#being your authentic self

[justjanusthings]

[rimouskis]

can I be so open and vulnerable with you guys. the card I was given from people at my old office was sincerely so nice and really validating but also I feel like the main impression I left other people with was "she's really nice" WHICH IS GOOD, I DO WANT TO BE KNOWN AS NICE but also part of me is like... should I maybe strive for "innovative" or "creative" or "a go-getter" because being The Nice One just feels a little mealy-mouthed of me y'know?

[haveacupofjohanny]

Unmasking Myself: A Journey of Authenticity and Breaking Free from Societal Molds

#podcastwednesday get on the train! The authentic train that is. Join me as I share with you how many times I hat to let the mask fall before I realized that to attract a man, I just needed to be me ;-)

Have you ever contorted yourself into someone you’re not just to be liked or fit in? Join me on a heartfelt journey as I peel back the layers of my past, revealing the self-imposed barriers that once stymied my journey through my 20s and 30s. We’re not just talking about growth; we’re actively breaking through the soil of conformity to bask in the sunlight of authenticity. Tune in as I bear my…

[thethiefandtheairbender]

my most underrated Kataang take is, I think, the inclusion of Katara's epiphany in The Fortune Teller at all. We've talked ourselves hoarse about how it's the clear turning point in how she consciously thinks of Aang (I will always mandate that she was just unknowingly down bad since the pilot because Look at her behaviour dear god) and how it's important that she has this epiphany even after knowing Aunt Wu's predictions 'aren't real' or necessarily set in stone.

What I want to talk about is why I think it's important that THIS is the moment she sees Aang in a new light amid his previous attempts to have her think of him 'differently' than she did at the beginning of the episode.

When Aang is being sweet to her (making her a woven accidental-betrothal necklace that she happily accepts), Katara is appreciative and responsive, but still says "he's just a good friend, a sweet little guy, just like Momo".

When Aang tries to flirt with her under Sokka's aloof guise, it falls flat. When he tries to get her attention in general (and when having parallels with Meng), it likewise doesn't work.

Finally, he tries the flower but it falls into the lava (symoblism, anyone?) and they have bigger things to deal with, like making sure the town isn't completely wiped out by the volcano. It's also worth noting that after Aang's conversation with Meng:

He never actively tries pursuing or wooing Katara in the same way. He's still kind towards and supportive toward her, of course. He, at some point (probably after the 2nd cheek or third cheek kiss) eventually starts to think (understandably) that Katara has feelings for him. But as of The Fortune Teller, he's stopped trying to have her see him in a new light or do a big romantic gesture.

And that's exactly when she does, consciously, fall for him.

Not when he's trying to woo her in failed, false personas, not when he's being his sweet romantic self, but when he's being the most himself all episode: Aang, "the bravest person [she] knows, who's done nothing but help people and save lives" since she met him (1x12).

He's not paying attention, he's not trying to impress her. He's just being a good, determined Avatar. A good, helpful person. A powerful bender, completely in control of himself and his element. Being himself.

Her Aang.

[beyondthesurface]

Being yourself is free.

[lonelyroommp3]

for real though i really don't get why - okay, let me rephrase that. i entirely understand why, but don't particularly like how in some swiftie spaces it's seemingly taboo to acknowledge that taylor might have motivations beyond pure self expression in how she writes about her life & relationships. like she's not a teenage girl sitting in her bedroom wistfully penning songs about her high school crushes anymore, she's a grown woman and a billion dollar marketing machine, not to mention a self proclaimed "mastermind". acting like she is just trying to write songs about her life 🥺🎀 when she makes certain creative or promotional decisions is frankly doing a disservice to her intelligence and business acumen. she knows what she's doing lol and just as it's okay to acknowledge that i think it's also okay to not particularly enjoy her increasingly heavy pandering towards fans who are desperate to pick up every little easter egg and piece together every last bit of Taylor Swift Lore (because yes, she knows she's doing that too, let's be real she's not going to put "lover" on a denial playlist with zero awareness of the frenzy that's going to stir up among her fans)

[divinationrose]

Me wondering why it took so long for me to open myself up to this side of me despite it being obvious I had abilities since I was a child lmao, I blame my over the top religious mother who said all this was satans work and treated me like I was cursed lmao 😂

[siren-darkocean]

I got my first hate comment on Deviantart yesterday on my old man Yaoi art I did for 810NICLE Day this year

YAY MY ART IS BEING THAT RECOGNIZED HATERS ARE COMMENTING!

[wordsofwisdomandsoul]

[mariocki]

Honor Blackman guest stars as art expert Syd Lewis in Saber of London: Deep in the Heart of Chelsea (1.3, NBC, 1957)

[safe-haven-safe-place]

[fereldanwench]

i've been considering resuming job hunting again but i think I'm still, like, traumatized from what i went through in 2021 lmao

[aroacettorney]

what got me so insanely angsty about the relationship between ludger and casey is that it's not even subtext. it's literally in the text that are their own words.

they canonically enjoy the other person's company.

they canonically believe the other person is one of a very few who could understand them.

they canonically understand each other, from personalities and capabilities to behaviors and thoughts.

ludger canonically regrets ruining their relationship.

casey canonically wishes to mend their relationship.

they canonically want(ed) this relationship.

[thearchertheprey]

character designs for a fantasy group i got pulled into... i think interpreting fantasy running blades as modeled after digitigrade legs is a cool idea

[horrorgirlreads]

People mention Carrie being an autistic horror queen (she is) but I don't ever see anybody talk about May (2002)