed, for taking an unnecessary day off - you give away your power. You are a very powerful being. You're limitless, capable of everything.

I'm not throwing these words around to make you feel cute, I actually mean AND believe them. There’s so much that's been done already— the iconic four minute mile by Roger Bannister, invention of the light bulb, cars, toothpaste and other junk, people who lost both legs and climbed Mt. Everest, we sent a man to moon in frickin’ 1969 (50 YEARS ago), some ran a 26 mile marathon with zero training, love and hope is still strong in this world, oh let's also add coffee and motivational music— and YOU think you can't finish a workout or get outta depression or meet your idols or marry the man of your dreams or become the artist you wanna be? Ridiculous. Don't give away your power that easily, this ain't no charity shop.

(play ♬) Having personally dealt with unwelcome yet familiar feelings of emptiness quite often, I’ve now reached a point where each bad day is simply a reminder of how long my journey ahead is, and just how badly I want to reach my destination.

We finally near the end of this novel of a post (thanks for sticking around, bud), and my best advice would be this: Rather than wallowing in self pity and throwing one-man parties because your life is so awfully dreadful, know that even when life throws you to the floor, long as you can look up, long as you can read an entire book about defeating depression (cough)– you can GET UP too. Let those emotions of sorrow and frustration blaze up into a roaring, crackling fire that doesn’t consume you, but instead, urges you, fuels you.

Lately, no matter how much shit I go through, how many arguments I tumble into, or how barren my dreams look sometimes, I don’t break down. And no, it wasn't always like this. I never even had aspirations to name two years ago. Six months back, it had become a night routine to cry. Not anymore.

Now, every setback and every failure only pushes me to be stronger and give more than I ever gave. The day I made the decision to Conquer (truly, madly, deeply, with all of my heart) was also the day I said a big, loud ‘fuck you’ to every resistance that was to cross my path. I had finally understood that life was nothing but a battle of WILLS, that it was all in or nothing, and I made up my mind once and for all to NEVER give in to depression, or to society, or to anyone who tells me I cannot make it.

I had conquered depression. There was no looking back now.

Takeaway:

Here’s something no one will tell you: the key to bringing depression to its knees is seeing it positively. Pretend that it's a friend continuously sending strong, aggressive signals urging you to be happy. And what do you do when a caring friend throws some holy light? You listen, push past your ego, and follow accordingly.

And if that parallel seems unconvincing, here's another one (sup, DJ Khaled. This post is turning musical, sorry): it's scared of you. Depression is scared shit of you. Y'know how bullies are, right? Majorly insecure, self-loathing too perhaps, hardly fans of self love, and always trying to numb all that subconscious pain by inflicting pain on others. Depression has the same instruction manual. Your fears and doubts are your (pathetic) bullies, and depression is the big ol’ crony who does the dirty work for 'em.

Whenever you decide shit this is it, I'm going for it, they go paranoid and try stopping you because they've seen no better. And if they succeed, BOOM, you're depressed, paralyzed, your qualms reigning over you again. Don't let them in. I'll say it a thousand times if I gotta because I want (HAVE) to see you conquer – you're so much stronger than you think you are. You can do so much more than you think. It's all in your head! Don't just sit there, click away, and go back to living a sad life. You’re better than that. DO better than that. You’re meant to freaking CONQUER, straight-up dominate, my pal. Pay heed to that voice craving freedom. You got this. And you better know it.

One thing’s fixed like the (beloved by all) proportionality constants in Physics, you will come across depressing mornings and sluggish evenings even in the future. I assure you. Lots o’ bad hair days in the calendar, sis. But here's what you’ll do: you'll deactivate the miserable thoughts, keep a cool head, remind yourself that this is yet another test (better, rap your new mantra) and USE that hurt, pain, and anger to create a fervor and passion that wreaks havoc on its obstacles and drives you to accomplish EVERYTHING you've ever wanted to do. The easy choice would be to just give up, bellyache about the situation, and want sympathy for your worries. Yet, what you'll never do is… exactly that.

Rule 1) NEVER give up. Stand your ground. Have faith in your strength. Know that you'll have your way soon enough anyway. Rule 2) NEVER complain. All it does is drain your energy, that precious fire you could to high jump your way into the clouds. Makes you a pathetic wimp too, definitely not something you want on a warrior’s resume. Lastly, Rule 3) NEVER seek validation. From anyone. It sure feels nice to be acknowledged and encouraged, but grasp this— this is your journey. YOUR life and YOUR vision. Validation won't get you anywhere, for there'll never be enough of it.

Cuz Marty, if you're tryna bring something new, different, and authentic into this world – you'll most likely be hated on badly, before you'll be loved madly (hi, me a rapper). Learn to invite hate instead—IMPORTANT: hate from others, not yourself. Sounds counterintuitive, but this is the real tea: hate is good. It means you're standing up for something, refusing to fit like a puzzle piece in society, and being UNAPOLOGETICALLY yourself. And it’s certainly a sign that you’re on the right path if you can ignore that hate and stick your tongue out at it.

Yet another reason to never seek validation is simply this: you have to fight for yourself. In order to meet your own expectations, reach the doorstep of the best version of you, and transform this world, you'll have to go wildly IN. Toil and hammer away. Shut out all the haters and non-believers, listening only to your gut. Importantly, learn to accept the rejection slips, validating yourself not with what Molly says about it being okay, but with the reminder that your time is coming soon. Depend on yourself. Validation will NEVER be enough.

I get it, it's a lot of homework, but perhaps you already realize that it’s THIS work that'll change your life forever. Not “how to not procrastinate, Jesus take the wheel” or “HELLO, life's a mess so here are ten things to do (you won't believe number four!)”. Clickbaits don't work, stop believing that a fancy planner is going to be your savior. There is no rule to making your life a masterpiece. You'll have to get to know yourself and your dreams (journaling, meditation, silent pondering), build the work ethics and the mentality needed (lots of work in this one, yet no strict framework to go about it) and GET GOING.

AND with that firework, I'll begin to slip away now. Again, I won’t say it’s easy, that’s cock and bull. Life’s no fairytale. You will never feel ready to start bringing your dreams to fruition. But, my darling (I’m being so nice yo, follow me), you must. You must force yourself to work for the future you want till it becomes a habit, an obsession. The world badly needs heroes; confident people who can stand for themselves so that others can stare at first, maybe even hate a little, but then follow because they seem unstoppable and are, truthfully, having the most fun at life. YOU'RE one of them. No validation, just plain facts.

You see, conquering is a LOT of blood and sweat (K-pop, anyone? BTS? Lmao, this is me tryna clickbait y'all to read). Even getting up will seem huge when you're just starting out, and this is one long road, dear pal. Still then, I have enough faith in you to hope you don't give into your fears, I hope you willingly chase discomfort, and I hope you find the courage to do all that you want to do, while that heart's still beating.

I hope you conquer. I'll do too, and I'd really like to see some familiar faces during the ride.

Peace, amigo.

A loud ass A/N: And now, we come the most important part of this post. WAKE UP Luke, stop snoring, and take some notes. Remember kids, I won't accept anything but an A.

If you couldn’t identify yourself throughout this post and currently are scoffing like um woman, that's not really why I'm depressed, hang in there a sec. Yes, you can stop singing It Ain’t Me now. You've a very nice voice by the way.

I'm not a doctor, and I don't have enough exposure to know why so many earthlings are depressed today. HOWEVER, by talking to many, following their stories, watching and reading stuff – I do know with firm conviction that a majority suffers from severe unfulfillment. Don't believe me? A study shows 85% of the working class worldwide hate their jobs. Do you realize what that actually means? EIGHTY-FIVE PERCENT of the THREE BILLION PEOPLE employed today, hate being employed in the first place! They do it for prime survival, to sustain themselves. And that's just jobs. I won't scare you, but 50% (yes, HALF, you heard that right) of students HATE going to school. Kids waste SEVEN hours of their life every day going somewhere they dislike, doing something they hate. Who's singing now?

People find themselves trapped in golden handcuffs, taking the paycheck despite the passionless job. They push aside the art and business they love, to become a slave of good ol’ cash. Several surround themselves with negativity and get frustrated when unable to escape the choking (no, not THAT kind again, hello someone pour holy water over this post) atmosphere. An innumerable are forced into taking up courses that they don't care about under parental pressure. The reasons are endless, and I don't think I'll amuse myself listing all the sad excuses.

This has always been the story. Hundreds of influencers have preached the same words I’m tryna put into your head here and you’ll yourself say you’ve heard this a million times. YET, you’re dissatisfied. YET, you feel like crap everyday, feeding yourself the same lie that the next day will be better, that you’ll get up tomorrow– while you let life beat the shit out of you.

That’s why, all of my words, everything you’ve read today - all of that boils down to just one single question. A difficult but necessary choice. Will you let this happen to YOU? Will you, seriously, even after this wild ride together, go back to doing nothing and being nothing? Will you, for real, continue deceiving yourself, sacrifice your happiness for the sake of pleasing everyone else, and remain a statistic on a website?

(play ♬) If you’re not sure of your answer, read: Look, making you feel guilty is not my intention, because that’s not how this works. I need you to understand instead. Guilt wears off, it’s only understanding that brings about change. So, just for old times’ sake, I’ll rant a bit more (ik, just can’t seem to leave y’all).

You’re so, so young right now. More than half of your life is yet to be experienced. None of this probably makes much impact right now but it will the day you die. Remember, on your deathbed, you won't EVER look back and say, “Damn, wish I'd spent more time at the office. Saved up just one more dollar. Could’ve got that promotion before Amy.” Nay, it won’t even be on the calendar. That day, one foot in the grave, you'll reflect and wonder why the heck you didn’t let yourself be happier. Why you took up that lacklustre, soul-sucking architect job when all you've ever wanted to do is keep laughing. Why you didn't ask your crush out, why you were so afraid to walk up to that audition, because dammit, you could’ve been running your own comedy show by now. Why you dragged around a karaoke machine all this time instead of singing your own song. Why you couldn’t love yourself. Why you submitted. Why.

And the moment you realize that you hadn't lived a life for you, you’ll be crushed. Broken. The arthritis in your grannie joints won't even compare and neither will the mild dissatisfaction you’re feeling right now. Those whys will haunt you, they'll terrorize you, break you. It'll hurt tremendously to know that there isn't a single thing in your long life that you could call completely your own.

With every death today so many dreams are left unachieved, crazy things left unchecked on the bucket list, and unique potential left unexpressed.

DON'T let that be you. Please. I'm still a mess myself, struggling to reach class on time and studying subjects that aren't exactly fun, when all I want to do is create content (read: fireworks) that is at a level of insanity, influence folks to do better, hold crazy world tours and meet-and-greets to give hugs, and get an adorable puppy so I can create a dogstagram (yes, I'm that mom). Sure, I could declare it's too hard, hang onto small-minded and negative people who whine endlessly, and follow the crowd, getting lost in it, with ease.

But I won’t because I can’t take the burden of those regrets. That painful unrest and discontent that nothing could cure, not drugs, alcohol, buddies, not even true love. For then I’d be just another drone, my controller in the hands of society, forcing me to see the world through its eyes. I can’t give in because I’m scared, terrified even, of wasting away this one life doing the bidding of others- folks who won't even notice when I’m gone.

It’s easy to be depressed and crib your entire life. It’s easy to think you’re worthless and that trying is pointless since nothing ever goes your way.

But perhaps, if you rise, if you simply DECIDE to have the audacity to fight for what you believe in, if you work and focus on becoming better, things will go your way. Life will bend to you, in awe, at your incredible relentlessness. Life will take one look at you, wonder who the fuck is this person? How the fuck are they so incapable of giving up? And back right away. And then perhaps, life will be such a blast for you that depression would become the past you never had.

I know you can get there, conqueror. It’s time you knew it too.

🌚🌝 Further reading? 🌝🌚

Last Post :— How To Get Back Into The Creative Process – For you, if you're in a creative rut. Get outta it and go create magic!

5 Reasons Why You're Unhappy — To help you identify & cut out CURRENT sources of sadness so that you can spice up yo’ life with some happiness instead. Definitely recommend reading AND implementing.

The Bubble Trap & How To Get Out Of It — One of my classics. Everyone is in one of these 'bubbles’ till they consciously do something about it; that's just how it is. Are you still in one? (Someone teach me marketing, lmao.)

The 5 Biggest Regrets of The Dying (from Greatist) — I LOVED reading this. Pretty much all you need to cut the crap and do meaningful stuff. Read it, memorize it, work it.

++ Want to request a blog post? Leave your request in my ask box! I'll get back to you with a reply, along with the average time I'll need to birth that magical idea.

Thanks for dropping by! It was a pleasure to have you around. If you wish to stick for a bit, I'd suggest picking one of the related posts mentioned above.

If you wanna check out my blog, here's a little something about me (y'all know I love the attention). What do I write about? Three arenas I dominate, Work, Lifestyle and Life, they are, my mate! Take your pick!

I post new blog posts bi-weekly, and my wins, & journal entries throughout the week, so follow me if you're into conquering life, leaving a legacy and being the baddest badass you can possibly be. I'll be your side pal, cheering you along.✨

And that was it, it's a wrap! Martha, shut the cams, Henry, pause the audio, and Nandita, I know you're pretending to be deaf, but Mom's yelling something about doing the dishes. Better skip along.

And you, fellow conqueror? Keep slaying life, doing the work and making it count. I hope you're well, stay strong and go conquer life. ✧

I'm sending you so much love, see you soon.

— Nandini 💌 (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡

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id-rather-be-an-outsider · 5 years ago

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tagged by @lucypcvensie uwu thanks for putting up with my weirdo self ily <3

How tall are you? 5′2

What color and style is your hair? lots of people say my hair’s a light brown, but hair stylists say it’s a dark blonde so I’ll trust their judgement // my hair’s curly

What color are your eyes? blue (with these little flecks of gold right around the irises, you can only see them if you look real close)

Do you wear glasses? I have glasses, don’t necessarily wear them all the time

Do you wear braces? I used to, but I developed root resorption and had to get them off early (spring of 2017) so now none of my teeth toouch except for in the very back :( makes it really hard to eat samiches (yes that’s how I like to spell sandwiches fight me)

What’s your fashion sense? so I don’t count most days as my fashion sense bc I wear athleisure ish allllllll the time out of laziness, but when I do make an effort I have two ends of things bc I’m androgynous. so on a day when I’m feeling more masculine you’re gonna see me in a sporty-type-look (spandex, just barely sagging joggers, a graphic tee, my gold chain and jordans, I usually pull my hair into a ponytail and lay my edges), but on a day when I feel more feminine you’re gonna see me in some tried-and-true type of clothes (cute shirt, leggings, heels, jewelry, makeup did, hair down and [hopefully] acting right), but on a day when I’m feeling in-between I’ll try to experiment or be “edgy” (basically mixing and matching or trying something I saw a celebrity do and thought was cute). regardless of any style I’m in, though, you’re always gonna see me with my nails done, whether that means I got acrylics on or that I painted them myself... just know. that’s how we do. and by we I mean me.

Full name? I won’t share my last name, but Eden Amaris (fun fact: amaris can be pronounced two ways!) Is my first and middle

When were you born? December 18, 1999

Where are you from and where do you live now? was born in Federal Way, WA but I consider myself to be from Tacoma, WA as I’ve spent all of my most important years there (early childhood + hs + uni). I now live in Tacoma.

What school do you go to? University of Washington

What kind of student are you? a fucking mess I’m quiet at first, but once I’m comfortable I’m rly talkative and answer so many questions that my teachers will literally stop calling on me unless if there’s no one else lmaooo, I’ve also had several classmates and teachers tell me I should be a teacher and surprise, surprise, I do want to be a teacher for some time

Do you like school? f-f-f-FUCK YEA I LIKE SCHOOL how is that even a question??? to take it down a couple notches, yes, I love school, whether it’s for sports or for learning, I’m always excited to come to school everyday wow what a frickin nerd amirite, frickin loser

Favorite subject? depends on my professor. at this point, I highkey hate all of my classes rn bc I don’t feel like I’m learning anything. that miiight also have something to do with depression and anxiety though so idk what to tell ya man

Favorite tv shows? not a super TV person, but I’m a thot for Steven Universe

Favorite movie? I love tf out of movies, my all time would have to be Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (I just pretend that WftPotA didn’t happen atm bc I hate sm of what happened in it), but in the last few days I’ve watched War Horse (I cried like a bitch lemme tell ya), Secretariat (didn’t cry like a bitch but got teary-eyed) and 42 (I did cry at certain parts but it’s kinda uplifting so ya know, wasn’t super sad) and they were all lovely so if you haven’t seen them yet, go watch them! They’re all free on Netflix

Favorite book? When I was little it was this book called Junket (that thing is older than my grandparents, good lordte), I think some of my favorites rn tho are Heartless by Marissa Meyer and Tales from the Perilous Realm by J.R.R. Tolkien

Favorite past time? a couple months ago you would’ve thought it was crying from how much I did that, but tbh it’s probably drawing, writing, reading, watching movies, listening to music, sewing, spending time/going on adventures with my friends and helping my friends with their lives. I KNOW THAT’S EVERYTHING BUT I CAN’T HELP IT REEEE my most favorite past time atm is helping my friend Charlie clean and organize his room and designing things for his business, also spending time with my favorite little niecey-poo in the WHOLE WORLD OMGOODNESS HERE IS A PICTURE OF HER BEAUTIFUL SELF I LOVE HER SM SHE IS THE SWEETEST MOST CUTEST AND FUNNIEST AND SMARTEST WITTO GIRL EVER AND I LOVE HER <3

Do you have regrets? boy oh boy, do I: taking so long to forgive my abuser (thx for destroying my childhood @ my biological father), procrastinating, not having enough self-love/worth/confidence, being complacent with so many of the friends I used to have, focusing so much on socializing in hs rather than my sports and my schoolwork, being so afraid to just be myself bc I knew most people don’t want to be friends with a weirdo, the list goes on, all I can do now is move past it though so... ohwell.

Dream job? oh SIS get ready for this: sooo I want to own my own business, known as LEAD Revitalization (L for Love, E for Equity, A for Advocacy, D for Diplomacy - these are the core values of my business), which aims to help revitalize underdeveloped and underserved ethnic communities in the US and around the world and fight against gentrification through implementing art of all mediums in or near historic locations in that community that is representative of the demographic living there (so if the area is a primarily black neighborhood, you’re gonna see art depicting black history and culture, and if the area is primarily Asian you’d see Asian history and culture). I won’t get too into it just bc that would make this post way too long, but if anyone’s interested or wants to hear more you can bml ;) like literally bc I’m passionate af about it so I will talk your head off for days on end if given the chance

Would you ever like to be married? yes

Would you like kids? yes

How many? two or three of my own (I’m hoping for a girl and a boy) just so I can have the experience of having kids, but once they’re grown and out of the house I would like to adopt more if I have the resources to. my cousin’s adopted, so like, idk. I think that if you can adopt a kid, you should, bc there’s so many of them just stuck in the foster system and that’s complete bs

Do you like shopping? yes but I usually don’t like getting myself things (unless if we’re talking groceries or something I actually need), I love to buy things for other ppl tho if I can

What countries have you visited? canada for like 3 days technically, I just went to Mt. Whistler for spring snowboarding (that shit hurted) with my aunt bc she paid for the whole thing and my passport

Scariest nightmare you have ever had? TRIGGER WARNING: DOMESTIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE - I had a nightmare awhile ago that this guy I used to be involved with raped me, I also used to have recurring nightmares after I stopped going to my biological father’s house for visitation where he would come searching for me trying to kill me and my older brother (he’s tried to kill me 3+ times sooo... it makes sense). so like. fun.

Any enemies? S A T A N and myself, or.... my brain, I guess. idk.

Self-doubt? you betcha

Any significant other? kinda? I’m currently fwb with my ex and still have feelings for him (oopsies), we split bc he was going through shit and needed to figure himself out, I’ve been close to him for a phat minute so I’m not really trippin about it. I also have crushes on other people, but nothing’s presented itself as something worth pursuing yet so. yakno.

Do you believe in miracles? lmao I would fuckin hope so, the very fact that I’m alive rn is a gd miracle so yea

How are you? I am so-so. If we’re just talking about today, I’m prolly fine, but if we’re talking long term, I’ve been going through it. I’m just trying to figure myself out atm, and it’s rough, but I’ll probably get there. My friends think I will, at least.

i tag: @crookedly-rainy @secretpatrolpiespy hi I don’t have any other friends on Tumblr so I tagged my friends from Amino Y E E T

#tag game #outsider rambles

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jeonginsdimple · 6 years ago

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✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*soft bias tag*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

okay so i was tagged for this about five times i swear but they’re so deep in my notifs that i Can’t remember who tagged me and im too lazy to look but whoever u are i love u with all of my heart thank u it’s like this tag was made 4 me i am such a soft stan

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 1. Who is your bias?

g o d not this question. i’ll do jeongin bc he probably owns the most uwus of mine

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 2. What made you notice them?

hm.... honestly his b o y s sweater in hellevator was the first thing i saw HJDSHJS i was like “wow.......... that’s...... kinda gay also he’s really cute” but if i’m being completely honest he got such little screen time + lines i couldn’t tell whether he was a part of the group. later on when i looked up their profiles and i saw him i screeched he rly stole my heart very very early on. before i watched the show i kept thinking abt how excited i was to see more of him on screen PFF

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 3. What’s your favorite thing about them?

okay uhhhh u must be the Biggest Bool around if you think im going to name one thing anyway here’s my eight page essay--

fr ok i was going to list some things but i started writing about the first one and it’s too much i’m just going to keep that LMAO

his deep heart is something i think about a lot. i have to admit that i didn’t start watching the show until around when the fifth episode? came out. beforehand i had seen a clip from the fourth episode where jeongin had been practicing for school life, and he started admitting all of his struggles n insecurities n everything (the clip is called ‘jeongin is tired’ or something to that effect on youtube). anyway that was the first thing about stray kids i ever cried about! i sobbed so hard watching that y’all i felt like the Largest Clown around crying alone in my room sobbing over some boy that doesn’t know me PFF. watching him work so hard and worry so much about everything made my heart ache so bad hdsfsjkfdsjk especially since about .2 seconds before watching that clip i had seen a few people hating on him on twitter (which is why stan twt is inferior! too much hate tbh). i think it was at that moment, even if i wasn’t fully aware at the time since i hadn’t seen enough of them, that i really fell in love with jeongin anyway this is getting Too Soft god i’m moving on

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 4. Who would initiate skinship more?

ME HAHA WHAT KIND OF QUESTION-- have y’all seen that boy he’s like a metal rod when it comes to skinship. there’s this one video where minho’s doing a little pat pat 2 jeongin u kno nd he was STIFF AS HELL it was so funny. i’m so annoying and touchy i’d be attached to that boy deadass like some kind of leech he couldn’t get rid of me if he tried. trying 2 sleep? too bad Big Fool! suddenly i am Your Pillow

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 5. Who would hog blankets more?

hm............ well usually i’d say me because i get cold way too fast, but tbh if it was in a situation where i was laying w jeongin??? i’d let myself contract hypothermia and die he can have it

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 6. Who would be more clingy?

i kind of covered this already but 100% me y’all i’m so loud when it comes to being clingy. i’d be around him all the damb time if i had the chance fr

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 7. Who would say ‘I love you’ first?

also me i say i love you way too much. like on a more serious (kind of) note i sometimes worry that i say it to the point where it loses its meaning. i feel like that i should sometimes find other things to say because if there comes a time where someone really needs to hear “i love you” and they can’t believe me because of all of the casual times i’ve said it i’ll probably hate myself lmao. but that’s not important anyway in this situation i’d probably tell this loser i love him every time he came into my line of sight

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 8. Who would be more easily flustered?

honestly ion know prob both? idk i’m such a loser and i get embarrassed so easy but @ the same time jeongin seems like he sucks at receiving attention without dying. so probably both depending on the situation

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 9. What cuddling position would you two have?

i am Embarrassed writing this but whatever i’ll just go 4 it. so i really love cuddling. like a Lot. also i have to take into account that i am Large and about two inches taller than jeongin. anyway i’d almost always prob be the Big Boy when cuddling. like i’d be wrapped around him in any way i could be. literally every position would be the one.......... if i wanted to give an example tho y’all know the vliev photoshoot that skz had........... the position that hyunjin n woojin were in? i’m hyunjin and jeongin is woojin that’s just how it is

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 10. Which colours remind you of them and why?

black bc he’s edgy uwu (no he’s not but for some reason black usually comes to mind......... it’s my favorite color tho so uhhh correlation) also pastel pink bc he’s so sweet and it’s like The soft color and i am Soft for him

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 12. Which season would you like to spend with them?

winter bc 1: his birthday uwu i’d spoil the fuck out of that boy with my 7 dollars and 2: so many kinship opportunities bc of the cold i’d live 4 it. plus there could b like........ hot chocolate and stuff wowow

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 13. Who would bake the cookies and who would steal the batter?

hm........... i like baking....... so i’d prolly bake n jeongin would snatch the batter and i would absolutely Not be angry that boy owns my heart and he can own that batter too

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 14. Which one of you would make bad puns and how would the other react?

ok i’d make so many bad puns every chance i got. fr give him incentive to smarten up and get the fuck away from my annoying ass

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 15. Who would want to adopt 50 dogs and cats?

hhhhhh probably me. like i can’t recall any specific time that jeongin’s even talked abt animals. even tho i’m wildly allergic 2 both (but i have two of each rn i’m not weak y’all can fight me) i’d force him to get AT LEAST one dog with me

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 16. Which one of you would nearly burn down the kitchen try to microwave a pop tart and who would come to the rescue?

okay i would definitely be the one burning shit down i have literally burnt mac n cheese. i may b able to bake but once it comes to anything that involves an appliance that isn’t an oven i’m screwed

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 17. Who likes to lean over tall railings and who pulls them back?

that boy would lean over a railing on like the twentieth floor deadass “owo whats this” and i’d barrel across the room breaking the sound barrier in the process to save that boy i’m way too nervous all the time

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 18. What would watching a horror film with them be like?

ok well i for one enjoy a good Spook. if it’s like..... real scary tho i’m a little bitch lol. anyway i’d be holding that boy to me like he was on the verge of death the whole time. if he ever jumped i’d probably hold him tight enough to the point where he couldn’t breathe it rly be like that

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 19. Who would be the cheesy flirt and who would be the smooth flirt?

i’d be cheesy 100% i’m so greasy. idk if jeongin would be smooth but considering he likes to introduce himself by saying he falls into our hearts and i introduce myself by messing up my first name i’ll take a chance and say he’s smoother

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 20. Who is more competitve?

him i’m literally so lame i’m not competitive at all. i’d let that boy win in a heartbeat if it made him happy (unless we were playing some like video game shit i get immersed in that)

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 21. Who would have to be given constant reminders? (Remember to eat, don’t forget to your keys, etc)

me all the way i am the most forgetful person on earth. i could be leaving the house n boy’s like “hey loser don’t forget ur fuckin pants”

*♡ ｡･ﾟﾟ･ 22. Who sends memes and who sends cute ‘I miss you’ texts at 3am?

i send both and he purposely leaves me on read until i apologize

Tagging: anyone fr i don’t know who’s done it already except @dinonugggies u have to

#i put this off for way too long lmao #i love jeongin so much holy shit #soft bias tag

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paulckrueger · 3 years ago

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How to Motivate Yourself: Even When You Don’t Feel Like It

The lie we most want to believe is that we’ll have motivation tomorrow. We’re sold the fantasy that tomorrow we’ll be a better version of ourselves and miraculously start meal-prepping and read two books a month. In fact, a billion-dollar industry rides on our ability to dream, but not act. Wondering how to motivate yourself?

Motivation allows you to build systems to keep you going even when you don’t feel like it. Think of motivation as the hyperdrive switch that helps Han Solo and Chewbacca traverse galaxies. Now, hyperdrive isn’t sustainable when it’s on all the time, but for short bursts, it gets the team from A to B. Or Ɣ. You know what I mean? So let’s activate our internal hyperdrive.

Step 1: Plan for Failure

Now, this seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it? But the great BJ Fogg, founder and director of Stanford University’s Behavior Design Lab, says that we’re to assume that our future self will be lazy. It’s okay. Take a moment to catch your breath and chant affirmations in the mirror. This statement is in no way designed to dissuade you from embarking on the ultimate “how to get motivated” journey, but rather highlight why we so desperately need it.

Make it easy for your future self

It’s important to start thinking of your motivation reservoir as a tiny little vessel with random bursts of refilling. Better yet:

Motivation = short term

So what the heck do we do? Well, there’s always endless streaming and online shopping. But that’s not sustainable, amiright? So what’s the long-term solution? The equation looks a little like this right now:

? = long term

Back to BJ Fogg. A popular anecdote he likes to use is where he was on a journey to drink more tea. So instead of waking up in the morning shuffling through the cabinet and putting a pot to boil for some of that leafy goodness, he realized that motivation wouldn’t last. So he set up a tea station including his favorite variants of tea. An electric kettle and easy access to cups meant it was easier for him to reach for tea. Even when he felt for coffee.

And herein lies the key. He set up a system that allowed him to continue his new behavior even when the motivation was low. He made it easier for his future self. So this is what the formula looks like now:

Systems = long term

Bonus: Want to fire your boss and start your dream business? Download my FREE Ultimate Guide to Business.

Be persistent

How long does it take to form a habit? Well, the jury’s out and we know the 21-day standard is not only inaccurate but dangerously ridiculous. Imagine training an athlete who never ran long distances before to run a marathon. In 21 days. So if it’s farfetched for the athlete, why would you put yourself under such a load of stress to change something so ingrained in your everyday routine?

Research reveals that it can take far longer for your brain to adopt a new process. 66 days is the new minimum and close to a year for the max, but here’s the kicker, the research was done way back in 2009! So why are we still touting the 21-day habit mumbo jumbo? Because it’s convenient, and it feeds that billion-dollar motivation industry by keeping you on an endless rollercoaster of motivation to attempt to failure to guilt to shame, and you guessed it, back to motivation.

Now, if you know that it will take you anywhere from two months to a year to form a new habit, you’re far less likely to kick it after a month. Right?

So here’s the thing. Even if you have a system, it won’t work until you do. That’s where persistence comes in.

Step 2: Put it on your calendar

Forget all the gizmos and gadgets that supposedly help you become more productive. I’m talking about those tools that actually distract you from the task at hand.

Repeat after me: Calendar is king.

Once you learn how to effectively use your calendar, there’s no need to clutter your phone with apps that will drive you crazy as you discreetly dismiss yet another ping.

Keep motivational tools to a minimum

Bet this heading caught you by surprise! You were probably expecting a long list of tools, books, podcasts, and conferences that you simply had to attend to get you going. But no, Mando, this is not the way.

Before we plunge headfirst into this, we’re not saying that motivational tools are bad. What we are saying is not all motivational tools are created equal. You should only use the tools that actually give you a boost and not take up more of your precious resources, such as time and money.

All these do is add to your already enormous pile of things you won’t get to, which just increases your guilt. So what the heck are we supposed to do?

Use the bare minimum. Don’t get distracted by the shiny lights and glittery icons. This is a good time to harness your inner minimalist and only use what you absolutely need. A pen, a notebook, a calendar. For those who are fully digital, sure, the Notes app will do.

You’re also going to go through a real big purge. If your biggest area of zero motivation lies in cleaning your house, the job isn’t going to get done by watching 50 YouTube channels that tell you how to clean. Purge, purge, purge. Whittle it down to the one that inspires or motivates the most and you’re done. Spend the minimum amount of time boosting your motivation and when your tank is full, you go for it!

Just think of it this way, it’s hardly worth going through your stack of motivation tools when it takes 3 hours to build up motivation for a half-hour task.

How about the wannabe fitness fanatic who has the best gear, books, and videos? Subscription to a gym with all the amenities you could ever dream of? Yet still lacks the motivation to get their kit and caboodle on an exercise bike? It might not be the motivation that you need but focus.

Let’s talk about focus for a second

What if the area you’re looking to improve is your overall fitness? You’ve got all your systems in place, gear laid out in the mornings, etc. but you’re still failing to launch. It could be that there is a small component missing: focus.

Noah Kagan, founder of AppSumo says that the key to reaching his goals lies in the ability to whittle the goal down to its simplest form. Let the simplest form of your goal become your sole focus.

Now let’s look at your fitness journey. What if you focus on one element and say that you want to be able to run 5 miles in 6 months. Now, it becomes easier to set monthly, weekly, and daily targets to meet that goal. That means that when it’s time to go to gym, you know what is expected of you and what the goal is.

How about cleaning your house? What if the goal is to be clutter-free every night before bed? Once this becomes habit, it becomes far simpler to add to the list. Before you know it, in a couple of months you’re finding it easier to keep up with the Martha Stewarts.

Plan ahead and set reminders

It’s the day before the deadline and you know it takes around ten hours to complete the project, only, it’s 10 PM and the project is due first thing in the morning. If you can relate, it’s either a case of work overload or, dare we say it, procrastination. Yes, that despicable “p” word has landed many of us in a fair load of trouble.

Face it, when you’re rushing to get the job done, is it up to standard? More importantly, is it up to your desired standard? Prolly not.

When you plan ahead, you’re able to accommodate pitfalls and distractions more effectively because you’re doing the bulk of the work over a period of time. When you don’t, the bulk of the work likely gets done at number 99.

So the only natural thing to do is download a productivity tool that… No. You’re going to get out your calendar. A month to view is a good place to start if you have fixed dates for certain projects. Set reminders along the way that encourage you to reach certain milestones by certain dates. It’s hard to ignore reminders when they’re specific.

When you slowly incorporate this system with persistence, you’ll unlock pockets of time you didn’t know you had.

Those who are in control of their projects may find it hard to set a clock on a workday. Think project managers or business owners. When you’re able to set mini-goals along the way and you persistently meet those goals, you can put a start and end time to your workday.

Anyone who has found themselves burning the candle at both ends will know how precious a start and end time is, especially when it feels like other areas of your life are suffering. Work your system before it works you.

Bonus: Want to finally start getting paid what you’re worth? I show you exactly how in my Ultimate Guide to Getting a Raise and Boosting Your Salary

Tips for getting started

Getting started is always the hardest part. Knowing how to motivate yourself will require the most amount of effort at the beginning because this is where you’re implementing your systems. Knowing where to start will help a great deal.

Tip 1: Break down big goals

It’s a mountain. We know. But waiting until tomorrow, or when you have the perfect pants, or the right color pen is not going to make the mountain any smaller. You know what will make the mountain smaller? Chipping away at it. So cliche, right? But with good reason.

Before embarking on a project, it’s important to break it down to its simplest form. For instance, cleaning the kitchen after a dinner party. Yes, I know, hire a cleaning service would be simpler. But it doesn’t help my example. So back to the kitchen cleanup. Take a few minutes to create a list and tick it off as you go:

Pack away or throw out all non-food-related party decor.

Clear plates and cups of food and drink.

Pack away leftovers, if any.

Rinse dishes and place them in the dishwasher.

Get the dishwasher cycle going.

Wash remaining dishes, set to dry.

Clean counters of clutter and give them a wipe down.

Sweep the floor and wipe other surfaces.

Mop floor, clean sink, and pack away cleaning materials.

Seems simple enough but until you can see a project broken down in its smallest details, it’s hard to think of the finished line. Any project can be broken down this way and if you still find it hard to get started, it might not be broken down enough. Take that first step and see if you can break it down some more.

Tip 2: Set a timer

When you’ve broken down your steps, put a timer to each section. This will help you remain focused because you know you only have a set period in which to complete the task. A great example of a big, hairy goal that needs a timer is saving up for a wedding. Nothing motivates you faster than working your way through a wedding planner.

Book this by a certain date, buy that by another, and the list goes on. If you’re going to meet your financial milestones, it means placing deadlines on your savings. For instance, if you need $10,000 for the venue in 6 months and you haven’t saved anything yet, you need to put away almost $1,700 per month to reach that goal.

Tip 3: Eliminate competing motivators

I know we’re tooting BJ Fogg’s horn in this piece, but the man’s a genius! He knows a little secret about motivation that tends to bite us in the booty because good intentions evaporate like mist on a scorching day when confronted with road bumps. And no, it’s not just social media and endless streaming that compete for your attention.

For instance, ever wanted to go for a run the next morning only to wake up to a burst water pipe? Or how about finishing your course material ahead of schedule, but your laptop flashes the blue screen of death?

There are always going to be competing motivators that can potentially derail you from your goals. But the key is to get back on that train as soon as possible. You may also want to consider a plan B or C to ensure you stay on track. In fact, those who are serious about their goals always make another plan. Runners have an extra pair of running shoes, writers have various platforms to get words down on, even moms carry an extra diaper in their handbag.

But what about those competitive

Tip 4: Set yourself up for success

We’ve told you to plan for failure and that is an enormous leap in setting yourself up for success. But the other part that doesn’t have to do with failure, is accounting for all the variables that might come into play. For instance, the weather, a financial emergency, a health issue, family crisis, or even something terrific such as a paid-for vacation.

Planning for the variables gets you to the finish line. While you may not be able to prepare for everything that might knock you off course, it’s a good idea to start with the most obvious ones.

Think about the successful people in your life. People who have achieved greatness such as top athletes, academic wizzes, and career moguls. What do they have in common? Self-discipline. Only, with self-discipline, you need to grow it like a long-distance runner grows their lung capacity and endurance over time. That small investment will make a world of difference while setting yourself up for success.

In a Nutshell

You already have everything you need to motivate yourself. Be kind to yourself and make it easier to reach your goals by putting systems in place. In fact, the combination of systems and persistence will allow you to build new habits. These two levers, systems and persistence, are critical in building new habits as we know now that a habit takes way longer than the 21 days we were led to believe.

While motivation innovation vies for your attention, stick to the basics and kick it old school with your calendar and magic marker. If you’re really serious about ticking off those goals, have a look at Ramit’s Ultimate Guide to Habits. Works for him, it’ll work for you!

Do you know your earning potential?

Take my earning potential quiz and get a custom report based on your unique strengths, and discover how to start making extra money — in as little as an hour.

Start The Quiz

How to Motivate Yourself: Even When You Don’t Feel Like It is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Surety Bond Brokers? Business https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-to-motivate-yourself/

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samuelfields · 3 years ago

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How to Motivate Yourself: Even When You Don’t Feel Like It

Step 1: Plan for Failure

Make it easy for your future self

It’s important to start thinking of your motivation reservoir as a tiny little vessel with random bursts of refilling. Better yet:

Motivation = short term

? = long term

Systems = long term

Bonus: Want to fire your boss and start your dream business? Download my FREE Ultimate Guide to Business.

Be persistent

Now, if you know that it will take you anywhere from two months to a year to form a new habit, you’re far less likely to kick it after a month. Right?

So here’s the thing. Even if you have a system, it won’t work until you do. That’s where persistence comes in.

Step 2: Put it on your calendar

Forget all the gizmos and gadgets that supposedly help you become more productive. I’m talking about those tools that actually distract you from the task at hand.

Repeat after me: Calendar is king.

Once you learn how to effectively use your calendar, there’s no need to clutter your phone with apps that will drive you crazy as you discreetly dismiss yet another ping.

Keep motivational tools to a minimum

All these do is add to your already enormous pile of things you won’t get to, which just increases your guilt. So what the heck are we supposed to do?

Just think of it this way, it’s hardly worth going through your stack of motivation tools when it takes 3 hours to build up motivation for a half-hour task.

Let’s talk about focus for a second

Noah Kagan, founder of AppSumo says that the key to reaching his goals lies in the ability to whittle the goal down to its simplest form. Let the simplest form of your goal become your sole focus.

Plan ahead and set reminders

Face it, when you’re rushing to get the job done, is it up to standard? More importantly, is it up to your desired standard? Prolly not.

When you slowly incorporate this system with persistence, you’ll unlock pockets of time you didn’t know you had.

Bonus: Want to finally start getting paid what you’re worth? I show you exactly how in my Ultimate Guide to Getting a Raise and Boosting Your Salary

Tips for getting started

Tip 1: Break down big goals

Pack away or throw out all non-food-related party decor.

Clear plates and cups of food and drink.

Pack away leftovers, if any.

Rinse dishes and place them in the dishwasher.

Get the dishwasher cycle going.

Wash remaining dishes, set to dry.

Clean counters of clutter and give them a wipe down.

Sweep the floor and wipe other surfaces.

Mop floor, clean sink, and pack away cleaning materials.

Tip 2: Set a timer

Tip 3: Eliminate competing motivators

But what about those competitive

Tip 4: Set yourself up for success

Planning for the variables gets you to the finish line. While you may not be able to prepare for everything that might knock you off course, it’s a good idea to start with the most obvious ones.

In a Nutshell

Do you know your earning potential?

Take my earning potential quiz and get a custom report based on your unique strengths, and discover how to start making extra money — in as little as an hour.

Start The Quiz

How to Motivate Yourself: Even When You Don’t Feel Like It is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Finance https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/how-to-motivate-yourself/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

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t-shrt · 4 years ago

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many tag games !!

ty to the one n only ms @luvdsc for giving me fun stuff to do💘💘💘💖💖

TAG GAME 1: first and last tag

rules: post the first line of a wip as well as the last line you’ve written so far! (well would u look at that.. i actually got answers for this one)

wip title: tis a [11.06 pm] timestamp first line: “Wanna drink?” last line: “Aw cmon, whatever, I just want to feel good,” You say, “You were asking me what’ll make me feel good, this’ll make me feel good.”

TAG GAME 2

rules: create a mood board of your aesthetic using the app shoplook!

(i rly ended up taking much more time making this than i thought i would’ve lolll)

TAG GAME 3

what do you prefer to be called name wise? in general? tiara :)

when is your birthday? 11th aug!

where do you live? australia

three things you are doing right now? listening to music, laying on my bed, checking my messages

four fandoms that have piqued your interest? other than nct, i’m sorta dabbling in skz content too, other than that a buncha other anime stuff probs how has the pandemic been treating you? thankfully .... think i’m doing better than i thought. anxiety’s there but i’ve had tons of time to reflect on a lot of things & address things that actually matter to me a song you can’t stop listening to right now? motive by ariana grande + doja cat 😬 recommend a movie. i’m gonna be that person and say eternal sunshine of the spotless mind cos i actually Love that movie how old are you? relic

school, university, occupation, other? i used to study psych, became a typical office lady, n now studying to become a teacher do you prefer heat or cold? cold 10000% name one fact others may not know about you? orange marmalade is my favorite kinda jam. interestingly enough i also love sweet citrusy kinda notes in perfumes are you shy? i dont think so lol. i just don’t talk too much sometimes when i don’t really feel like do you have preferred pronouns? she/her biggest pet peeve? people who take themselves too seriously.... i mean like, the big ego, self entitled kind u feel what is your favorite “dere” type? oh god lol. not sure. all deres r created equally rate your life from 1-10, 1 being really crappy and 10 being the best it could ever be. maybe around 8 at the moment? lol i’m pretty content with the way things are which is pretty rare these days what’s your main blog? this one lol list your sideblogs and what they’re used for. i literally wrote a hormonally charged, heavily symbolic, almost poetic 5k hyuck fic n dipped over on @m88n lmaooo. might write more though

is there anything you think people need to know about you before becoming friends? oh yeah definitely lol. im bad at responding to little things, like texts and such. its cos i’m really greedy with my own personal space...it’s really not a reflection of how much i care about u

TAG GAME 4: urban dictionary

rules: search your name on urban dictionary and post the first result

(lmfaoooo why the hell is it this long but thx i guess codyislit)

TAG GAME 5: 15 questions

nicknames: tiara, ti, tir, titi, tirara

zodiac: leo sun, aquarius moon, cancer rising (yea thats right im the kinda person that’d tell u all 3)

height: 5′2/157 cm

last thing i googled: rendezvous at two play with me lyrics

song stuck in my head: motive - ariana grande + doja cat (i know i know)

number of followers: i think below 300

amount of sleep: 7-9 hrs

lucky number: 8

favourite song: eternal sunshine - jhene aiko

favourite instrument: bass guitar

dream job: published artist

aesthetic: black, streetwear, lace, starry nights, flirty night outs

favourite author: don’t have one nowadays

favourite animal noise: lil squeaks from small animals

random: i appeared in NHK japan national morning news when i was in grade school lmfaooo

TAG GAME 6

rules: tag people you want to get to know better/catch up with and answer these questions

favorite colour: 1# blue, #2 black

last song I listened to: my hair - ariana grande (i’m currently listening to her album alrighttttt)

last movie I watched: blackpink’s documentary

last show (completed): bakuman season 1 good shit

currently reading: yikes i should continue reading the stuff i have in my kindle

currently watching: bakuman s2, jujutsu kaisen, haikyuu s5

currently craving: banh mi LOL prolly gonna get one shortly after

currently working on: uni essays + sumthin w my bro in law lol

currently playing: nothing ;____;

sweet, spicy, or savoury: sweettt but love all 3

tea or coffee: tea pls. i drink tea everyday now lol

TAG GAME 7

name: tiara

pronouns: she/her

height: 5′2/157 cm

sexuality: bi w more pref twds men

nationality: indonesian

favourite animal: cats😍😍😍😍

favorite ice cream flavor: i luv my choccy

favorite fictional universe: this is difficult ........... naruto? harry potter?

average hours of sleep: 7-9 hrs

last song you listened to: obvious - ariana grande

last movie you watched: blackpink’s documentary

last thing you searched up: hearteyes emoji lol

cats or dogs: CATS

dream job: published artist bruh

when you made this blog: sometime in 2013

why you made this blog: everyone else ws using tumblr n i thought hey ill try tht thing everyone else is doing

reason for url: i love shirts. haha jk .... its a pun lol

#tag game #tag #💬

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svbjetarch · 7 years ago

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😍😍😍😍😍😍 ( DongZi, LiuHoe, VinMin, VinBun, JieMin, JB and Yuzi, you can talk about others too? I give the green light! )

.• ♕ ┊ LET THE MUSIC PLAY.

SHIP TALK Status : Accepting @niiiightsky

Dongman ✗ Yuzi Okay but with DongZi being the 2nd ship on our list ever since we started, they mean quite a lot to me. They’re the sweet parents to our messy OT4 and I don’t regret it the least. They should be role models to the kids and teach them about life but they don’t even manage to get their own lives together because they fight over useless stuff like I won’t move into your appartment because I can’t even reach the cups, you damn giant! and still try to care about her crew + JB a whole lot because they feel responsible. Well, Yuzi feeling responsible and being a mother role while Dongman just is a sweet boyfriend who always tags along. Our little active babies who’d never miss out on any fun related to sports and would always jump into the next session if just they had the time, not afraid to try extreme stuff like parachuting or just work their body until breaking down by doing indoors climbing. And I love how they’re just that power couple but also have their ever so sweet side, Sunday evenings in he bathtub, trying out new bathbombs and bathsalts and whatnot she has bought, just resting together, playing with the foam, talking about their week and work or just unrelated stuff like what they would want to eat afterwards, Dongman gently kissing Yuzi’s shoulder and her just completely dissolving in his arms. Them being shy at the most random moments but also too innocent to realize just how much they’re already flirting around in the gym with all his guys just rolling eyes or imagining his face on the sandbags. I live for it.

Daeho ✗ Liu Ming Please don’t let me get started on them! Them turning into a semi-legit shipping when we said we DON’T ship them just wrecks my heart but all them feels. All the angst and their complications, I just can’t. My favorite parts all include the triangle of Liu2Hoe with @anvmone but also the fact they start alibi dating and them being too stupid to realize their own feelings. I’m not talking about that wedding thing I mean what. Starting with Liu2Hoe, with her just living by their rules and always again ignoring that Sungho is a total exception from their sleeping around standards because she’s stubborn but always having to deal with angry him and the angst because 1st time? okay. 2nd time? still bearable. 3rd time? slowly getting scared. And everytime it happens and she’s just heartbroken and lost and doesn’t dare to face him but also can’t stand not having him around because he’s her favorite human after Nico and she needs him as friend so the way she’s always extremely cautious and flinching with his every gesture and him having to make it up somehow and it literally breaks my heart which means I damn much need it, okay??? Fake dating with all its hassles, omg! The dinner dates with NiBelle and they should behave but actually Daeho is always making sure to get some earnings out of it and teasing her beneath the table and babysitting while they’re just so damn horny and all that, I live for it. Living together but still sleeping around and always somehow having to avoid being caught by NiBelle because it’s often a close call but they always manage somehow. And did I mention fake marriage?

Kwangmin ✗ Vincent BroTP! istg! Our two little idiots, can they even get any more stupid? Basically us having a stupid thought and then being like “….yeah, that’s vinmin” and trying to come up with all kinds of stupidity to fit their odd characters. I honestly love it so much! I wish I had a friendship such as they have where they always encourage each other and motivate each other, helping out and joking around, and did I mention KNEW IT

Usagi ✗ Vincent Such cute little fluffballs! They’re that totally cliche sweet couple, spending their friday nights on the couch and watching movies, cuddled together and feeding each other - excuse me but I need an explanation for his adorably baby tummy - and their only activity being him wanting to go back to scenere photography so they take the train somewhere and visit places but he’s often also taking pictures of her when he’s supposed to capture mother nature’s beauty and then some hearty dinner and staying the night in some hotel, cuddled up together. The only pictures that aren’t sceneries that are framed and stored in his photography chamber being the ones he had taken of her but is extremely proud of because he just loves her and worships her. Their gradually moving in together. Their slow slide into dating and him silently taking over her bill in the convenience store or if they run into each other in the coffeeshop around the corner of the magazine. They’re little fluffballs with a rosy boring life.

Kwangmin ✗ Jie Lie Okay but so much innocence even I want to vomit! Remember I once said I want to break Usagi’s cuteness by making her the angry one? Well, that’s JieMin to me. They’re so innocent and adorable and little shy fluffballs but they just escalated and wow they got kinky real fast. I just so adore their evolution from him not wanting to be around her for weeks while Vincent always set them up and dragged them along because to him it already was OT4 to Kwangmin finally realizing he might like her after all once he gets to know her weaknesses while he’s just adoring her and them finally dating and just being kinky little shits who take eternity to even have their first kiss but then escalate. The contrast of him not wanting to touch her and him not being able to take his hands off her and all that, it just makes me hype this ship all that much!

Jaebum ✗ Yuzi Honestly, Yuzi is basically a mother to him at this point because she’s already preparing food for him all the time and once she starts dating Dongman and they all eat together and it’s that really cozy OT3 but also Jaebum being so naive he only has a hunch of them crushing on each other but not realizing they’re a couple until they all have dinner together @ Yuzi’s and they kiss in front of him ??? I need ??? Or JB being all stupid and spilling the secret of her dating to her brother who tells her parents and there’s this huge “why didn’t we know about him?” and she’s all confused and poor Jaebum having to live off apples only for a week while she prepared all kinds of good stuff for Dongman.

Usagi ✗ Jie Lie The totally bubbly and oh so girly girl friends! Going shopping together, going for lunch whenever Usagi isn’t going with Vincent already, sharing snacks in the model room together and all that. Later going drinking together, comparing their boyfriends, cam you imagine just how adorable they are? Probably getting talked to on the streets by random boys but always using the excuse of being foreigners, just looking with big eyes and pretending they didn’t understand or telling them they are taken already and comparing the couple pictures they took and put as their lockscreens while the background is a picture of them having posed with a cute filter on and just such cute.

Nicolas ✗ Liu Ming Okay but seriously, they have this totally tough and stubborn father-daughter relationship even though they aren’t even related but just having grown onto each other and being seriously attached like family but then again, Nicolas being sometimes so very strict on her because he knows what a troublesome girl she is and how did I deserve this… and Yuzi sometimes paranoid about some of his men spying on her but then there’s them in the casino when it’s open and she has pickpocketed some dessert or little snack and sneaking into his office and having a little chatter break together or her begging him for stupidly small things like ice cream in the middle of winter and being all cutesy, probably making people think he’s a sugar daddy or something. Him locking her into her room but two days after she’s free and she knows Belle’s asleep already and she’s coming in and telling him one of their favorite movies is playing and them on the couch, her, cuddled into a blanket, eating ice cream, like that innocent daughter she might have been if her life wasn’t so fucked up and him prolly with a glass of scotch or something and watching it together and just being comfortable but her falling asleep so he picks her up, carries her into her room and covering her with a blanket in bed as if they were such a harmonious adoptive family. I love.

#niiiightsky #( Dongman )#( about .• ♕ ┊ Yuzi )#( Jaebum )#( Daeho )#( Daeho ✗ LiuMing )#( Nicolas )#( about .• ♕ ┊ LiuMing )#( Kwangmin )#( Kwangmin ✗ Vincent )#( Kwangmin ✗ JieLien )#( about .• ♕ ┊ JieLien )#( Usagi )#( Usagi ✗ Vincent )#( Usagi ✗ Jie Lien )#( about .• ♕ ┊ Vincent )

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shrugman · 8 years ago

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all of them

alright buddy here we go

1: when you have cereal, do you have more milk than cereal or more cereal than milk?idk man probs cereal

2: do you like the feeling of cold air on your cheeks on a wintery day?no it feels like jack frost hit me with his dick

3: what random objects do you use to bookmark your books?rn a plane ticket

4: how do you take your coffee/tea?milk and sugar because I love death

5: are you self-conscious of your smile?I like my closed mouth smile but you’ll have to kill me to get me to use teeth

6: do you keep plants?I try

7: do you name your plants?always

8: what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings?poetry

9: do you like singing/humming to yourself?yeh

10: do you sleep on your back, side, or stomach?on side, one leg curled up under me like a flamingo, hand on the tiddie

11: what's an inner joke you have with your friends?okay first of all *friend, second of all; cheese pizza

12: what's your favorite planet?ur mum lmao

13: what's something that made you smile today?stephanie

14: if you were to live with your best friend in an old flat in a big city, what would it look like?800 succulents and 400 pillows

15: go google a weird space fact and tell us what it is!“Gliese 581 c wants to kill you“

16: what's your favorite pasta dish?Alfredo

17: what color do you really want to dye your hair?purple, did it. also jet black but not worth the risk tbh

18: tell us about something dumb/funny you did that has since gone down in history between you and your friends and is always brought up.....stairs

19: do you keep a journal? what do you write/draw/ in it?I have a poetry book I guess

20: what's your favorite eye color?all

21: talk about your favorite bag, the one that's been to hell and back with you and that you love to pieces.I got it at an antique shop and it’s a smiley face back pack but I left it with katie because she needed it more than I did

22: are you a morning person?no

23: what's your favorite thing to do on lazy days where you have 0 obligations?die

24: is there someone out there you would trust with every single one of your secrets?My one true love, Stephanie

25: what's the weirdest place you've ever broken into?abandoned hotel on base

26: what are the shoes you've had for forever and wear with every single outfit?I wear by black boots every day but I’ve only had them for like 4 months

27: what's your favorite bubblegum flavor?cherry lime

28: sunrise or sunset?set

29: what's something really cute that one of your friends does and is totally endearing?When I make Stephanie laugh over snapchat she sends me a picture with her mouth wide open and idk it always makes me smile

30: think of it: have you ever been truly scared?I spent the last month in fear I’d be killed by terrorists

31: what is your opinion of socks? do you like wearing weird socks? do you sleep with socks? do you confine yourself to white sock hell? really, just talk about socks.this is too many questions

32: tell us a story of something that happened to you after 3AM when you were with friends.nah

33: what's your fave pastry?anything cherry tbh

34: tell us about the stuffed animal you kept as a kid. what is it called? what does it look like? do you still keep it?Teddy Bair was a gift from my dad to my mom but I loved him so much I stole him and he became mine. He’s on my bed at college with me rn

35: do you like stationary and pretty pens and so on? do you use them often?I like gel pens and I color with them

36: which band's sound would fit your mood right now?TOP

37: do you like keeping your room messy or clean?I like it cleanish but it’s always messy because that’s my biggest depression problem

38: tell us about your pet peeves!people not shutting up ever

39: what color do you wear the most?black

40: think of a piece of jewelry you own: what's it's story? does it have any meaning to you?I have a locket my sister got me like 10 years ago that has a picture of us

41: what's the last book you remember really, really loving?tbh idk

42: do you have a favorite coffee shop? describe it!It’s in Japan and Katie and I used to spend hours there together. It’s where we really became friends

43: who was the last person you gazed at the stars with?the astronomy club lmao

44: when was the last time you remember feeling completely serene and at peace with everything?never

45: do you trust your instincts a lot?about certain things

46: tell us the worst pun you can think of.I really don’t want to

47: what food do you think should be banned from the universe?kale

48: what was your biggest fear as a kid? is it the same today?the dentist. yes

49: do you like buying CDs and records? what was the last one you bought?I haven’t in a while bc I have no way to play them

50: what's an odd thing you collect?tears

51: think of a person. what song do you associate with them?Stephanie- true friends

52: what are your favorite memes of the year so far?Have there really been any?

53: have you ever watched the rocky horror picture show? heathers? beetlejuice? pulp fiction? what do you think of them?Heathers is my favorite movie

54: who's the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face?this is a rude question

55: what's the most dramatic thing you've ever done to prove a point?at this point I don’t even know

56: what are some things you find endearing in people?when they have little things that make them light up

57: go listen to bohemian rhapsody. how did it make you feel? did you dramatically reenact the lyrics?no

58: who's the wine mom and who's the vodka aunt in your group of friends? why?I’m the vodka mom and Stephanie is the vodka aunt and we both are the wine gay cousin

59: what's your favorite myth?tbh idk

60: do you like poetry? what are some of your faves?I do but I can’t think of a specific fav

61: what's the stupidest gift you've ever given? the stupidest one you've ever received?mean question

62: do you drink juice in the morning? which kind?I drink ALL JUICE ALL DAY

63: are you fussy about your books and music? do you keep them meticulously organized or kinda leave them be?leave them be and then organize them every now and again

64: what color is the sky where you are right now?idk prolly dark blue/black

65: is there anyone you haven't seen in a long time who you'd love to hang out with?I always wanna see Stephanie

66: what would your ideal flower crown look like?black roses and light pink accent flowers

67: how do gloomy days where the sky is dark and the world is misty make you feel?sad

68: what's winter like where you live?cold

69: what are your favorite board games?monopoly

70: have you ever used a ouija board?I’m not THAT white

71: what's your favorite kind of tea?no

72: are you a person who needs to note everything down or else you'll forget it?nah

73: what are some of your worst habits?yeah we don’t have time for that

74: describe a good friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns.v good v pure best person on planet

75: tell us about your pets!dog!!!!!!!!!!!!

76: is there anything you should be doing right now but aren't?so many things

77: pink or yellow lemonade?yellow. Idk what makes it pink

78: are you in the minion hateclub or fanclub?please stop bringing them up

79: what's one of the cutest things someone has ever done for you?i dunno

80: what color are your bedroom walls? did you choose that color? if so, why?white. no I live in a dorm

81: describe one of your friend's eyes using the most abstract imagery you can think of.wow it sees

82: are/were you good in school?for the most part

83: what's some of your favorite album art?I like the all about us cover

84: are you planning on getting tattoos? which ones?the only one I want rn is one matching stephanie

85: do you read comics? what are your faves?who do u think i am

86: do you like concept albums? which ones?idk

87: what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives?Heathers, Ghost Busters (2016), Creepy Hanna Doll

88: are there any artistic movements you particularly enjoy?I like stick figures that show emotion

89: are you close to your parents?yeah I think

90: talk about your one of you favorite cities.I like Fredericksburg because it’s boring as fuck but it’s one of the only places that I can even kinda call home

91: where do you plan on traveling this year?too many places

92: are you a person who drowns their pasta in cheese or a person who barely sprinkles a pinch?give me it all

93: what's the hairstyle you wear the most?down with nothing done but blow drying it

94: who was the last person you know to have a birthday?It’s Matthew’s today :D

95: what are your plans for this weekend?cry

96: do you install your computer updates really quickly or do you procrastinate on them a lot?push it off for SO long

97: myer briggs type, zodiac sign, and hogwarts house?can’t remember, Capricorn, Slytherin

98: when's the last time you went hiking? did you enjoy it?idk for hiking

99: list some songs that resonate to your soul whenever you hear them.whenever I’m really really sad I listen to Iris on repeat

100: if you were presented with two buttons, one that allows you to go 5 years into the past, the other 5 years into the future, which one would you press? why?I guess future because I don’t wanna go back. But also I don’t think I even want to risk skipping 5 years because who knows if I’ll miss out on something I really wanna be here forThat took FOREVER ily

#ask #long post #324bee2dun

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haileygorski27 · 7 years ago

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SO, we are in the midst of March Madness…

I personally have not made a bracket because I lack much … ( any ) … knowledge of basketball. :’)

I played basketball when I was a wee-one, but haven’t kept it top of mind since. One of my many nicknames is STILL “Four Points” b/c I averaged 4 points a game one season. You could say that was my peak ??

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

My dad however is a BALLER. Well – he keeps up with basketball.

While I was taking a bus from Madison to O’Hare, getting ready to kick off my SPRING BREAK, my dad was flying to Atlanta to support the Loyola Ramblers as they faced off the Nevada wolf pack in the Sweet Sixteen.

Thankfully, the Ramblers came out with a “W” – prolly with a blessings of Sister Jean!

( even though she predicted that the Ramblers would take the “L” this game but SHHH, don’t tell my dad !! )

As a basketball nubie, I don’t know much about the ~lingo~. BUT, I am aware of a TRIPLE THREAT…

It’s when you are an actress, TV personality, and cook, right??!

OH WAIT – I’m thinking of Michel Janse… HAH – see what I mean about “basketball nubie”?!

Michel Janse is a dime who has made a name for herself in LA.

She grew up in Texas and started school at University of Texas Austin – only to find herself packing up her life into a suitcase and moving to LA. ( “with a dream and *her cardigan” … )

Janse hustled her way into the Tastemade’s team while studying nutrition, acting, working in a restaurant, creating YouTube videos and creating DANK A$$ FOOD!

Michel shares her “Pretty Healthy” recipes on Tastemade which include her : Paleo Mocha Frappuccino, Triple Chocolate Mug Cake, Veggie Hash Brown Sandwich, and MORE !!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Without further ado – here is the woman behind Tastemade’s Pretty Healthy cam., Michel Janse!

Q’s:

Hails: How did you become interested in nutrition?

MJ: My interest in nutrition started pretty young when doctors found out that lactose-intolerance and fructose-intolerance were the cause of my continuous 9-month migraine in 4th grade. I started to learn how food affected my body, and wanted to research it further. Then, fast forward to high school when I was diagnosed with Celiac’s disease after some major medical complications. If that wasn’t enough, a blood test revealed I had an egg allergy. Soon after, I got really into cooking for myself out of necessity, and then decided it would be fun and helpful to major in something within that field!

Hails: Where did you learn to bake and cook? You mentioned that you worked at an upscale restaurant. What did you do at the restaurant and what did you take away from that experience? Any tips for someone who is just starting out in the kitchen?

MJ: Yes! I learned a lot from experimenting at home, reading cookbooks, and watching a lot of Tastemade. When I moved to LA and needed a job, I started working as a hostess at a restaurant. I told the chef there about my dreams and goals, and he offered to hire me to learn hands-on. (He said the kitchen needed a little diversity, hah! I was the only female, the youngest by a lot, and the only one with no prior professional experience). I learned a lot on the line, and eventually left the job when crazy kitchen hours conflicted with auditions too much. I’d say research as much as you can and never be afraid to take a job where you learn hands-on!

Hails: You’re originally from Austin, but moved to LA – why did you move? Were you nervous about the move? Did you have any connections to LA prior to moving?

MJ: Funny story… I moved because of a breakup. I made a dumb teenage mistake of following a boy to a college that I didn’t want to go to, University of Texas at Austin. When that relationship crashed and burned, I decided to do something I have always wanted to do—move to LA. I moved out of my Austin apartment the day after the breakup and was in LA within about 10 days. I was 18 years old and did not know a single person here but it was the best decision of my life. Weirdly, I wasn’t worried about the move. I was eager to follow my dreams. I had to figure out how to navigate the city, the industry and make friends all on my own. But so much greatness has already happened in two years, not to mention meeting Brook, my boyfriend.

Hails: Tell us about your experience in acting (Cupid’s Match)! Where do you hope to take your acting career?

MJ: Yes, I am so excited about it! I started acting pretty young; I signed with my first agency at age nine. Cupid’s Match is based off a book with over 32 million reads on WattPad. The pilot went really well and we are waiting to hear if we get the whole series! (Fingers crossed). My long term acting goal is to be able to support myself financially off of it alone. That doesn’t sound like a big goal but less than 1% of actors can get by without a side job. I absolutely love acting and I am here for the long-run!

Hails: How did you end up working in TasteMade?

MJ: Another funny story… I was simply annoying. It was a goal of mine for a long time. I made a super low-quality YouTube channel and made cooking videos on my Saturdays. Every time I saw a job or internship opening at Tastemade, I would apply and link my channel. About 5 tries later, they called me in for a job interview. I didn’t get the job, but when I told them about my goals, they called me in for an audition. I started with a couple episodes and then they gave me my own show, Pretty Healthy. It’s been a dream come true! I’m working on Season 2 right now.

Hails: Has your experience acting helped you with your show on TasteMade, Pretty Healthy? What inspired you to start a YouTube channel and do you have any advice for girls just starting off on YouTube?

MJ: Acting has definitely helped. Being comfortable in front of a camera is essential. Tastemade is even enrolling us talent into an improv. class to help us all be even more comfortable. As far as YouTube, I’m probably not the best one to ask, HA! I am fully aware that my channel is low quality. Of course, I’d love to make it better! But right now it’s kind of a fun hobby whenever I have time.

Hails: What advice do you have for girls who want to pursue their dreams?

MJ: Take risks. Reach out to people via email. Nothing good happens when you’re comfortable. Put yourself in new situations! Ask for opportunities! The worst-case scenario is you’d be told no, and then you’re at the same place you are now.

Hails: How did you balance acting with being a student?

MJ: Honestly, I’m at a season of life right now where I always feel a little overwhelmed. I just accepted a new job as a personal assistant, taking a full load of classes, recipe prepping for Tastemade, going to auditions, working at my church, and dating my boyfriend who lives a couple hours away. But, I have learned I am happiest when I have a to-do list. I’m the type that can’t really relax. The only time my TV is on is when I’m cleaning or folding laundry. The only time I go to the beach is when I have to read or to workout. I guess I have gotten really good at multi-tasking. Also, I am extremely type A. I plan my day out to the minute. I’ve learned I do mental work best in the morning and physical work best in the afternoon.

Hails: How do you see your future in acting meshing with your passion for nutrition? Do you hope to pursue them together, separately, or focus on one?

MJ: I really hope to do what I’m doing now! My manager and I have dreams of maybe having my own show on Food Network. I’ll always pursue acting separately as well. I love the essence of acting and being a completely new person. I’d love to write a cookbook too.

Hails: Happy 21st birthday, girly! How did you spend your birthday week celebrating?!

MJ: Awe, thank you! My family flew in from Texas and we went to Palm Springs for a week. My 21st was actually alcohol-free, per my choice. I had so much more fun at the spas than going out and drinking!

Hails: Your special on TasteMade, Pretty Healthy, will have another season, congrats!! What can we expect for Season 2?

MJ: Thanks! More sweets. Those were the fan favorites. More Paleo recipes too. And of course, lots of chocolate.

Hails: Where can we find you?

MJ: Instagram ( @michel_janse ); Twitter ( @micheljanse_ ); Website ( micheljanse.com )

Thanks so much Michel!

LMK what you thought on my latest INSTA ( @allhailsthekale ) or TWITTER ( @allhailsthekale ) !

♡

xx hails

Everything You Should Know About the Girl Behind Tastemade’s “Pretty Healthy” Videos SO, we are in the midst of March Madness... I personally have not made a bracket because I lack much ...

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