#long term relationships are hard and full of struggle. if this is Louis' struggle with theirs I don't think it necessarily means | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

1dmonthlyficroundup · 4 years ago

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1D Monthly Fic Roundup

Hi, and welcome to the 1D Monthly Fic Roundup for May 2021! Below the cut you’ll find 17 One Direction fics that were all published this month in the order they were submitted to the blog. We hope you’ll check out these new fics! If you would like to submit your own fic, please check this post on how to submit or visit our blog @1dmonthlyficroundup.

New York Kiss by wordsnnotes / @quelsentiment

[Louis/Zayn, Mature, 47k, tumblr post]

“Also, in case you hadn’t noticed, I’m quite the narcissistic type, and I didn’t want that cute guy to have a bad opinion of me for the rest of his life.” “Who, me?” Zayn bats his lashes jokingly, ignoring the fact that his heart skipped a beat at Louis’ words. “Yeah, you. So, shall we go?” Louis drops what remains of his cigarette on the floor and steps on it to light it off. Meanwhile, Zayn makes a reckless decision. “Alright. Lead the way, De Niro.”

Or: A strangers to lovers AU where Louis is an actor, Zayn is a writer (among other things), and they meet each other literally by accident in NYC, just as the world is about to turn upside down.

I Love The Very Blood Of You by lovelarry10 / @chloehl10

[Harry/Louis, Explicit, 129k, tumblr post]

“I don’t just like him …” Harry muttered, fiddling with the string at the waistband of his jogging bottoms that had definitely seen better days. “I love him, Zayn. I’m in love with Louis. With a vampire.”

He looked up just in time to see a small smile on Anne’s face, and she reached out with a hopeful look. Harry couldn’t resist, and put his large hand in hers, letting her comfort him for a moment.

“I could tell there was love between you,” she confessed softly, a light blush on her cheeks. “When I met you, I knew you were smitten with each other. I won’t pretend it doesn’t make me nervous, but … I can’t tell you who you can and can’t love, sweetheart.”

A vampire. A human. A broken arrangement. A love long since forbidden. Hunted by hate. Destined.

One More Taste of Your Lips by MsHydeStylinson @mizzhydes and @canadianlarrie

[Harry/Louis, Explicit, 80k, tumblr post]

It had been eight years since the hiatus began, and Louis had spent that time writing and recording music, touring and making it safely through the pandemic. When the opportunity arose to go back on tour with One Direction, Louis knew he'd be a fool not to take it. Sure, life on the road would be different after all this time apart, but he was looking forward to experiencing that comradery again.

What he hadn't realised was that living the better part of nine months in each other's pockets was bound to dredge up issues from his past. And when one of the pockets belonged to Harry, who he'd had a rather unconventional friendship with that drifted apart during their last tour, life on the road again would upend both their lives in irrevocable ways.

***

Harry wasn’t that sixteen year old boy anymore. Nor was he the young man in his late teens who was on the cusp of conquering the entire world.

But some traits seemed to remain the same; his vibrant green eyes, the dimples set deeply in his cheeks whenever he laughed earnestly, or his curls that were the same shade of cocoa that Louis remembered fondly.

And yet, Louis had absolutely no idea who this man that stood a mere twenty paces away was today.

take my hand, wreck my plans by amomentoflove / @daggerandrose

[Harry/Louis, Teen & Up, 38k, tumblr post]

Louis meets the man in the center of the room, feeling every eye on him.

“Mr. H,” he whispers.

The man smiles brightly and laughs as if he can’t believe his eyes. “It’s you,” he says breathlessly. “I didn’t think I would see you again.”

“Nor I you, especially under these circumstances.”

“Even so,” Mr H says, his eyes bouncing from Louis’ eyes to his lips. “Will you do me a great honor and join me in leading the first … um…”

“Dance?”

Mr. H laughs and nods. “Yes, that’s the one.”

Louis bites his lips and doesn’t hesitate before whispering, “Yes.”

Mr. H beams and reaches for Louis’ hand. Sparks fly at the touch and a zing of excitement shoots through Louis’ body. His face heats up as he’s afraid his scent would give away his feelings towards the other man.

Winter Light by wordsnnotes / @quelsentiment

[Liam/Zayn (Liam & Louis, Harry/Louis), Teen & Up, 58k, tumblr post]

“Do you think this place is dead?” he suddenly asked, his eyes focused on one of the two oaks, whose bark was grey and trunk cracked.

“What do you mean?” Zayn inquired, joining him by the tree.

“Well, it’s winter now, so obviously everything looks dead anyway,” Liam said. “But do you think come spring, this place might look like the way it looked before?”

Zayn took his time to think about Liam’s question. “I think all things are salvageable,” he eventually answered. “Including this garden. You just have to try hard enough.”

After his mother’s death, Liam is sent to live at his estranged uncle’s manor in the North of England, where new friends, mysterious places and family secrets await him. A Secret Garden inspired Soulmate AU

Cake and Kiss by @loulovehome

[Harry/Louis, General, 2k, tumblr post]

The one where omega Harry didn't like cake and wants to throw up when his alpha kisses him.

Love After the End of the World by writing_practice / @mercurial-madhouse

[Harry/Louis, Explicit, 150k, tumblr post]

“Wait. Just so I’m clear in me fucking noggin,” Niall says. “An international worldwide takeover is well under way and the only thing standing between having hot showers and a second end of the world is us five fuckers?”

-----

Society shattered when all electricity suddenly cut off across the globe, plunging the world into darkness. Now, Prometheus Industries is the sole remaining supply of power, a saving grace to those who survived Lights Out. As fugitives in no-man’s land struggling to break into Prometheus HQ, death lurks around every corner for Louis and Zayn. Things get complicated when a routine recon falls apart and Louis collides with Harry and his mates Niall and Liam, survivors with their own agenda.

When staying alive is already a constant battle, the deadliest weakness is to be in love. For Harry and Louis, finding each other sits on top of the endless list of What Else Could Go Wrong.

Hometown by @allwaswell16

[Louis/Harry, Not Rated, 2k, tumblr post]

On the day Harry gets his driver’s licence, he drives through the suburbs, heartbroken that he can’t drive home to Louis.

Baby Blues by @kingsofeverything

[Louis/Harry, Explicit, 12K, tumblr post]

8 mpreg Harry snippets originally posted on Tumblr. Mostly smut ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But If This Ends by nonsensedarling / @absoloutenonsense

[Harry/Louis, Explicit, 107k, tumblr post]

Harry’s life as a vampire is routine. He spends his years moving around from place to place, learning as much as he can, and falling in love whenever the universe sees fit. When he tries to move his casual relationship with Louis to something more, it all gets turned on its head. As they navigate confusing thoughts and complex emotions, Harry finds himself torn between the love he feels for Louis and everything he thought he knew.

Featuring pet names, love letters, secrets, meaningful friendships, and two insecure boys desperately in love.

Pretty in Pink by lovelarry / @chloehl10

[Louis/Harry, Explicit, 18k, tumblr post]

“Love? Can I come in?”

Harry sniffed and shook his head before he realised Louis couldn’t see him. “No. Go home, Lou. Please.”

“I’m not leaving,” the Omega insisted, his voice full of concern. “And I’m not judging either. Just… talk to me, Haz.”

Harry briefly considered changing or at least ripping everything off and greeting Louis in his boxers before he realised that might actually be worse, that Louis had seen him dressed up and there was no need to hide anymore. He meekly shuffled over to the door and pulled it open before he backed away, refusing to meet Louis’ eyes.

To the Omega’s credit, he walked straight over to Harry and wrapped his arms around him from behind, resting his cheek between Harry’s shoulder blades.

“This top feels nice. Soft. I see why you like it,” Louis said quietly from behind him.

*****

Alpha Harry loves to secretly dress up and be pretty. He loves his feminine side, even if it’s not typical of an Alpha. But when Omega Louis finds out, it might just the start of something even more beautiful for them both...

Plant New Seeds In The Melody by @vintageumbroshirt / 28sunflowers

[Louis/Harry, Explicit, 58k, tumblr post]

After losing his husband in a tragic car accident, the last thing Louis needs is to keep running into popstar Harry Styles, who David was quite fond of.

Obviously, that’s exactly what keeps happening.

But as their unlikely friendship blossoms, Louis realizes that, maybe, having Harry in his life was the only good thing that came out of his adverse circumstances. Harry could be just the right person to help Louis find trust and intimacy in someone new.

We are the same, you run in my veins by @vintageumbroshirt / 28sunflowers

[Louis/Harry, General, 4k, tumblr post]

When the time for Louis to become the Alpha leader of his pack comes, he can’t rise to the occasion for not being yet bonded. A series of trips to neighbouring packs in search of his soulmate is fruitless until he meets one of the other packs’ Alpha heir.

Harry.

The world seems to stop turning for a second and then it shifts, clicking into its axis. All the distress and wrongness he felt until that very moment suddenly disappears. Louis is finally whole.

But two Alpha leaders from different tribes soulbonding is something unheard of before.

evergreen, evermore by docklands / @hershelsue

[Louis/Harry, General, 2k, tumblr post]

The year is 1979. Their entire lives, Harry and Louis have lived in Chichester, home to the best watermelons in the world. An unruffled life in the country has always served their long term friendship well. It all shifts when Harry has to move away to a bigger city due to his mother’s job, albeit his love for his hometown and for Louis. It’s even harsher when the moving truck leaves on his birthday, of all days. When all seems lost, Louis ends up having to pull some strings to ease the pain in Harry’s heart.

When The High's Too High, and the Low's Too Low by DaysLikeMasquerades

[Louis/Harry, Mature, 22k+ (wip)]

Two perspectives of growing up neurodivergent

Some days Harry wondered if he would ever find a friend who could look past all the things he couldn't change. Someone who didn't care that he could spend hours talking about his latest fascination without calling him obsessed. Who didn't laugh when he couldn't stop his hands from expressing his emotions. Who didn't care that he was 13, but he'd start crying if he went into too many stores, because they were too bright, too loud, too smelly, and it was all just too overwhelming. Some days he thought someone like that just didn't exist.

Most nights Louis wondered if there would ever come a time when he didn't hate himself. When he would learn to control his emotions and the mood swings that seemed to take over everything and leave no room for himself. He wondered how he could live with himself when he only seemed to hurt the people he loved. His teachers thought he was a wonderful boy, but he knew the truth. Most nights he cried himself into exhaustion wondering how it was possible to feel so broken at only 15. He wanted to be happy, but he didn't know how and that scared him more than anything. Most nights he just hoped he could figure it out before it was too late.

Make You Never Wanna Leave (so Don’t) by @beelou / cherrylarry

[Louis/Harry, Explicit, 3k, tumblr post]

“You look hot in plaid.” “What?” “I said you look like a dad.” “No, you didn't.” “Yes, I certainly did, Harold. You have no proof.” -- Or, the one where Harry wears plaid.

a little tenderness by @disgruntledkittenface

[Harry/Niall, Not rated, 10k, tumblr post]

“Listen, my alpha and I broke up and it turns out that all of our friends were really his friends and I need someone to help me through–”

“No,” Harry practically shouts, the word bursting out of him unbidden. He cringes when he sees the shock on Niall’s face, his pale skin flushing lightly. “I’m sorry, but my answer has to be no. I don’t help omegas through heats. I’m really sorry, Liam knows that, so I don’t know why he would give you the idea–”

“It’s not heat, Harry,” Niall interrupts. “It’s depri.”

“Oh. Fuck.”

Touch deprivation makes a lot of sense now that Harry thinks about it. Niall seems generally unwell; he appears to be weak, his skin is pallid and his lips look chapped, and his breathing is ragged. He’s wearing a cozy-looking sweatshirt, but even over FaceTime, he kind of seems cold, hunched over with his arms wrapped around his body. Harry’s never been around an omega in depri as bad off as Niall looks; most of the time, there’s an alpha friend or family member who can help out with scenting and physical contact.

Oh.

#28th appreciation #tracksintheam #trackinghome #1dsource #fic rec #may 2021

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caerwynherondale · 4 years ago

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Bad Blood and Dirty Laundry

Caerwyn was pissed. And overwhelmed and just irritated in general. School had started back up, the spring term full of the usual review work that they would need in order to pass their end of year exams in June. It had been around this time last year that Caerwyn had broken up with Louis, but thankfully, that definitely wasn’t the case this time around. No, their relationship, if possible, was stronger than before ever since they had first had sex in her bedroom over the spring break. It had brought them closer together, a new understanding formed between them after Caerwyn had finally let down her walls completely to allow Louis into the most damaged, detested parts of herself. While she definitely wasn’t going to be stripping off her sweater around anyone else any time soon, she was, slowly, growing more and more comfortable around her boyfriend as far as her body was concerned. She no longer swatted his hand away when he tried to get up her sweater, there were no tears when her dress came off, only kisses along every bit of skin he could reach in the moment. There was still always that little wave of worry, the trepidation of ‘what if?’ that soon passed the moment he was inside of her again, whispering how much he loved her in her ear or telling her what a good girl she was being for him. Caerwyn would melt for Louis, relaxing into the now familiar strokes of his body pressing into her own, the rocking of their hips as they made love. They hadn’t explored the rougher sides of it yet, having not exactly had time in the week they’d been back at school for much more than quiet intimate moments in Louis’s bed at night and the occasional shag in a broom closet.

No, it definitely wasn’t her relationship that was bothering Caerwyn. Nor was it the fact that she and Louis had, in the throes of passion, forgotten to use any type of protection for their first time. She hadn’t remembered until they’d woken up later that afternoon and felt his seed leaking and kind of goopy between her legs that they hadn’t used a condom. Cleo had plenty in her bedside table, they were right there across the room, and yet, Caerwyn hadn’t even thought about it. Neither had Louis and she had only panicked for a little while before remembering that the doctors had said being on that one pill for so long could make her struggle with fertility. And thankfully, within the week, Caerwyn got her period right on schedule, no worries to be had. They had remembered the condom since then… mostly, but sometimes they couldn’t help themselves. And, to be honest, Louis felt so much fucking better inside of her without one on. Perhaps she should look into some kind of birth control… Maybe she could ask Rose what she had used when sleeping with Scorpius, as awkward a conversation as that might end up being.

The fact of the matter was that Caerwyn was angry because of fucking Anthony.

For some reason, when they returned from school, the older Gryffindor had decided that it would be fun to start bothering Caerwyn. At first it had just been little things, like a smirk from across the common room that might not have been for her and a grab across the table to swipe up whatever dish she’d been about to take from. He always apologized for that, especially because she was usually with her mates. It had been getting worse though, like he was purposely working his way up to pushing her buttons to the point of wanting her to burst. A bump in the hallway, a hand brushing against her own when she wasn’t looking, and then, the snide little whispers that began to follow every time she was by herself. Caerwyn didn’t share every single one of her classes with a mate and there were a few that she had to walk to alone regularly, which had never been a problem before. Usually people gave her a wide berth because she was ‘that mad girl, she’ll knock your teeth out if you’re not careful’ but not Anthony. He wasn’t afraid of her but she was of him… and he knew it.

“Didn’t know Weasley liked little piggies. Tell me, do you squeal for him or does he prefer it when you oink?”

“He’s never going to stay with you once he knows what he’s in for, might as well end it now.”

“Hey lard ass, maybe you should avoid the bacon. Y’know… cannibalism and all that.”

Anthony had started touching her too, tugging at her hair, throwing an arm around her in what appeared to be a friendly manner, a smile on his face before he learned down to whisper in her ear. She froze up every time, losing her voice in a way no one else had ever managed to make her do. She wanted to beat the shit out of him, to tell him off and make him regret ever getting anywhere near her… but she couldn’t. It was as if her entire body shut down when he got close to her, as though she were still the same girl she’d been that horrid day when she’d stripped for him and he’d smashed every bit of her heart and self confidence into dust with just his words.

Out of embarrassment, Caerwyn didn’t mention it. Not to Louis, to Rose, to Albus. She kept her chin up and dealt with it the way Caerwyn always did, trying not to back down, to let Anthony see any sign of weakness in her. Most of the time she ended up able to brush him off and go on her way, shaky but still stomping down the hallway as though he hadn’t affected her at all. Other times though, she ran and he’d laugh like she’d said something funny, when really she’d simply murmured a ‘fuck off’ and booked it in the opposite direction. She knew if she told Louis he’d be angry enough to start a fight and they were so close to the end of the year, he didn’t need any more detentions, especially with so many under his belt already from the autumn. It would be risking expulsion at this point, she couldn’t have him doing that to himself, not for her. She’d handle it on her own. Maybe Anthony would get bored and give up, or, she’d just have to deal with it until school ended and he graduated. Then she’d never have to see him again.

“Oi, watch it!” A girl’s voice shouted angrily as Caerwyn slammed into her, knocking books all over the floor. The girl glared down at her, eyeing her with the kind of distaste one might use when looking at a particularly nasty bug. Caerwyn didn’t know her well, she was a Ravenclaw in her year but she’d never spoken to her before.

“Don’t stand in the middle of the fucking corridor then, dumbass.” Caerwyn shot back, kicking one of the books away from her and towards the stairs, intent on making it so the girl would have to chase it.

“Ugh, I can’t believe Louis is dating you of all people. You’re so rude and… well, just look at you.”

“Yeah? Go ahead and fucking look, next thing you’ll see is my fucking fist in your bitch face!” Caerwyn shouted. She gave the book another solid kick, knocking it down the stairs hard enough that it bounced all the way to the landing. Already in a rotten mood, she wasn’t about to let some bitchass girl get the better of her.

“What the fuck!?” The girl gestured towards her book, obviously displeased. “Go get it!”

“No. You go fucking get it.”

“You kicked it. You get it, you little fucking whore. That’s all he wants you for, you know that right? Everyone sees you, snogging all the fucking time. What’d he say to convince you he actually likes-”

The girl did not get to finish her sentence. Caerwyn’s fist connected with her mouth in two seconds flat, knocking the Ravenclaw on her ass. Before she could even get her barings, the little Gryffindor was on her, screaming nonsensically in both English and Welsh, punching every inch of the bitch that she could reach without any kind of remorse. “Don’t! You! Fuck! Ing! Talk! About! Him! Like! That! Ever! Again! You! Fucking! Cunt! Ass! Whore!”

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astrology-with-charu · 5 years ago

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18 Sept- 26 Dec Saturn finally goes direct!!! The new structure of life unveils from now to December in an area of our life where we would are experiencing the biggest restructuring & karmic release of our life time

Saturn has been retrograde since 29 April in the sign it rules Capricorn. Saturn rules the structural elements of our life, earth & administration. It gives us the perseverance to create the very foundations of our existence - our boundaries, our rules, our career, our body, building blocks of our life that let us function effectively & bring our talents our soul to material world.

During the retrograde period Saturn holds up external launch of new structure of our life cause it hits resistance within our inner life which if not removed won’t allow us to live that external reality with full potency & success. So last 4-5 months has been period of internal restructuring, frustration, resentment, arrested growth but at the same time rebuilding of a new rule book, warding out things / attitudes / people which are obstacles to our ability to take on this new responsibility & opportunity of new structure of our life. Saturn in retrograde stage breaks down our ego & sometimes negativity which is accumulated which keeps us away from assimilating our ideal with material. Unknowingly in past few months we have created a new code of conduct, a new unsaid boundary of what we would or would not accept going forward in our life.

That’s the thing with Saturn - a lot is unsaid & understated - yet without its work we wouldn’t accomplish anything in material or spiritual world as it creates a mountain of persistence within us so doing the requisite work for accomplishing what we need becomes part of our DNA.

In Hindu mythology Saturn is represented as Kurma, tortoise - an incarnation of Lord Vishnu (the creator), who lifted the mountain so Gods could churn the ocean to retrieve the usefulness - usefulness is born due to work we do under the influence of Saturn - so past four months have been our own individual process of creating inner strength to lift up our own mountains.

And now with Saturn going direct we have a lift off. It’s time to lift that mountain so usefulness is birthed. As Saturn is in Capricorn no matter where you are lifting your mountain it would have influence of solidifying your professional foundations, your foundations as a leader of whatever domain you might be looking to be the lead on - efficiency is birthed - core strength is born to be the kind of leader of our personal or professional life that knows when to say no and draw healthy boundaries. The leader who knows what to choose, what to Detox, what to move away from as it doesn’t have longevity & to move to what has grounding to survive the next 30 years of our evolution which we are moving towards.

Saturn will retrace the path it traversed since 29 April from now to Christmas - making visible changes in framework of our life to reflect the inner re-engineering it has done in last four months. Imagine last four months as you going through process of rewriting the rules of your life - what profession, life commitment to whom, what to say yes to what not to when it comes to responsibilities, what you need for your material growth & Stability - imagine now that rule book being implemented. The theory merging with action till December. As soon as Saturn is done with this journey we would have a Solar eclipse on 26 Dec’19 prompting us - your new life is ready now to be lived - it becomes our new reality.

Saturn churning turning direct is subtle as is the planet itself but its gifts are real, material, Long lasting - this is about getting what we need & it might come in forms different from what we want. Saturn is like a responsible parent - it knows well to give you time to adjust to what it’s about to unfold as your new path which it was doing in last four months - but it also knows well to also give you what you truly need & what’s right for you. Cause sometimes what we want is not what we need. Hence the delay, hence the need of time, hence the retrograde but that’s why what’s created gives benefits for a life time.

So over next 14 weeks, we will see structure of our life change in ways we didn’t originally plan but over last four months we have been internal restructured to move from what we wanted to what we truly need - some call it reality checks, some call it maturing a dream.

A special note for my fellow Cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) - this adjustment has been nothing short of a struggle in last few months & we might have resisted this change with all our might only to realise now that this feeling of entrapment, anger, frustration, banging against the wall - was all but a cocoon phase getting us ready & building our strength for a more responsible & prosperous tomorrow. This is our light at the end of the tunnel so take heart. All of us will feel this in one of or other area of our life.

Degrees & Dates

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturn is turning at 13°55” which is a degree of unearthing what has permanent value & releasing what’s non essential - the very Essence of Saturn. Outdated positions & establishments will be seen demolished & unearthed as a result in administrations, organisational structures, country structures & borders.

This is the degree of Isaac Newton, J. R. R. Tolkien, Louis Braille - us finding a new language to give words to our identity - which we have realised as our intrinsic truth - us finding our voice & now creating real material things out of it.

It comes in conjunction with Star Wega - which was linked to Ma’at, the great Egyptian goddess of justice, truth & balance, who helped souls move from one life to another as it would be helping us transition forward. Measuring our heart/ soul & the weight of it as did Ma’at to see if we have released what’s required to move forward - a karmic justice of sorts & settlement of it in fair terms.

Upcoming Libra season will test all of us on it, that’s why right off the door Mercury and Venus will make a hard aspect of test with Saturn on 22 & 25 Sept - keep your strength - remember the lessons of past months - where in the past we said yes when we should have said no. Bring your new boundaries, foundations, strength, power , rule book for a test drive in coming days.

We are all work in progress but how far we have come will come to display around 7th & 14th October when we are put in a position to use our strength in disagreements or partnerships or relationships with people who form integral part of our personal & professional life. We are tested on our ability to move out of our comfort first zone. October is a Cardinal month - definitive directional crisp actions.

Karmic Trigger Dates

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Turning of Saturn always sets the stage for a karmic release as fantasy meets reality - non productive relationships, structures, projects, associations are released & new structure is set. The trigger dates of that are in my view between 28 Oct to 2 Nov when we will see karmic event occur to mark this new start under the influence of the new moon in Scorpio - with truth & strength.

We will experience this very strongly in global events as I mentioned in my July eclipse videos - We will see activation of two Solar eclipses of this year between 28 Oct to 2 Nov - I expect major world events to occur in this period related to government, restructuring, aggressive redefining actions leading to new order we expect to begin in Jan 2020.

Which area of life are you moving mountains ?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I spoke in detail about Saturn’s influence for each sign in your Sept monthly video but briefly - below is area of life where you might be experiencing the biggest restructuring & setting up solid foundations to reap material rewards for long term.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLv3tUTLu8-MTbf4G38ErxOlmA1ghAPtrk

Do note Saturn in Capricorn always brings influence to our public life - our external talk & in turn our leadership style irrespective of where it’s acting per your rising / sun / moon sign - it helps us define our usefulness - our service to the world so in day to day in one way or another we would see this shift bring clarity in our careers or what we call our “service”.

Naturally a lot of effort is going in this area but more importantly a new structure is about to emerge here which you would be living in 2020.

Perseverance, patience, willingness to serve, dissolving ego to release what’s not ours, releasing thoughts causing inefficiency of our mind, depending on our inner strength instead of external applause, drawing on your inner strength when external events seem to beat us down, paying dues before the rewards are key asks of lord of karma Saturn.

You can bookmark this article here - http://emailabuddy.com/blog/?p=800

So let’s settle a few karmic scores as the tide turns💫

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

♈️ #Aries - Career, public life, leadership style, authority

Saturn is prompting restructuring of your career, organisational structure of your company or organisation or structure you are integral part of & redefining your place in the works & your contribution, leadership style, your way of servicing & contributing, your official title & reputation or public image. Our identity physically & emotionally is redefined which in term influences our family life & home. Relationship with Father or fathers life goes through shifts as well. This is a new chapter in who you are known as & what you are creating as a leader for long term to contribute meaningfully to society in long run. Your place in the work, your personal brand of leadership, your public image is being relaunched & redefined for long run. Physical health needs discipline and bones / structure of body should be built on.

~14° or 21° Aries will feel this the most in coming days; that’s around 3/10 Apr born for Aries Sun though all of you will experience this shift as it’s one of most important transit of next 30 years for you. Good luck 💫

♉️ #Taurus - Education, publication, travel, belief system, life purpose, visa, Father

Saturn is restructuring your higher mind, your knowledge, your belief system - prompting you to learn more, teach more, publish more, gain more knowledge through life experiences so you can become an effective guru, teacher, spiritual influence, established authority who can guide people across cultures & geographies. But to be a good teacher & influencer we first need to be a good student of life. Saturn turning direct shows you 1) the path forward, your higher purpose, your meaningful path 2) grants expansion of mind through higher education & achievement in the same, foreign influences / business travel, on job training, a mentor, legalisation or visa to foreign land and more importantly 3) gives you pathway to share your higher mind & teachings through publications of meaning, intellectual technical work which is shared with diverse set of people. Your life purpose & belief system - the spiritual code you live by is forever changed to adjust to a higher growth path you are now on. Your service & life purpose involves changing other people’s mind & belief system by being a mentor, a teacher who leads by example.

~14° or 21° Taurus can benefit the most in coming days; that’s around 4/11 May born for Taurus Sun though all will experience a shift in this area of life.

♊️ #Gemini - Rebirth, baptism by fire, healing, power, joint resources

Saturn is restructuring how you establish authority & power in joint situations to get fair share of proceeds of partnerships - personal or professional so money & intimacy, equipping you to be independent, healing you from within detoxing your past & karmic attachments or addictions that hold your power & emotional-physical health back. This is baptism by fire, rebirth & rise of Phoenix you name it - it’s powerful to say the least - more importantly it’s redefining your joint resources - partners finances & your joint destiny, your ability to manage other people’s money, it’s restructuring how you merge with others - how you retain your individuality, power, potential - it’s making you powerful, impactful in your dealings with others. Saturn has been chipping away at every fiber of karmic weakness that existed in your way of being by possibly exposing you to situations where fear & past losses had no place to exist anymore. It has taken you deep to places you normally don’t like to access & brought you back up stronger & surer. Having redefined your core, now is the time to bring this show to the road - bring this independence, sense of self, power, healing to transform financially, powerfully, physically, sexually. Your contribution or service to the world could possibly involve you digging deep , doing deep research on matters related to finance or medicine or occult, managing other people’s money, being part of power structure by being a force of transformation who brings out the new in a place that’s getting old or outdated. This isn’t an easy process but it’s one that introduces you to another dimension of you that you have not seen before.

~14° or 21° Gemini will feel this the most in coming days; that’s around 4/11 Jun born for Gemini Sun though all of you will experience this shift

♋️ #Cancer - Partnership, clients, one on one relationships, critics, contracts

Saturn is restructuring your one on one relationships, partnerships, how you deal with your interest versus that of people in your life & your duty or obligations towards them, it’s redefining your rulebook of way of responding to your critics, it’s rewriting your commitments - kind of contracts you engage in or how you engage your clients. People close to you or in close relationships with you might have been in a process of churn, change, restructuring as who you commit to is being redefined. Also who is your influencer is redefined as we find ourself in presence of powerful people - who become our influencers, our Teachers, they refine who we are by our association with them. We find our self identity redefined through our relationships & our decisions taken with our business & personal partners. Long term Long lasting associations are made & old associations are released as our contracts go through complete restructure & redefinition. Verdicts are passed decisions are made for Long term - from your Real Estate agent, your doctor, your best friends to your business partner or life partner - all your close associations have been topic of reconsideration, restructure cause Saturn is asking you write a new rule book that allows you to give your best in commitments & when we aren’t allowed to be who we truly are we can’t give our best. So many of these old associations which have outlived their time, karma might be released as new Long term contracts are drawn & new life commitments are made. Our physical & emotional health & endurance is tested but we are given tools & discipline to rebuild strong foundations if any weakness is found. Now is the time to build this new life with your new rules & life commitments on strong footing.

~14° or 21° Cancer will feel this the most in coming days; that’s around 5/11 July born for Cancer Sun though all of you will experience this shift as it’s one of most important transit of next 30 years for you - as is for like United States of America & it’s close allies or foes.

♌️ #Leo - work environment, health routines, work hierarchy

Saturn is restructuring your work environment, work hierarchy, job, obligations, your duties to elders - your parents, your rule book & boundaries used in dealing with coworkers, kind of projects you taken on, how to manage your team or your relationship with your environment, how much of your work life seeps into your physical & mental health and well being. Getting efficient in terms of kind of projects or responsibilities we takeon, having clear boundaries, detoxing immediate work environment, getting right kind of support structure at work, making sure we say no where a no is overdue in terms of obligations which compromise you & your health, paying our dues to our elders, cutting ties with the duties & obligations where karma is done and it’s time to move forward to be able to contribute what we came here to do, are all themes, objectives of Saturn and it’s turning direct allows you to manifest this. It allows you to create a structure of health & diet improvement that your body deserves & needs or reap benefits of work already done in this area. Work promotions, team restructuring, change in work hierarchy, renting an office space, changing work place or improving it, end of a karmic duty to family, effectively dealing with hereditary health issues, successful & more stable way to perform your duties, having right coworker support or team under you to support you are ways in which the karmic settlement of Saturn can turn out. Net result is a better Long term way of dealing with your obligations to make an impact of the order you desire. This is not an easy placement but letting this mold us can strength our mind body connection - our ability to change our perceived work environment by our thoughts our mind - as well as disciple to set right boundaries & support at job or in our obligations to give space to better health. Your contribution is improved by prioritising your wellbeing.

~14° or 21° Leo will feel this the most in coming days; that’s around 6/13 Aug born for Leo Sun though all of you will experience this shift

♍️ #Virgo - giving birth to your legacy - a business venture, a child, love, investment risk

Saturn is restructuring your ability to take risks in your personal & professional life - taking you to heights of pleasure through a path of pain & hardwork - this is toil of blood & sweat done to create what we would like to call our legacy. A business venture you are passionate about, a child you find as an extension of you, a love commitment you would like to keep life Long, a Creative work that’s your dream, an investment risk you are taking which feels just right or a new framework of taking investment risk that you are creating - they are all part of gifts of Saturn here which are crowning in this last push of labor after nine months of non stop efforts. Framework has been in process, restructuring has been in process - what’s coming now is rolling out what you have planned - setting the plan into action. Last stages of major Creative or business venture work, next stage in child’s development or education or in your responsibility as a parent, solidifying your love commitments, powerful friends, taking on an investment risk beyond your past capacity after long consideration, are ways in which your legacy might be in process of being born.

So far we have been conservative, detailed, may be even inhibited in our confidence of things working out but Saturn turning direct gives us a solid footing - a knowing that something long lasting is being created. Later in December when Jupiter comes to this area too we will go bolder & bigger - for now we will tick all the boxes & be exacting, be meticulous to make sure we are filtering out any unwanted investment & personal risk as we start seeing concrete progress on work done in last nine months.

~14° or 21° Virgo can benefit the most in coming days; that’s around 6/13 Sept born for Virgo Sun though all will experience a shift in this area of life.

♎️ #Libra -Home, Family, real estate, inner foundations - your core, support system

Saturn is restructuring your emotional foundations cause you gotto strengthen the base when your opposite house of career is being expanded so you have the requisite support system to take on more visible public life & career path. So we have been mending, repairing, paying our dues to our family duties, to our place of living - enhancing, fencing, repairing, strengthening it. It’s our survival instincts - what do we do when no one’s watching - how do we feel secure, what & who do we draw on, what gives us comfort, what’s the strong core we fall back on when external life puts us in spotlight. You are creating a life time of strong emotional foundations, family structure, support system, physical home of solid footing to support your public aspirations. In the process of it all you are meeting you as you complete this last stage of maturation of your inner world. Leaks in our home or emotional life have been highlighted & worked on - nows the time to build upon this solid foundation - like when property development begins on a land that’s been thoroughly raked & levelled post demolition all ready to resurrect a solid high rise on. We are ready for new structure of our public life as we see support from our inner foundations at soul level, having detoxed the elements & patterns that wouldn’t work in your expanded career or public life or whatever new title of worldly responsibility you are about to take on.

~14° or 21° Libra will feel this the most in coming days; that’s around 7/14 Oct born for Libra Sun though all of you will experience this shift as it’s one of most important transit of next 30 years for you. Good luck 💫

♏️ #Scorpio - Commercial & Communication skills, our mind, courage

Saturn is restructuring refining our mind & talk - internal & external - creating efficiency in the way we talk, think, connect, communicate, express our ideas, our thoughts; how we influence & connect with our immediate environment. Life long skills that yield value for our lifetime are created, refined, aced under this influence. More importantly any inefficient & weakness of our mind, our courage is worked on to create a new foundation of how we think, talk, write, express our commercial & intellectual skills. We study, write, self educate, take online courses, edit refine define our work, our marketing strategy, our voice, our messaging; more importantly we Detox old thinking patterns that keep us stuck or don’t let us connect positively with our immediate environment. Things that test our courage, strength of our mind come up. Saturn turning direct opens the path to now bring this stronger, firmer mindset; the skills we have honed, polished, improved upon; the contracts, communication or commercial projects we have drafted envisioned reviewed; our views thoughts ideas that we have been mulling over - now to the world - launching the new framework of sharing your views with the world. Publish, write, speak, travel, take short trips, gain license to practice your new skills, read, gain gather collate publish important information, get contracts written agreements through, influence through your mind & speech - its a new mindset which unveils a different material reality for you as our thoughts create our reality. This rebirth of your mind & courage. In few cases new structure of siblings career can also unfold.

~14° or 21° Scorpio can benefit the most in coming days; that’s around 6/13 Nov born for Scorpio Sun though all will experience a shift in this area of life.

♐️ #Sagittarius - Material resources, self worth & networth, assets, diet

Saturn is restructuring your value system, your ability to generate long term abundance through giving you the persistence to develop skill sets that will reap you material benefit & increase your self worth over long period of time. At the same time, it has been prompting you to Detox your expenses, assets, get more involved in financial planning for future, make sure you have sound foundations of material resources to support you. Saturn cuts through the unnecessary, the inefficiencies in how we use our resources - physical & mental - so your energy, your time, your skills, your mindshare is being focused on specific projects or jobs or sources of income - releasing making space for what’s important relevant lucrative & Long term for you when it comes to sources of income. Having gone through a tedious process of setting this rule book, now is the time to get the show on the road - launch this new framework, this new revenue source, new skill set & create value from it. Serve the world with your skills, your organisational capabilities, your ability to turn around financial situations & creating value out of situations. Key skill that’s created with this is ability to spot opportunities that can generate stable revenue. Key value system that this builds within you is of confidence that you can turn any situation around - most importantly that your self worth isn’t attached to any specific asset or bank balance or a number. As much as you are launching the framework of building that bank balance but you are launching a new worth - you are whose value has been enhanced - you are the valuable asset in this & it’s been all about enhancing your value both as a skilled person as well as a person of strong value system. So Saturn turning direct now brings this sense of self, this product of this whole ordeal - you - now to the outer world & they see the the new framework of you that you have created as you create both material & spiritual abundance in coming days. Your physical body is a resource too, so diet, enhancing your physical strength is very much an integral part of this value adding exercise you have embarked upon - make ful, use of the discipline of Saturn to set a long term health & diet program.

Launch this new framework of value creation till December when your ruler Jupiter also comes in this area of your chart - expanding the work you have done so far, adding scale, prosperity to it further.

♑️ #Capricorn - All of you - your career, body, how you show up to the world

Capricorn your ruler in your sign first time in 30 years is nothing short of getting a new life - it’s a complete reset & it might have felt like pulling teeth while it was retrograde in past few months as it’s been having us work on our inner world, our emotions, strengthening us from within to make our core strong to take on more responsibilities as well as achievements that lay ahead of you to be had. Saturn helps us become the best version of ourself, shedding negative habits, attitudes & yes it shows us the weakness in our ways of handling things but also gives us the tools to strength every inch of weakness that existed in our physical, mental, moral fiber to be more, to be all we can be. Having dealt with the lesson of patience & old limitations, this is where the tide turns as it’s time to start launching the new framework of you both in your professional & personal life - your new rule book that’s based on realisation of what truly matters to you, what’s for you, who is for you & how to effectively be the authority of your life no matter what sphere of your life. Our ego has been dissolved for it was required for the higher powers to mold us in the direction in the way we needed to go - usefulness & strength is given birth to. It’s not an easy rebirth but your sign wasn’t built with such huge endurance for easier things. As they say uneasy lies the head that wears a crown - but nows the time to wear the crown - take your new responsibility, leadership, higher position on & next few months you will see yourself stepping into that role as unknowingly or knowingly the rules of your life & what you want out of it has changed. Since you aren’t the same person internally now your external reality has to reflect who you have become. That’s the process of next few months till December & you will find support to get there. As one key lesson of past few months has been also to ask for support & knowing who to ask & how to ask. Past months also created clear awareness of what has Long ended in our life & now we get the framework, strength & impetus to release it for food, for when you have decided to be more you cannot be less - you simply cannot go back. There is peace, ease, strength, more importantly there is truth in our path ahead which makes us feel comfortable to be in our own skin as our new life unveils in front of us & damn you have worked for it!

Health is key focus - make sure what you have learned about your body in past few months you make that discipline of your lifetime, right now you have the strength & impetus to do it, set it in stone. Personal achievements, status, shift in your position in hierarchy of an organisation, moving forward in a family obligation or progress in your journey as a parent, progress in career or your public reputation, progress in a key life decision or resolution of a verdict - are various ways Saturn can unlock things which were held up structurally.

~14° or 21° Capricorn will feel this the most in coming days; that’s around 5/12 Jan born for Capricorn Sun though all of you will experience this shift as it’s one of most important transit of next 30 years for you. Good luck 💫

♒️ #Aquarius - Release, Faith, fears, hidden strength & talents, Devine timing or intervention

Saturn your ruler, is restructuring all that’s below the surface hidden even from us - our fears, phobias, inhibitions. It’s refining our strengths we didn’t see before - our hidden talents, our unknown beneficiaries, our angels, our own core strength, our faith & bringing all of that in play as we are setting the stage for our ruler Saturn to enter your sign in Mar 2020 which is nothing short of living a new life . This is the cadent period, the period of preparing, paying our dues, our karmic obligations to higher powers, to our parents, to our vocation, we are diligently serving our responsibilities behind the scene for we know this period of solitude - “The Silent years” as Bible described it - is when your whole environment within you is shifting which shifts your external existence for long run. This is your reservoir - the place we draw from unknowingly whenever we need to do what has to be done - you are strengthening that reservoir - dealing with your own demons within & outside one set for all so they don’t come in the path you are carving for yourself. Spiritual practices are set, faith is strengthened, healing is achieved, involuntarily we pay any dues as we deal with every shaky pebble in our career path & our physiological life without much noise & ado. Having been through the inner journey which was deep over last few months - now we bring those hidden talents, that strength, that faith into play to visible world. It’s when responsibilities are effectively dealt with ease, our psychological / spiritual /healing discipline starts showing external results in how you deal with your work, your relationships, your coworkers, your projects, your enemies / critics / adversaries, any government or authority dealings. You are on a Mission, others may not know it but you know what it is - it becomes easier to work on that Mission - your “service” to the world.

The health practices & spiritual practices you have developed in this phase are your support for life time as is the faith & psychological strength you have developed. We feel a bit lighter cause this is the house of karmic burdens & a weight is being lifted off as we finally make progress in our path. I call this phase as “phase of God’s timing” or whatever higher powers you believe in cause it’s a very destined or karmic time when the more you release control from the situation - the more the situation moves in the direction you want - I learned my biggest life lessons in this phase - not to try to control my destiny too much. We aren’t the best story tellers so why be intent on it -allow your life to flow- it will take you places your own imagination never travelled to. Work will always be there - it’s your default mode you always put in the work - it’s more about our ego which makes us want it to result in an exact output. Saturn here is more intent in changing our insides - our ego, our undoing versus external life - it’s been at it for past few months now you see the benefit of releasing that control as life takes you to places you didn’t originally plan to go. Where is the magic in knowing everything 👼

♓️ #Pisces - Vision, hopes, dreams, friends, social network

Saturn is restructuring what your life’s vision is - what you need to create in this life time that would outlast you - your dream, your vision, its concrete, it’s substantial, it has element of service which benefits groups of people or collective. At the same time it’s restructuring who will go on this journey with you - who are your friends, Long term supporters, fam base, the platform that builds you, launches you at wider scale - your social presence & business network and influence is being redefined & refined. Past few months might have been time of arrested growth in external growth cause we were restructuring our inner self to adjust to what we are about to embark upon. Before we can influence others, benefit others, we need to be sure of our own messaging, our own vision, we need to be sure of what platform we would use, which groups we would be part of or influence. Having been through months of this restructuring - now with Saturn direct we have lift off & launch of our vision in coming months. Support from authorities, network, influential business partners, wealthy friends, platform launches, breaking through influential group, taking a group along on a Mission & achieving socially, launching your talents at wider scale -are ways in which Saturn going direct can benefit in coming weeks to you. Restructuring your passions to make them useful for masses or relaunching your creative work in a modified format or with a modified appeal or on a modified platform or to a different set of society or group could be ways to make wider impact. We pay our dues to society here by using our instrinsic skills or talents and make them available to your supporters, society, groups at events, or through online means, or through influential friends or business partners. You are here to make an impact on wider scale - this is the phase when tools required to make it happen come through & this could be in creative field or in a corporate hierarchy. Powerful people & influences that reshape our life path usually meet us changing our view of our life & talent - this might have already happened & now we launch with new life with diligence & perseverance.

~14° or 21° Pisces can benefit the most in coming days; that’s around 4/11 Mar born for Pisces Sun though all will experience a shift in this area of life.

#SaturnDirect #Saturn #dailyhoroscope #weeklyhoroscope #monthlyhoroscope #horoscopes #horoscopeposts #astrologyposts #astrologypost #horoscopepost

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theymetinthetoihlet · 5 years ago

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Just need to write down my opinions on the songs and how they make me feel. Again,it is just MY personal opinion.I am not saying this is what they are actually about.There is no way of knowing that. Harry said it himself:he doesn’t explain songs because he wants people to interpret music their own way.

Golden:I read it as a song about grief. In my opinion,it is like the aftermath of what is described in ESNY. When you get bad news,you initially feel empty and like there’s no antidote for that sorrow. Then you feel heartbroken and helpless because what can you do when something bad happens? But then someone,someone golden,helps you. They take control of the situation even though they’re scared to see you that broken and open and vulnerable. And you find that antidote you were looking for in loving that person. The melody is everything. The way he sings “You’re so golden”!! It really is that song I’d be listening to on my way back from the beach with the windows of my car down and the sunset as background.

Watermelon sugar:In my opinion,it is about this person who makes you feel warm even if it’s cold outside. They’re the end of June,they taste like strawberries,they give you that watermelon sugar high you don’t want to go without. You want to keep tasting it because how can you go without that summer feeling once you’ve got a taste? It’s the song I’ll dance to the most probably. Even if I’m sweeping,I’ll grab the broom and start dancing if it comes on shuffle. It is THAT BITCH.

Adore you:When you don’t need any more reassurances.When you’re sure of what you have.When all has been said and done. The only thing left to do is adore this person you’d walk through fire for and whose eyes you get lost into. I personally think that adoring someone is the ultimate form of love. I come from a catholic environment and the term adore is usually linked to the worship of a “greater being”. How much do you have to love someone to get to the point of adoration? Its sound is so great!

Lights up:I’ve already shared my opinion on this one when it was first released. I still think it is about fame and the struggle between who you are and who you should be when you are someone who lives under the spotlights.

Cherry:Sorry but lyrically I cannot see it as more than a stunt song. He has an album full of metaphorical lyrics and then you have this song where you can suddenly see what/who it is about?which is made even more obvious by the added voicemail?Okay. I bet the new person the subject of this song is in a relationship with,is very please to know that their so gave the permission to use their voice in a song like this lol Anyway the melody is so soothing.LIKE! I didn’t expect that at all but I like it!

Falling:It is one of those songs which make me feel sad even if I’m not. I read it as that feeling you have when you’re feeling down and you think that you’re not enough especially for the people you love the most. You start questioning yourself. You start regretting the stuff you said when you weren’t in the right mind to say things. You start thinking about all the what ifs. The melody would make me cry even without the lyrics. And his voice!!! I relate to this song a great deal especially when he sings the chorus. One of my favourites!

To be so lonely:It’s like when you mess up (maybe because of jealousy?)and you know it but you can’t admit it so your person kind of takes a step back. It is easier when you’re out and about but then you come home and feel all the loneliness. In the end you say sorry though because missing your person wins over you being an arrogant son of a bitch (his words not mine 🤷🏻‍♀️). I read the lyrics between the album came out but I’d never imagine for the melody to be LIKE THAT! Wow I can picture myself to listen to this song while lying on a straw bed in the countryside!

She:A man who has kids,an office job and a boat. A man who sometimes imagines to sail away but what would he tell the others,his mates? A man who plays pretend because at the back of his mind there always this “she” which I think represents his true self but he doesn’t know neither where or who “she” is. “She” is the other part of the “we” he sings about in Fine Line,in my opinion. I’ve has the chorus stuck in my head since I first heard it! The sound is soo good.It is a JAM.

Sunflower,vol. 6:In my opinion,it’s like seeing someone you love going through a hard time and wanting to get inside their head to see what they’re thinking about so that you can try and help them. It’s you telling them to plant new seeds but keeping the memory of what went lost at the same time. It’s you loving them more and more and more. The sweetness of calling your lover sunflower... I also have some thoughts about the “volume 6” but I think I’ll keep ‘em to myself. The sound is so good! You can’t help but bop to it! And what even is that end! I love it!

Canyon Moon:I‘m trying to keep this as generic as possible but this song is literally about Harry missing Louis during his tour. I think that “The world’s happy waiting” refers to the people all around the world waiting for him to go to their cities and perform. “I’ll be gone too long from you” hello?? “Two weeks and I’ll be home” HELLO?? I think “Canyon Moon” is a metaphor for the places and the moments they’ve been together and happy that he keeps thinking about when he misses Home too much. Harry said country music rights with this one! Sooo good! Is he the one whistling though?

Treat People With Kindness:I think this is about tour. It’s about how free and accepted he felt. And it is not just for him. It is for all the people who felt the same. If you treat people with kindness and they do the same to you,you can create a good space where you are free to dance around and feel good. This is so much fun! The chorus would have made a good advertisement jingle in the 90s. He’s going to have so much fun performing it. I think it is the Kiwi of Fine Line when it comes down to the live performance. I can’t wait to see his dance moves 💃🏻

Fine Line:Okay so the first time I read the lyrics of this one,I thought it was a song about a relationship. Then I read the lyrics again and...I kind of think this is a conversation between two sides of the same person? The two sides being the masculine and feminine sides,in my opinion. It’s like you’ve struggled to get to know and accept that other part of yourself. In the end you succeed by “spreading it open” and finding that balance that helps the two sides co-exist and you (we) will be alright. Of course,you will 💚 I don’t know I guess it could be about both. Or neither. I really like this one and the melody is so soothing. Like I’m going to play it every night before bed so that I can relax. I can almost see him performing it while sitting on a stool with just a light beam on him.

This is my take on the album. I’m really happy to have new music from Harry. I really liked HS1 but I think I like Fine Line more. They’re very different sound wise and I think he made this album by focusing more on the melodies than the lyrics maybe because he was thinking about how the songs could work while being played live on tour. Once,Harry said that the amazing thing about music is that there is a song for every emotion and that’s what I feel while listening to his album(s). There is a song for feeling:feeling sad,feeling happy and accepted,feeling loved and taken care of,feeling conscious of yourself,feeling secure of what you have with your person. And there is a different sound for each of those feelings.m which is what I like the most about this album. There is not even one song I’m going to skip! I’m glad he had fun while making this new album.You can feel it. I hope he’s proud of himself as much as I (and many more of us) am of him.

#the review nobody asked for #i really needed to write this down #if you read this and get til the end thank you you legend #fine line is such a great album #harry delivered once again #so proud of him 💚#now go stream at least until january 31st!#mine

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minah-delacroix · 6 years ago

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Champagne Dreams

Minah Delacroix sat in the luxurious hall of the Dupont Family Residence. She was wearing one of the oh-so-many breathtaking dresses from her family’s fashion house, a long strapless pink gown that matched perfectly the color of her flushed cheeks. On a bitterly cold winter night of extravagant excess courtesy of one of the Delacroix’s business partners, the fire blazed in all corners of the room, filling the hall with the scent of applewood, while outside the snow piled up on the sidewalks. Most people in the room chatted comfortably, but Minah didn’t seem particularly pleased with neither the extremely glam crowd nor the chaotic excess of decoration adornment hanging from the ceiling. She sat in a state of well-disguised apathy, sipping at her glass of champagne and scanning the place over its rim.

“I just met Tara and Mark at the bar. They’re throwing a housewarming party next week, but they want to know when is Sungjae coming back from his trip before setting a date….” A blonde, tall woman materialized from behind Minah, speaking earnestly and giving her a questioning look as she slid in one of the empty velvet chairs beside her.

“If he manages to seal the deal with that Japanese company, I guess he’ll be home by Friday” Minah replied to Jane’s question, doing the maths in her head and letting out a groan once she realized there were still six days ahead. Another six days without her husband.

“Are you feeling alright, Honey?” Minah’s unusual answer made her best friend raise a brow and examine her expression carefully.

“No, I’m not. The flamboyant silk curtains hanging from the ceiling and the hideous tablecloths are giving me a headache. Je suis dégoutée” Minah hissed in an extremely unlikely fashion for someone as good-natured and kind. Jane’s eyes narrowed automatically, inspecting her minutely.

“Not the smoothest decoration choices, indeed, but I can tell there’s something else bothering you.” Jane’s signature knowing smile crept up the corners of her mouth “And don’t you even dare to dodge my question, I know it’s definitely not the fake Louis XIII wallpaper either” The blond witch watched Minah open and close her mouth within a second and then smirked at her perspicaciously. The two of them had been best friends for such a long time that she had guessed there was a problem even before Minah had even started to show symptoms of unfounded dreariness. Jane had also noticed the tinge of sadness in her best friend’s voice and the glimpse of sadness in her eyes at the mention of her husband. Yet, she still wanted to hear whatever Minah had to say from her own mouth.

“It’s just that I…“ Minah watched Jane lean back in the chair and look at her, eyes full of expectation, as she raised the glass of champagne to her lips and took another sip of it.

She couldn’t help but to mentally smack herself for being unable to hide anything from her best friend. Now, how was she supposed to tell Jane, without embarrassing herself, that she missed her husband more than she was willing to admit? Considering Sungjae had been away no more than two weeks, it seemed to Minah that she might’ve sounded pathetic if she claimed that she wanted him back home, that she missed his smile and life without him seemed unbearable and uncomfortable.

Yes, it sounded tragic.

Fortunately, Minah didn’t have to splurge those words so early in the evening.

“Good evening, ladies.” The brunette was still struggling to find the right words to explain the way she felt when a male voice spoke behind her. “What a pleasure to find you two here” The cheerful greeting made both Minah and Jane turn around slightly startled. An there he was, Tyler Lee smirking smugly, dressed in yet another one of his head-to-toe signature Gucci looks.

“I’d ask you what are you doing here, but I’ll save myself the ulcers and assume my grandmother invited you to bother me” Minah glared at Tyler, but that didn’t stop him from inviting himself to sit at their table, still smirking at her as he took the seat at her right.

“Ugh, aggressive, aren’t we?” Tyler smirked at Minah as though he could read her mind and notice her panicking thoughts. “Actually I’m just escorting my mother” Tyler scanned the room with the eyes and stopped back on Minah. “Unlike someone I know who seems to be here all on her own.” He remarked, eyes fixed on the Delacroix heiress, silly smile crossing his already bratty-looking features. His ridiculous display made Minah’s insides burn and earned Tyler an icy glare from Jane. “What happened, Minah? Where’s the hubby? Did you two start fighting so early on your marriage?” Tyler chuckled without any amusement. Sure it had not been long since he had finally come to terms about his feelings for Minah (or lack thereof), but the childish side of him still wanted to hurt her for marrying another man. And he couldn’t think of any other way than attacking Sungaje and their relationship.

“Not that I owe you any explanations, but unlike you, Sungjae has a tech empire to run” Minah replied dryly, her scowl as hard as a rock. “He’s on a business trip”

“Oh, how funny they now call them business trips” Tyler shrugged, smug smirk still plastered on his face.

***********************************************************************************************

Half of hour later Minah watched Tyler peel back the gold foil of a 1980 bottle of Krug. She was looking just as classy as ever, but Tyler thought to himself that it was rather obvious she had already had too much to drink, her cheeks had tinted in a soft hue of red and her lips were even plumper than usual.

“What do you think your husband would say if he knew you’ve been drinking champagne with me all night?” Tyler gave Minah a lopsided smile and she immediately fixed her eyes on him coldly, her eyelids looking heavy as she cast him a glare. “Oh, don’t worry, I won’t tell him anything, although I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.” Tyler smiled cheekily “You know, the way I see it he’s rather nonchalant about you” He picked the empty flute of champagne from Minah’s hands and topped it up before returning it to her.

“Jealousy is for unconfident people,” Minah replied with a roll of her hazel eyes.

“True, since you’ve ignored me for over eight years, there would be no reason for him to doubt you.” Tyler chuckled scornfully, stretching his arm along the seat behind her. “You, however, should be feeling nervous considering your husband might meet some fun, bright, sexy tech expert on his trip or bond with one of his colleagues.”

“I’m all those things, Tyler. He would never” Minah gulped quietly, shaking her head a little and trying to appear sure of her words. “Sungjae is a good man,” She remarked taking another sip from her glass; dozen of drunken thoughts flashing through her mind.

“Not like you’re not fun, bright and sexy.” Tyler immediately added, “In fact, you look beautiful tonight…” Minah narrowed her eyes “…if I’m allowed to say such a thing”

“You are, but that doesn't mean I appreciate it” Minah retorted curtly before giving an impatient sigh. “You can’t just suggest my husband would cheat on me in a heartbeat and then pretend to flirt with me, Chipmunk. I thought we were over this.” Her words were so thick and heavy that Tyler couldn’t stop himself from chuckling at her.

“I wasn’t flirting though,” Tyler said “I’m seeing someone, in case you want to know” He shrugged and went to interrupt Minah’s complaints. “I was just being a good friend and giving you advice so it won’t catch you off guard if Sungjae decides to go on business trips more often. Then you’ll know what he’ll be up to-“

“I can’t leave you a minute without having you cause trouble. You’re truly unbelievable” Jane reappeared just on time to stop Tyler from saying something he would’ve later regretted, but Minah’s face had already contorted in something akin pain.

“But-“ He stopped mid-sentence catching Jane’s warning look and he settled for keeping his mouth shut as Minah picked the fluted glass in front of her and gulped down its sparkly content in one go.

“I think we should call it an evening, love, you’ve had enough drinks for a night,” Jane said as she snatched the glass of champagne from her best friend’s hand.

***********************************************************************************************

Back in her London apartment, Minah leaned her head against Jane’s shoulder, humming a song her friend couldn’t recognize although Minah claimed it was hers and Sungjae’s song.

“Do you think Sungjae misses me?” The young woman asked absentmindedly. Of course, the question was rather improper for someone as confident of her marriage as Minah used to be, but Jane wasn’t completely surprised to hear those words coming from her.

“He would be dumb if he doesn’t” Jane tried to reassure, but instead she earned herself a horribly pointed glare from her friend.

“Don’t you dare call my hubby dumb” Minah slurred, sitting up and running a hand through her hair before addressing Jane a glare, eyes narrowing into tiny slits.

“I mean… he’s intelligent, so of course, he does” Jane corrected herself. She knew better than fighting a drunk and overly emotional Minah.

“Sungjae is the smartest person I know, J” A giggle escaped Minah’s lips. She was left smiling with a silly lost gaze that made her look like she had suddenly been transported to another dimension. Jane clicked her tongue, shaking her head and scrunching up her nose. In normal circumstances Minah wouldn’t have let anyone see that image of her, with the flushed cheeks and rounded, shining eyes, as she spoke about Sungjae, so Jane found the situation rather cringe-worthy. “He’s smart, handsome, kind, sexy-” Minah stopped all at once, making a pause as though she had suddenly been reminded of something. “But you know what?” The smile on her lips vanished and a soft pout replaced it. “He can also be mean” Jane frowned at Minah inquisitively “Very, veeeeery mean”

Although Jane chalked up Minah’s last words as mere drunken rambling, she became increasingly worried once Minah let her head fall on her shoulder once again. There was a heavy sigh and a rather nerve-wracking silence followed for a few seconds, then Jane noticed that her friend’s eyes were filling up with tears.

“Oh, honey…” Concerned, Jane wrapped an arm around Minah “What’s wrong? Have you guys been fighting? Is Sungjae really on a business trip?” The blonde asked question after question, looking at Minah impatiently, but all the brunette did was fidgeting with a button of her coat before shaking her head from side to side as response. “No, you guys haven’t fought or no, he’s not on a business trip?” Jane inquired, unable to hide the exasperation in her voice.

“He’s been mean to me, J. He’s been a bad husband” Jane let out an involuntary gasp. She then slipped two fingers under Minah’s chin to lift her face so she could look into her eyes. Jane could barely believe her ears because a sober Minah would’ve never spoken of Sungjae that way. If anything, Minah was always praising her husband and subtly bragging about how happy they were together.

“Sweetie, don’t scare me, what’s going on between the two of you?”

“He doesn’t love me anymore, J. He doesn’t want me.”

“What? Did he say that?” Jane stared at her friend frozen.

“He left me, J” Minah’s words came out on a choked sob. At the gut-wrenching sound, Jane let out a frustrated sigh. She was fuming and looked ready to mete out justice and cause serious injury to Sungjae the next time he happened to cross her path. But then Minah went on. “He didn’t let me come with him to his business trip… ” Jane frowned stunned.

For a brief moment, the blonde woman didn’t know how to react. Yet she ended by bursting out into hearty laughter, although Minah was dangerously staring at her. “I’m being serious, Jane. Sungjae said I’d be bored. What if Tyler is right and he didn’t want me there because he’s having an affair?”

Jane chuckled at that drunken ramble, recognizing an unguarded confession.

“Minah, sweetie….” The blonde woman finally spoke after a moment of silent pondering. “Sungjae didn’t want you there because he knew you’d be a distraction. He can barely keep his eyes off you when you’re in the same room… or his hands for what is worth.” Jane scoffed a laugh, then pulled Minah against her and patted her head with affection. “You’re just drunk, angsty and if you don’t stop now, I’m not letting you forget this tomorrow… or the rest of your life”.

***********************************************************************************************

Minah walked down Yanaka's narrow streets. The residential and traditional Tokyo district doesn’t usually have space for heavy traffic and the old houses framing both sides of the street are in its majority two-storey buildings, squat and unassuming in the noon light. There was nothing worth of Minah’s attention, so she moved freely, her long spring dress clinging to the curves of her body while her brain, fully occupied by thoughts about her husband, tried to lamp down the eagerness overtaking her.

When Minah finally stepped into the building where Sungjae usually stayed when visiting Tokyo, it was ten minutes past noon and all the young witch wished was that her husband would appreciate the effort she had made to surprise him. Of course, If Jane was right, Sungjae was probably going to scold her for distracting him from work, but Minah had already planned her strategy, she would just acknowledge she had felt empty, lonely and terribly depressed the past weeks and then she’d put to good use her most powerful weapon… well, her second most powerful weapon: the puppy eyes.

It was a bulletproof plan.

Yet the Delacroix heiress couldn’t even begin to put her plan into motion.

As Minah stepped into the penthouse she immediately perceived something strange, there was a rather strong peppermint scent invading her nostrils… a perfume probably. She also found it strange that Sungjae had left his jacket on the table next to an unopened bottle of wine and two glasses. Minah gave few steps forward, trying not to make any noise as she scanned her surroundings and focused on every detail. There were a couple of books she had never seen on the center table; Sungjae's shoes on the carpet and resting by the fireplace a white Chanel gift bag. The black leather sofa was intact, but when she looked back at the entrance, she noticed an unfamiliar cashmere coat on the coat-rack.

A voice inside her head vainly tried to remind Minah that Sungjae would never do something as nearly as horrible to her, but the place was eerily quiet and her mind wouldn't stop playing games. She looked at her watch again, only 2 minutes had elapsed and yet her disquiet had turned them into eternity.

“Your brain is playing tricks on you, you’re imagining stuff“ Minah recited as she shook her head lightly, almost chuckling at her silliness. But the idea didn’t appear as farfetched anymore once she realized the unknown perfume seemed to be coming from the bedroom, just like the sudden fit of giggling and moaning.

Minah mindlessly strode across the living room and down the narrow hall that led to the bedroom. She took a deep breath just before pushing the door open and she wasn’t even surprised to find her husband with a pretty, young, and completely naked Japanese woman straddling him.

“Sungjae…” she managed to utter in a mere whisper, unable to find other words. She had stopped, paralyzed in the doorway, unconsciously reaching for her wand.

After the first second of initial shock, Sungjae’s expression changed with something akin embarrassment and shame. “For Merlin... Minah, what are you doing here?". At least he had the decency to stop the act he had been performing before Minah opened the door, but she was still infuriated by his question. As if having to be halfway across the world gave him the right to do as he damn well pleased. This included.

There was no answer to Sungjae’s question. Minah's first instinct was to hex the pretty Japanese woman who by then had buried her face in Sungjae’s chest, trying to hide her identity, probably. But it was too late, Minah was sure she would never be able to forget her face.

Minah was torn, she could quite understand how she had managed to stand on her feet. This wasn't physical pain, this was a soul-deep, heart-crushing emotional kind of pain she had never felt before. Yet, range burning her entrails, Minah put her wand away and clenched her fists tightly “We’re done. Don't even bother coming back home." Was all she said before storming out of the room.

Sungjae called after her, but she slammed the door, creating a major explosion behind her.

***********************************************************************************************

It was probably six in the morning when Sungjae woke up to the sound of his phone ringing. It took him a second or two to orient himself to his surroundings and remind himself why he was sleeping in a hotel room without the warmth of Minah’s body pressed against him. Still half asleep and with a groan, he reached for his phone and glances at his wife's picture popping up on the phone's screen. He struggled to a sitting position before answering the call.

“Minah? Is everything ok?” He pulled the phone tight up against his ear, but there’s no response. “Minah?” Sungjae heard a muffled sob coming from the other end of the line that put him on edge “Are you crying?” He had no idea what his wife was doing, but he had always been prone to imagine the worst. “Minah, talk to me. Is everything fine?”

“No, I’m not ok-“ out of the sudden Minah burst into tears. She cried in a muffled, inconsolable way… the way only small children do. Sungjae believed his heart was going to stop anytime soon if she didn't explain what on Earth was going on, but when his wife spoke again his confusion only grew bigger “Please, Sungjae, don’t leave me. I swear I’ll do whatever you want. We can buy a dog or redecorate home. I’ll do anything” Minah made a quick pause and Sungjae frowned almost automatically “Hell, we can try for kids if you want. Anything you want, I’ll give it to you. Just don’t leave me, please, babe”

“Leave you? Minah I don’t understand where that’s coming from, but I just came on a business trip, I’m not planning to leave you.” Sungjae replied, still weirded out by the random conversation he was having with his wife. There was something extremely odd about the way Minah was behaving, offering to do all the things he knew she wouldn’t do even if her life depended on that. Having children being one of them. At least for the time being.

“Ha!” Minah scoffed angrily and Sungjae swore he could almost see her rolling eyes on the other end of the line “You surely were doing business with that Japanese woman!”

“Minah, it’s…” Sungjae quickly checked the clock hanging on the wall and unwillingly let out a soft groan “6 am here. I have no idea what woman you’re talking about”

“The woman in your apartment, Sungjae!” Minah sobbed, almost in hysterics. Sungjae’s eyes flew open. Fully awake now, he pushed the covers and got on his feet.

“Minah, I literally just woke up”

“Et moi, j’imagine stuff, right?” Her voice replied, slurring in French.

The second Sungjae heard Minah’s accent coming out in full force, he understood why his wife didn’t make any sense whatsoever. She had been drinking a bit too much. It wasn’t something that happened often, but it was a pattern that repeated whenever something was bothering her, so Sungjae frowned turned between frustration and concern.

“By any chance have you been drinking?” He inquired patiently, but there was no immediate response.

Minah remained quiet. With the phone pressed against her cheek and still high on the alcohol, she wondered if what she had just said was totally ridiculous.

“Why won’t you answer my question?” Sungjae sighed, slightly irritated. It was a shame he could not see Minah pouting and frowning like a lost little girl on the other end of the line.

There was a brief silence and after a few seconds, Minah spoke again. “I just had few drinks at the Dupont’s party” She confessed, her voice quickly adopting a more demurred tone, as though she were trying to show Sungjae that she was perfectly fine.

“Just a few?” Sungjae had serious reservations about that last claim, but a question suddenly flashed through his mind “Where are you? Did you get home safely?”

“I’m home… ” Minah sounded as though she had stopped crying and was suddenly aware that she wasn’t as sober as she had thought “But I can’t sleep because I miss you.” she informed.

Sungjae let out a relieved breath. Minah was still slightly angsty, drunk and accusing him of cheating, but at least he knew why they were having that senseless conversation.

“How much have you to had to drink?” Sungjae asked, ignoring her last comment.

“Juste some of champagne” Minah’s French made another wild appearance. “Quatre ou cinq” If Sungjae could’ve seen his wife, he would have probably laughed at the cute way she was using her fingers to count, but he couldn’t so he rolled eyes instead.

“You just accused me of cheating with four or five glasses of champagne on?” Sungjae asked dumbfounded, finding his wife’s low alcohol tolerance quite odd.

“Pas coupes, mon chéri” Minah laughed as she flipped over onto her back, sinking in the silky sheets of the king-sized bed she usually shared with her husband. “I meant bottles”

“I can’t believe Jane let you drink five bottles of champagne at one of those high society parties of yours” Sungjae was mostly speaking to himself, but Minah chuckled amused.

“I didn’t drink with J though” Minah pointed out softly, eyelids suddenly growing heavy.

“Minah, were you drinking on your own?” Now, Sungjae was seriously worried about his wife’s mental health. Minah would never behave so carelessly at a place where her family’s name was so highly regarded and well-established social protocols ruled the behavior of the guests.

“Nope,” Minah turned on her side, her head resting on her arm. “J’ai passé la soirée avec Tyler” She said calmly. A second later her eyes closed.

“You did what?” But Minah didn’t reply. She had already fallen asleep. “Minah… Minah?”

***********************************************************************************************

Next morning in London, Minah woke up feeling as though someone had glued her eyelids shut in the night. When she finally pulled them open she was surprised to see a bouquet of lilies on her bedside table, but she barely paid them attention once she realized it was eleven thirty and she could barely remember how she had made it home. All she could remember was Tyler smirking at her cynically and for some odd reason, Japanese streets. She also remembered feeling dreadful and missing Sungjae.

Minah sat up and noticed her reflection on the mirror across the wall. She looked awful... hair unbrushed, eyes swollen, mascara smeared. She couldn’t stand the view, so she looked away almost mechanically. As she did so, her eyes caught sight of a black leather bag on the sofa. And yes, it all came back to her as blurry scenes from one the classic movies she was so fond of. As childish as it sounds, Minah’s instinctive reaction was to lay back her head by the pillow and pull the covers over her head. She decided she should stay in bed, hidden under the duvet until she had recovered enough from the embarrassment and put herself together to face her husband, who had apparently gone back home while she slept her hungover away.

#minah #sungjae #story #tyler #jane #oc

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hannahsmusings · 3 years ago

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Lou

*Lou scoffs at your comment about cutting an onion doesn't make you a chef* Believe me, it does. I normally just put the onion into our ancient food processor and just let that do all the work so this... this is proper cooking. *he smiles wide as you agree to help him, his puppy eyes gone, replaced with a proud smirk which was completely erased when he felt your warm hand against his cold one, immediately tensing at your closeness, always feeling so on edge whenever you entered his personal space, his brain just turning to mush as he tries to focus on what you were making his hand do but all he could focus on was the smell of your shampoo and how he wanted to say 'fuck the onion' and kiss you senseless but that was also terrifying to him, never before having such strong and intense feelings for someone that he barely really knew, this all being so new and therefore terrifying considering Louis was quite a creature of comfort and habit, not thoroughly enjoying new things* *he comes back to himself at the sound of your words, looking at you, his eyes a bit dazed and sort of far-off but he just smiles, nodding before looking back down at the onion and doing it the completely wrong way, groaning annoyedly before looking back at you* How about you do the cutting and I prepare the pasta? Think that's best for everyone... *he gives you another round of puppy eyes, wanting you to agree, something about you two sharing the responsibilities of cooking a meal feeling so domestic and filling him with the most wholesome and warm feelings, loving the idea of you two working together and being a team, never feeling like this before even with his long-term girlfriend, but with you he wanted to be equals and do things together*

_________________________________

*smiles at your compliments, shaking my head and enjoying this time to bond with you, it allowing me a moment to think and catch my breath as I found it so hard to concentrate around you, my feelings quite intense and full on and all our kissing had been wonderful but now I needed to wonder what it all meant* *i'd never been in a serious relationship before, always being so focused on my work and studying to be a doctor so this was all a bit terrifying to me* *looks down at your slice and smiling fondly as you struggle, giggling a little and shaking my head before rolling my eyes as I give in* Fineeee. You know how to boil water, right? *giggles, sending you a cheeky wink as I tease you, everything feeling so natural with you I couldn't quite get over that* *finishes cutting the onion and the mushrooms and other veg, keeping them neatly sliced on the board as I turn to you* Where'd you keep your pans? *smiles as you point to a higher cupboard, stretching up on my tip toes and my shirt riding up exposing my toned stomach for just a glimpse, grabbing the pan before I begin to cook the vegetables* Teamwork makes the dreamwork. *hip checks you as you start the pasta*

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lelou-quotes · 4 years ago

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5 Signs You Aren't Meant to Work for Someone Else

The expansive ocean of people around the world makes for a fascinating life journey.

People choose to live vastly different lifestyles. They might choose to become an entrepreneur, study at university, work for an organization, find fulfillment traveling the world performing charity work close to their heart, work for six months and explore the world for the remainder of the year, or live in different countries dependent on the weather.

Five Telltale Signs

Irrespective of the life you choose, you are guaranteed to encounter the never-ending battle between individuals, recruiters, and employers. In the face of recruiters' and employers' constant efforts to place individuals in a box, there are those who admit defeat and remain in the box.

Then there are those who profusely refuse and fight like heavyweight champ Joe Louis at the mere thought of remaining in a small confined box for the rest of their lives. The latter are the individuals who inevitably find themselves searching for the right path to enable them to permanently live outside the box, despite external influences attempts to push them back in.

These entrepreneurs simply refuse to fit into a check box, they make the rules rather than follow them, absolutely despise being told what to do, value freedom, and want to live life on their terms.

Here are the five telltale signs you are not supposed to be an employee:

1. You're Highly Restless

Highly restless people will continually struggle to stay in one job for a long period of time. They are restless because they require constant challenge, an interesting role within an organization that allows them to color outside the lines.

This is where it begins and ends. Organizations have so many rules and regulations that it can be difficult to color outside the lines. This results in restlessness, which leads to boredom.

Organizations face an uphill battle to attract top talent, and more importantly, retain it. The Wall Street Journal reported that the average job tenure for individuals between the ages of 20 to 24 was 16 months, and three years was the average job tenure for those aged 25 to 34.

2. You Love Never-Ending Challenges

It is a well-known fact that high-performing individuals leave organizations if they are not given significant challenges in their role.

High performers are renowned for pushing the boundaries and achieving goals that exceed expectations, and therefore, if the organization is unable to fast track a promotion, present opportunities such as project work that develops the individual further, these high performers are easily bored and sprint towards the first exit sign.

3. You Were Born to Be Fiercely Creative

Creative individuals' internal desire keeps them highly motivated. They thoroughly enjoy unveiling their plethora of ideas and innovative solutions to management within organizations.

The challenge lies in retaining these individuals, for they become restless and frustrated working in a 9-to-5 environment, limited by a rigid job description and unable to bring any of their ideas to fruition or irritated by the constant battle to overcome obstacles along the way.

4. You Are Insanely Talented

Thankfully, the 9-to-5 job is slowly dying, with an increase in the number of individuals leaving jobs to become self-employed or choose from the delectable freelance opportunities available.

Those who are insanely talented want the freedom to run their own race, work with clients they love, find innovative ways of working, utilize their talents, significantly raise their income, and pivot at a moment's notice.

They have grown tired of being chained to a desk, which is such an antiquated way of working. The Swedish are already experimenting with six-hour workdays, and reporting that productivity and retention increased. Organizations preach work-life balance yet expect employees to work long hours at a desk at the expense of engaging in quality family time, hobbies, and further studies, often due to exhaustion or mental health issues.

Being technologically connected is destroying relationships and increasing work expectations to unattainable levels. Just ask a partner working in a professional services company or the CEO of any organization, the email communication alone is out of control.

5. You Want to Rule the World

Individuals who want to rule the world rarely fit into society's ideals, and that is exactly how they like it.

They are wired that way, it's a part of their personality that is hard to ignore, which is why these individuals effectively have no option but to leave a laborious role to enter the majestic world of entrepreneurship.

Famous entrepreneurs who make their own rules mix the right ingredients together to deliver exactly what the world needs. Namely, entrepreneurs like: Lisa Messenger, Tony Robbins, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Sheryl Sandberg.

These entrepreneurs are paid for results, whereas organizations choose to pay people primarily based on the time spent at the organization, such as full-time or part-time roles and consulting or contracting opportunities, which is highly inefficient.

Of course, there are key performance indicators to be achieved, budgets to meet, and bonuses used to motivate. However, the most important factors to consider are how much time, energy, and money are being spent on any one business activity. This concurs with Harvard Business Review, which defined time as an organization's scarcest resource.

Long story short, all you know is that you weren't born to do one thing for your entire life, your vision keeps you awake at night, you possess more energy than 10 aerobic instructors put together, so you opt for uncertainty and challenge over routine and, from the depths of your soul, you know that you are capable of doing, living, learning, and earning more on your own than you ever would working for someone else.

https://www.inc.com/angelina-zimmerman/5-signs-you-arent-meant-to-be-an-employee.html

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flickerof · 7 years ago

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Fic rec: summer fics

because they’re set in the summer, or just remind me of it. enjoy <3

rivers ‘til i reach you (friends with benefits, pining, very nostalgic) AU. Louis studies astronomy; Harry studies Louis. They spend their summers on the water and it shouldn’t be complicated (spoiler: it is).

Escapade (Jack, the ziall olympics, of course he plays golf. I would die for dolce) In the grand scheme of things, finding a date for a wedding should be no problem for Louis Tomlinson. He’s rich. He’s handsome. He’s reasonably well behaved. But when the wedding is for his lifelong best friend (and former boyfriend), and is happening in under a month, finding a date for the ceremony and accompanying festivities becomes more of an adventure than he ever could have planned for.

Promise You’ll Remember That You’re Mine (summer camp AU, Louis in panties) What he doesn’t expect is to see Louis in their bathroom wearing panties. Not even like standard panties, they’re fucking black and sheer so Harry can see Louis’ full arse and there’s even lace trimming the edges. He nearly has a heart attack.

Pull Me Under (the classic, footballer Louis, fake relationship) AU. As the first British footballer to come out at the prime of his career, it helps that Louis Tomlinson is in a long-term, committed relationship. Even if that relationship is fake.

in the heat where you lay (canon, iconic tbh) Harry and Louis fuck after Brussels.

that good girl faith (and a tight little skirt) (summer camp AU, girl HL) Harry and Louis are camp counsellors. They hate each other. The amount of sex they have in the camp showers probably contradicts that.

Oh Glory (olympics AU, medal bondage) Harry Styles is Team Great Britain’s newest swimmer, and has spent his whole life training for this moment, a chance at the gold medal in the Rio 2016 Olympics. All his training, hard work, and dedication to no distractions is tested when he’s assigned to the same Rio apartment as Louis Tomlinson, British gymnast and Harry’s childhood crush.

no pressure, no diamonds (thieves AU, past relationship) Louis is a thief, Harry a grifter. They are thrown together for a huge diamond heist in Paris, where their past soon catches up to them.

above your head (space AU, pining, petition to turn this into a movie) Louis is an astronaut. Harry works for Mission Control. They don’t get along.

Swim In The Smoke (pirate AU, ABO, he jumped off the SHIP) “What about this, Captain?” Liam asks, nudging the boy kneeling between their feet with the toe of his boot. The boy hisses and swipes at him, slurring out something unintelligible around the makeshift gag Niall had to stuff in his mouth. He misses by a mile and tries again, just as ineffectively.

Harry looks down at him, at the way the sun streams over his face and shoulders, at the way the gag stretches his mouth, lips pink and chapped. He’s lithe and pretty, smudged all over with dirt. They had found him tied up below deck, mostly unconscious, next to a barrel full of gold. He’s clearly a prisoner, but there’s something familiar about him, something that niggles at Harry’s brain. Something he can’t quite put his finger on.

“Put him in my cabin,” Harry decides.

Glow (alien prince Harry) (A summer barbecue at the Tomlinson’s is interrupted by a naked visitor from a peaceful planet far, far away. Can an alien and a human survive a summer together for the sake of the human race?)

Wild and Unruly (emotional cow births) Harry is a cowboy sitting on the biggest oil reservoir in Wyoming, and Louis is the paralegal assigned to pressure him into selling his land.

another hazy may (army AU, this fic changed me) Louis is a terrible poet and Harry lives in the now and they have six weeks to fall in love but, really, it only takes six seconds.

Speaking of Marvels (old school, the first fic I ever read on AO3, bless) AU. Louis is a nanny in suburban New Jersey, and the neighbors’ son is home from college for the summer. It was supposed to be a fling.

May We Stay Lost On Our Way Home (fairy Louis, wing kink) On March 31st, Harry Styles disappears. Though many speculate, only two people know where to find him: Niall, his former guitarist, and Zayn, who follows where Niall leads. The fact the biggest boy band in the world broke up two weeks earlier might be related to the disappearance. The fact Harry meets a fairy named Louis in the woods is a whole other matter. (Liam is a centaur.)

Purer Than The Water (like we were) (mermaid AU) Louis is a merman and Harry is a boy. The lake is a good place to fall in love.

Into The Blue (another classic, friends with benefits) AU. In which Louis is Harry’s scuba instructor and quite happy to provide the requested special treatment, pun fully intended. It can’t be all that difficult to convince Harry that they’re on the same page, right? Also, Niall and Liam may or may not be dating, and Zayn is surrounded by emotionally stunted idiots. He bears it with dignity.

Jump Before We Fall (another classic, hotel AU) Louis and Zayn’s lives revolve around running a hotel by the sea, Harry is a student who wants a life far from home for just a little while, Niall doesn’t know where life leads him and Liam thinks he has already found all purposes in his life.

you drive me wild (you know you do) (canon, jealousy) Louis flirts with the Australian interviewers and Harry gets possessive.

Ache To Know The Song He Sung (club AU, banging on a roof terrace) Louis is a bartender and Harry is a DJ in a club in Barcelona. All they really need to do is get their shit together. Of course, that’s not what happens.

i’d burn this city down to show you the light (a mood booster) Harry’s a sheltered rich kid and Louis’s a punk with a heart of gold. They meet when Louis breaks into Harry’s house, Harry obtains an instant and all-encompassing crush, and they spend the summer falling into a whirlwind romance.

Finding Lou (books, adventure and romance) Louis is the nomadic stranger who wanders into Harry’s bookstore. Harry is the skeptic who falls for him.

Counting The Steps Between Us (all the pining, friends to lovers) AU. So, yeah. That year abroad helped Harry establish that he is in love with his best friend. Now, if Louis would stop treating him like a little brother, that would be awesome.

This Wicked Game (bachelor AU) An AU in which The Bachelor is gay, Louis is a contestant, Harry is the bachelor, everyone drinks a lot of champagne, the entire world gets to watch them fall in love, and no one plays by the rules.

run away home (horses!!! trust me it’s beautiful) Louis is a successful jockey down on his luck, struggling to get his life back on track after an injury. Harry has a horse, a house fit for a prince, and a broken heart.

#fic rec #larry fic rec #alright time to catch up on shadowhunters #nskskn I hate it but also can't get enough of it #I just keep on coming back to yoooou #am I at harry's level in sliding in that promo yet

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bangkokjacknews · 5 years ago

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'We Are NOT sex-workers,' insist Sugar Babies

"Lucky" and "grateful" were words that Singaporean Felice Ang, 23, used to describe her state of mind when she's with her boyfriend.

And the expensive gifts and experiences that he showers on her? They are a "privilege" of their relationship. The gifts include hotel stays, the latest gadgets and custom jewellery. That, as well as cold, hard cash. If this all sounds a little odd, that's because these are perks that Felice enjoys as a "sugar baby" to her 35-year-old "sugar daddy". Felice, a member of controversial Malaysian-based sugar dating site Sugar Book, shared with AsiaOne how she entered sugar dating, the process of finding her sugar daddy, and if providing sexual services is part of the job. She meets us at Orchard (our choice) dressed in an off-shoulder wrap dress with a crotch-high slit that threatened to expose her with every step. A pair of matching heels appeared to lend her an awkward gait. Instead of a Louis Vuitton or Chanel we were expecting, a Kate Spade bag hung over her shoulder. UNIVERSITY FRIENDS INTRODUCED HER For Felice, choosing to be a sugar baby "two to three years" ago stemmed from a very basic motivation: money. Then an undergrad, Felice described her decision as a "necessity" for her at the time, so that she could afford her university fees that were "well into the $50,000 range". She declined to reveal which university she graduated from, except that it's "one of the top universities in Singapore". Her parents, who work in F&B, were unable to cope with her hefty student loans, and Felice, an only child, struggled to keep herself in school working two part-time jobs. At her lowest point, Felice said she subsisted on just instant noodles and a loaf of bread for a week. Said Felice: "I got to know about sugar dating when I was attending one of my student hall parties. "Some of my mutual friend's girlfriends were talking about their 'sugar daddies' very excitedly, so that got me intrigued. "They introduced me to the ropes of dating, so that got me more familiarised with it."

PHOTO: AsiaOne So what are the rules exactly? "Like firstly, you have to respect that the sugar daddy will have to have his needs met, and you'll have to respect what his schedule is like. Also, as a sugar baby, what are your boundaries." Another requirement that the agency demands, according to Felice, is exclusivity on both sides, but like many relationships, faithfulness is not something one can easily enforce. THE WORLD OF SUGAR DATING So what exactly is sugar dating? Some websites explain that a sugar relationship is one where one party, usually male and the sugar daddy, provides mentorship and financial support to a much younger woman. In exchange, the sugar baby offers whatever the sugar daddy requires of the relationship. However, Felice stressed that sex is not an obligation and what they are doing is not akin to prostitution. "So the thing about sugar babies is people tend to think that we are illegal sex workers, but we are not," said Felice. "Actually, we don't have to provide sexual services to our sugar daddies. Mostly, we provide emotional support to our dates, or my boyfriend, as I like to fondly call him. "Whenever he's in Singapore, I'd like to provide him with the companionship to understand each other better, to build on our relationship. So that's what we like to term 'having our needs met'." Felice's first sugar-dating relationship which lasted more than a year was with an Indian expatriate. The arrangement ended after he was posted to the US. Her current sugar daddy of almost six months is a 35-year-old British banker who's divorced. She meets him about twice a month when he flies in to Singapore. When prodded, Felice let in that both her sugar relationships were sexual, but made sure to let us know that she sees it as a natural progression of any relationship. "I find that it's a very mutual feeling, that even if we give sex as part of the relationship it's a form of expressing our love for each other in a physical way. So to me, it's a very natural development of the relationship," she shared. A TYPICAL DATE

PHOTO: Pixabay Describing sugar dating as "just like normal dating", Felice said she met with three guys before settling into her first long-term sugar relationship. "Like Tinder, the first guy may not be the first one for you." And not every date is like a scene out of Pretty Woman either. Said Felice: "Usually, my current sugar daddy will make a reservation at a restaurant, so that's why I see him, to have dinner with him over wine and dessert. "But if he's too busy to a reservation at a restaurant, I do go to his residence to have dinner with him. I'm very lucky that he stays near the beach, so we can get to enjoy some leisurely strolls along the beach." On dates, Felice has no qualms about being physically intimate either. "For me, I'm more ok with touching or physical , because I'm a 24-year-old young woman, so it's fine. "First date, I mean you can hug, you can kiss, that's fine. (Anything further?) No, because the first date is for me to learn about him as a person, and not even (to) consider him as my sugar daddy arrangement." BOUNDARIES Dating a married man is where Felice draws the line. "I do have friends who don't mind, but I feel it's a bit of a grey zone. I cannot say it's the right thing to do, I cannot say it's the wrong thing to do. Maybe at that point the married man was a good choice for them," she shared. "Personally, I will not date a married man. Because as much as I believe in sugar dating, I have my own parents, so I don't wish my father to have another sugar baby outside when he has my mum, so likewise, I don't want to be the party that cuts into another man's marriage." Another thing that she would not tolerate is disrespect from her sugar daddy. The word "respect" was bandied about a lot by Felice in our conversation. "Even though he's very successful and I'm just starting out , we also work hard for what we get, so we should respect each other. "Secondly we should respect each other's cultural differences... Maybe some Asian and Western values are not always the same, so we should speak up and not over each other's culture."

PHOTO: AsiaOne Physical violence is also a no-no. "My boundaries are not to inflict hurt on each other. So there should not be any physical act that could potentially leave bruises behind," she added, before clarifying that nothing of the sort has ever happened. Expectedly, being a sugar baby has its other downsides. For example, close friends who cast aspersions on her. "I mean, the ones that are closer to my age, they'll misunderstand me. They're like, 'Why do you choose sugar dating, are you only in it for the finances?' "But those older ones 28, 29, they understand that a relationship needs some solid ground to build on," she shared. In fact, Felice defended sugar dating as a form of female empowerment, where women have a choice on the type of relationship that they want to pursue. "My stand on being a sugar baby is that it should not be viewed negatively, it should not be viewed transactionally. It's just like a platform where women can choose their ideal relationship," said Felice, whose first and only non-sugar relationship ended when she was 18. It left an indelible mark on her. “I was working abroad doing my internship when we parted, so I felt hurt in some way also. I wished it didn’t happen repeatedly because then it’s quite painful.” Felice also saw how a friend’s five-year relationship ended due to the intrusion of a third party. "I think everybody has that kind of experiences, which is why I feel that sugar dating is not so painful," she shared. FROM SUGAR DATING TO MARRIAGE? If it sounds like sugar dating affords one quite the life, it probably does, but at what price? Surprisingly at the end of our interview, Felice threw a button-up shirt over her dress and swapped out her high heels for a pair of flats before heading home. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that her parents remain in the dark about what she does, but we get the impression her get-up was just a front put up for the interview, and possibly for her dates. Sans the thick makeup which ages her by several years, we are sure the braces-wearing young lady in front of us could still pass off as an undergraduate. Describing her current relationship with her sugar daddy, Felice at times sounded almost over-accommodating and, dare we say, subservient, in putting his needs above her own. But she views it as learning to "manage my emotions", part of being "understanding" in the relationship, and disagreed when we likened it to providing a service for a client. Despite her remonstrations, a relationship of such unequal footing begs the question: can it be real? And it seemed Felice is under no illusions that sugar dating would transform into a long-term "love relationship". To be a sugar baby, one has to be practical, she said. "I do believe in love, but when I go through sugar dating, learning about my boyfriend (and his failed marriage), I realise that love can be a double-edged sword," said Felice. "I think in sugar dating this is the thing we have to realise. We have to be not so emotionally attached to the arrangements. "As long as they have the ability to keep up with the meeting frequencies, and with him I enjoy the finer things in life, that's sufficient." - ANN – You can follow BangkokJack on Instagram, Twitter & Reddit. Or join the free mailing list (top right) Please help us continue to bring the REAL NEWS - PayPal Read the full article

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metawitches · 5 years ago

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But First, A Brief, Non-Exhaustive Tour Through My Favorite Romantic Vampire Media

Though I have been writing reviews on this blog for more than three years, I have been keeping a dark secret from you, dear readers. I haven’t really been keeping the secret on purpose, but a lie of omission is still a lie, so please, try to forgive me. I don’t think this reveal will come as much of a shock to my regular readers.

The truth is, I have a deep, lifelong love of vampire romance. I’m open minded, and can consider other supernatural romances as well, but werewolves are so packminded that I question their devotion to their beloved. Ghosts seem so thin and superficial. Zombies are interested in brains, but I want more than just a relationship of the mind. Angels and demons both have to leave their beloveds in the lurch when they get called into service by the higher- and lower- powers they serve. A shapeshifter is an inconstant lover in so many ways, how could we ever develop trust?

There are exceptions: Oz from Buffy. The medieval ghosts of Lynn Kurland’s paranormal romance novels. The sentient zombies of In the Flesh. The married angel-demon couple from Midnight, Texas, another Charlaine Harris story. And no one is more trustworthy than True Blood’s own shapeshifter, Sam Merlotte.

As a general rule, witches and wizards are the only other supernatural beings I truly find exciting, with their wide range of abilities to charm or bewitch the pants off a girl, depending on the mood.

Since I’m a witch myself, and wizards are a dime a dozen, can you blame me for looking for a little more variety in my fantasy life?

Bring on the dark, brooding vampires, who are the epitome of devoted, romantic lovers, are immortal, manageably dangerous and adventurous, definitely where they’re supposed to be during the day, gorgeous and who can share their blood. Blood which, if used in small quantities, will heal without turning a human into a vampire, but which can also make the user immortal if desired, so they can share everlasting love with their vampire lover.

What could go wrong? Don’t answer that, we all need to discover some things for ourselves.

I admit, this is a hereditary issue for me. My mother and older sister sat me down in front of the Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows in 1966, when I was 5 years old, to watch the trials and tribulations of vampire Barnabas Collins, of the supernatural Collins family of Collinsport, Maine. Collinsport was a mysterious town on the cold, rocky shores of northern Maine, just like the small towns in coastal northern Maine my mother’s family had lived in for 300 years, until my parents moved us to upstate NY.

With the amount of inbreeding that went on in the small early populations of northern New England, I wouldn’t be surprised if I share some relatives in common with Barnabas Collins. 😉 I certainly share the vampire’s love of night and inability to handle strong light.

(Yes, I live in New Mexico, why do you ask? This is why hats, tinted glasses and long summers with warm nights were invented. True Blood is a Southern Gothic for a reason. The Twilight vampires can keep their rain soaked, cold climates.)

I still have a copy with this original cover.

Dark Shadows ran for 6 seasons, through 1971. Then I moved on to films and book series, most notably Anne Rice. I received 2 copies of her book Interview with the Vampire for my 16th birthday, in 1977, because my friends and family knew me well, and I haven’t looked back since. Though the author clearly favors the character Lestat, tenderhearted Louis will always be my favorite of her vampires. He is, after all, the vampire who was interviewed.

There were other favorites through the years, such as the film The Lost Boys in 1987 and the Dark Shadows revival in 1991. There were viral vampires, such as The Strain and The Passage, descendants of Nosferatu rather than Dracula. Viral vampires are better not mentioned if you prefer your vampires to be romantic. There was Buffy the Vampire Slayer, film and series. Who could resist Angel? He was so irresistible that David Boreanaz has starred in one TV series or another continuously ever since. I definitely resisted Spike, though I know others didn’t.

There was The Vampire Diaries on The CW, which ran for 8 seasons (2009-17) and spawned 2 spin off series, The Originals (2013-18) and Legacies (2018- ). The first 4 seasons of The Vampire Diaries were as good as any vampire media I’ve seen anywhere. I lost interest when the storylines were watered down by splitting the cast to create spin offs and some of my favorite actors left the franchise, but those vampires are obviously still doing it for others.

Over the years, Ann Rice has written more than a dozen books on vampires, plus other series on other supernaturals, some with her son, Christopher Rice. She managed to make a mummy sexy. Her original vampire trilogy was turned into two mediocre films. I also had a fling with Katie MacAlister’s Dark Ones book series in the 00s, a fun vampire soulmate series. Now I notice she’s added a few installments since I last checked in with it about 10 years ago so, yay! Something else to read over the winter.

The big vampire story of the 00s was Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight book series, which my kids and I shared the way I’d shared Dark Shadows with my family as a child. The Twilight films were terrible, terrible things. I recommend skipping them. But as with so much that’s perceived to be originally aimed at teenage girls, the Twilight books have been unfairly maligned. They are full of universal themes and vivid characters.

Bella is a great character for anyone to follow and she has a romance to die for. She does so much more than have a boyfriend and a baby in her books, but even if that’s all she did, it would be enough. Navigating personal relationships is a huge part of life, and for someone from a background of abuse and neglect, like Bella, learning how to have healthy relationships when you are older is a long term challenge.

If it takes a vampire family to show you what real love, care, equal relationships and decent parenting look like, there’s nothing wrong with that. There are very good reasons why Bella’s romance is in love not just with Edward, but with his entire clan. Because of her childhood experiences, she’s in love with the idea of transforming from a human who has difficulty defending herself against the human monsters in her world, who include her parents, into a vampire who can protect herself and her entire devoted vampire family from even the fiercest of supernatural monsters. After a youth full of struggle, she finds her own power and uses it on her own terms to win a war, in addition to conducting an epic vampire romance.

There was a last, forgotten, one and done vampire TV series of the 00s, Moonlight, on CBS, starring Alex O’Loughlin, who quickly went on to become better known as Steve McGarrett in the Hawaii Five-0 revival, and Jason Dohring of Veronica Mars. Moonlight aired during the 2007-08 season, so it was affected by the infamous, endless writers’ strike which killed more than 1 show that year. It was just hitting its stride when the season was cut short.

As a vampire romance noir which explored multiple historical time periods plus the present day, it was sadly ahead of its time for broadcast TV. Plus, though the show had already been completely recast after early sample filming (except for Alex O’Loughlin), the writing still focused too much on the relationship between O’Loughlin’s main vampire character, Mick St John, and the lead ingenue human female, Beth (Sophia Myles), rather than the much more interesting and complex relationship between Mick and his ancient vampire, on again-off again wife and maker, Coraline (Shannyn Sossamon).

The show was course correcting in that direction when it ended after 16 episodes, an unusually short season in those days. I would be thrilled with a reboot of Moonlight that was done right. (It’s currently streaming on cwseed.com.)

Alas, the media deities rarely listen to my brilliant ideas, so we are subject to the slings and arrows and fangs of outrageous fortune. But just 4 short months after Moonlight went off the air, a new vampire romance rolled into town, and it wasn’t shy about telling us what it wanted. True Blood was the answer to all my vampire romance prayers.

Let’s Finally Review True Blood Season 1

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True Blood aired on HBO for 7 seasons, for a total of 80 episodes, from the fall of 2008 to the summer of 2014. It’s based on the 13-14 book series The Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris. The TV series was created by Alan Ball, who was handpicked by Charlaine Harris because she felt he understood what she was trying to do with the books. He stayed on as showrunner for the first 5 seasons, which were all critically acclaimed.

The TV series stars Anna Paquin as Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress who lives in Bon Temps, a small town in rural Louisiana. Sookie sees her telepathy as a disability because she has a hard time turning it off, which makes it difficult to concentrate on anything else or to have normal human relationships. As a result, she’s socially isolated, other than a few close friends and her family- the warm, generous grandmother she lives with, Adele, known as Gran (Lois Smith), and her charming but selfish, promiscuous brother, Jason (Ryan Kwanten).

Sookie works at her friend Sam Merlotte’s bar and restaurant (Sam Trammell), where she’s also friends with much married fellow waitress Arlene (Carrie Preston) and fabulous short-order cook and hustler, Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis). Her best friend and Lafayette’s cousin, Tara (Rutina Wesley), begins working at Merlotte’s as a bartender at the beginning of the series. Most of the town passes through Merlotte’s at one time or another, since it’s a popular local hangout.

Sookie’s parents died in a flash flood when she was a child, but other than that and her telepathy, her life has been normal, even humdrum. Until vampires came out of the coffin a few years ago, as far as she knew there was nothing extraordinary about the world. She still has no idea why she’s psychic.

A synthetic blood which can sustain vampires, known by the brand name Tru Blood, has encouraged vampires to take the controversial step of revealing themselves as a species to humans. Amongst both vampires and humans, some have embraced this revelation and some fear what it will mean for the future. Sookie makes her very first vampire acquaintance, with the vampire Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer), when he stops by Merlotte’s to try a Tru Blood. Bill is attempting to mainstream, meaning he’s trying to blend in with humans as much as possible, rather than living the full vampire lifestyle, which naturally disregards human manners and customs. Normal vampire ways tend to alienate normal humans fairly quickly. They can even be deadly for humans.

Vampire blood can be used as a recreational drug, so there are dealers who capture vampires, drain their blood, then sell it. Sometimes they kill the vampire in the process. In the first episode, an unethical couple lure Bill into the parking lot to drain him, which Sookie overhears using her telepathic ability. Sookie is surprised to discover how easily some silver and the promise of a tasty snack can disarm a vampire. She rescues Bill and their relationship is born.

Due to the images her telepathy puts in her head, Sookie has never been able to date human men, so Bill is her first boyfriend. His main attraction is that she’s unable to read his mind. Perhaps because they are technically dead, vampire minds are a blank to her. For a telepath who’s always “on”, this is soothing.

True Blood season 1 is a Southern Gothic, paranormal, horror, mystery, romance, urban fantasy, much the same as the book it’s based on, Charlaine Harris’ Dead Until Dark. Though the subject matter is intense, the writing is relatively fast-paced and there’s a dark comedy element to it that keeps the horror aspect from becoming overwhelming. The show isn’t as light and breezy as the books; in addition to the book’s humor it uses visuals and a heightened reality to emphasize the outrageous nature of Sookie’s world. The characters frequently comment on that outrageousness and on the ironies taking place around them.

In season 1, there’s a serial killer on the loose who provides the season long mystery arc. The killer is after young women who’ve been with both vampires and human men. Since Sookie has a vampire boyfriend and is frequently around other men, she eventually becomes one of the targets.

The show’s theme song, Bad Things, by Jace Everett, perfectly encapsulates the mood of True Blood. It’s an upbeat country song that promises an out of control romance, which plays over the opening credit sequence of each episode. Humans and animals experiencing intense situations flash by, while names are superimposed over them. The activities in the visuals aren’t necessarily even immoral, they’re just filmed in a way that makes them feel creepy, until you aren’t sure anymore what’s actually bad and what’s just making you feel bad.

Like an insidious vampire who wants to have his way with us, the opening credits act to lower our boundaries and confuse us, so that we’re disoriented and easily taken out of our normal lives. Whether we’re being glamoured, romanced, drugged or conned, the first step is to convince us to leave our previous concept of normal behind.

The first year I watched True Blood, I thought the opening sequence was the grossest, most horrible opening credits sequence ever made. Now I love it and think it’s one of the best. Is that a good development or a bad one? *shrug* I still can’t watch the maggots though. The vampires haven’t completely taken me over.

True Blood continues to lower our defenses and push our boundaries once the opening credits end. Vampires and shapeshifters are welcomed into normal society. They take part in panels on CNN, discussing legal changes which have been proposed to help or hinder their assimilation. They stop at the 7-11 to pick up a 6 pack on their way home. They have difficulty getting a contractor to come out to their rural home and need a referral from a friend. They are business owners, employers and employees. They worry about getting blood stains out of their laundry. Possibly a little more often than most of us, but still.

They sleep underground in the graveyard when they can’t make it home before dawn. It’s sort of like crashing at a friend’s house. Okay, that one is pushing the boundaries of normal human culture. There is an entire vampire culture that exists outside of human sight, but we only touch the surface of it in season 1.

Sookie is drawn into this world as she seeks to solve the murder mystery and enlists Bill’s help. She visits a vampire bar run by the ancient vampire sheriff, Eric Northman (Alexander Skarsgård) and his vampire progeny, Pam (Kristin Bauer van Straten). They learn of her telepathy and seek to use her talents to solve their own mysteries.

Shenanigans ensue for 7 unparalleled seasons.

True Blood Season 1 vs The Southern Vampire Mysteries Book 1 (Dead Until Dark)

True Blood season 1 follows Dead Until Dark, the first book in the series, closely, using the same serial killer plot as the main mystery storyline and Sookie’s romance with Bill as the supernatural focus. The book was originally published in 2001 and my 2008 paperback copy is a quick 292 page read.

Neither the TV season nor the book are my favorite of their respective series, mainly because I am emphatically not a fan of Bill Compton and eventually I start to gag over the way Sookie continuously drools over him. But they are both entertaining and introduce the world of Sookie and Bon Temps with enough suspense, heart and humor to draw you into the next book and season.

In season 1, the TV series faithfully recreates Charlaine Harris’ version of Sookie’s world, from Gran’s old but well-loved farmhouse to Eric Northman’s vampire tourist bar, Fangtasia. The series also included mainly the same characters and subplots as the book, with a few alterations. The main difference is that the TV show expanded on plotlines that were only briefly mentioned in the book, such as recreational V(ampire blood) consumption by humans, Lafayette’s off hours activities and the vampires’ struggle for equal rights.

Many of the supporting characters and their backstories are much more developed in True Blood season 1 than they are in book 1. This is an unusual difference between a book and a movie, but it’s not as surprising when you realize that the Sookie Stackhouse novels are narrated in the first person by Sookie herself. Expanding on other characters isn’t a priority for her, even though it could be aided by her telepathy. She’s basically obsessed with Vampire Bill and the murders in this book, whereas she’s known the other characters her whole life. It’s natural for her to have little interest in providing extra details, so she tells us enough, but we don’t get a full biography.

Two characters who go on to appear in multiple books are left out of the TV series, Bubba and JB du Rone. Bubba is based on a very famous real life singer, so they probably figured he’d be distracting, as he typically is in the books. JB du Rone is a sweet man-child who shares some similarities with Lafayette and eventually becomes close to Tara. I suspect the Lafayette we see on screen is actually meant to be a composite character, with many tweaks and Lafayette’s brains.

The biggest change from Dead Until Dark is the addition of Tara Thornton to the cast. In the books she doesn’t appear until the 2nd installment, Living Dead in Dallas. Several major season 1 subplots revolve around Tara, including the set up for the main storyline for season 2, and she’s heavily involved in other characters’ plot arcs as well. Rutina Wesley is such a vibrant presence that it’s hard to imagine Bon Temps without her version of Tara, so this was certainly a welcome change. With Tara comes her alcoholic mother, Lettie Mae, played by one of my favorite actresses, Adina Porter.

Another notable change is the expansion of the storyline for book character Amy Burley, played by Lizzy Caplan. She and Jason become involved with a vampire played the Man in the High Castle himself, Stephen Root, with disastrous consequences, but it’s fun while it lasts. The Amy-Jason-V subplot is particularly effective, with its psychedelic visuals, sometimes subtle violence and obsessive relationships.

The actors and the visuals drive home the multiple abuse aspects of this plotline in a way that would be much more difficult using only words. The genius of True Blood is that the writing, acting, music and visuals come together to make an entertaining, memorable show while showing the dark side of society and how that dark underbelly can bring pain and pleasure. But True Blood wouldn’t exist if Charlaine Harris’ genius hadn’t already given us the snarky, bold, scandalous world they are elaborating on.

True Blood is streaming on HBO’s websites and Amazon Prime. Charlaine Harris has a new book in her current Gunnie Rose series, A Longer Fall, coming out in January 2020. Until then, I’m amusing myself by revisiting Sookie Stackhouse.

Images belong to those who created them.

Book vs Screen Review: True Blood Season 1 vs Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris-But First, A Brief, Non-Exhaustive Tour Through My Favorite Romantic Vampire Media-Bring on the dark, brooding vampires. #TrueBlood #CharlaineHarris But First, A Brief, Non-Exhaustive Tour Through My Favorite Romantic Vampire Media Though I have been writing reviews on this blog for more than three years, I have been keeping a dark secret from you, dear readers.

#Alex O&039;Loughlin #Ann Rice #Book vs Screen #Charlaine Harris #Dark Shadows #Dead Until Dark #Katie MacAlister #metacrone #Quick Review #review #supernatural #True Blood #Vampires

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talabib · 5 years ago

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Qualities Of Great Teams

There is something special about watching a Great Team at work. Whether it is on the gridiron, on the diamond, on the hardwood or in a corporate setting, when a group of people “click,” the environment feels electric and the outcome is often extraordinary.

Great Teams are driven to create a culture of greatness. Trendy offenses, tricky defenses or “hot products” often get the credit for success, but the truly amazing organizations don’t stay at the top of their marketplaces without building a team-first culture.

There are 16 defining qualities that special teams all share. These traits can be worked on independently by individual team members, but the truly outstanding teams use them to build on one another. Organizations that exhibit real greatness combine talent, relationships and innovation in a variety of ways for the sake of achieving a shared goal.

1. Great Teams Understand Their “Why”

Every day, whether it’s at practice or a game, an important meeting or an ordinary day at the office, the highest-performing teams show up with a sense of purpose; they understand the “why” of what they do and can clearly see how it matters. The better an organization understands whom it serves, the more effective it will be in weathering challenges along the way.

For this reason, a Great Team will constantly remind its players and employees that they are involved in something larger than themselves and their individual goals. Some team members will instinctively grasp this essential concept and will appreciate and respect the tradition of what they do or whom they work for. Others will need reminding, and leadership must intentionally create emotional moments that connect them to their greater purpose. But whatever the case, understanding the deeper motivation behind the effort is one of the most important elements of a truly Great Team.

Author and inspirational speaker Simon Sinek explained, “When an organization lays out its cause, how it does so matters. It’s not an argument to be made, but a context to be provided. An organization’s ‘why’ literally has to come first — before anything else.” Companies that understand the purpose and philosophy behind the “why” are usually astute, high-performing organizations that tap directly into the pulse of those they benefit the most. When utilized correctly, this understanding can create a powerful sense of duty and purpose for business teams because the employees know exactly whom they are working for and to what end.

2. Great Teams Have and Develop Great Leaders

There is no question that the key to any organization is leadership. From the CEO to frontline staff, strong leaders are critical to performance. Great Teams that sustain success place a high value on developing leadership. Promoting such a culture leads to consistent behaviors and better habits and ultimately increases that team’s chances of winning.

Brad Black, CEO of HUMANeX Ventures, considers professional assessments a “foundation of development” and essential for any leader desiring to be great.

“Context matters,” Black said. “If you were told that you were the Olympian of your chosen profession, then you’d have a context [on which] to base your strengths. And all leaders should have a strong sense of who they are before they attempt any developmental venture.”

All leaders should know where they — and their teams — stand on skills, strengths, weaknesses and latent talents. Black said that understanding who you are as a leader is a “gift to yourself” and can create the road map for your own growth.

Every leader is capable of learning and adapting in order to build a Great Team. In particular, great leaders must consider not just their own leadership styles but the styles their teams need in order to be very successful.

3. Great Teams Allow Culture to Shape Recruiting

Great Teams recruit players who fit — who will thrive within the established team culture and add value to it. The talent of the employee or teammate is important, but fit trumps all. These organizations understand that Great Team culture establishes an environment conducive to success, but that success ultimately depends on the right kind of personnel. A Great Team understands that fit is more important than credentials.

How do you distinguish A-caliber players from the rest of the talented field of recruits? The answer: Look for unique qualifiers that correspond to your team culture. CEO Tony Hsieh of Zappos uses “weirdness” as a unique differentiator to determine his A-caliber recruits. For Hsieh, his A-caliber players are people who see themselves as regularly moving outside of their comfort zones and being able to contribute strange, new ideas to the organization.

4. Great Teams Create and Maintain Depth

Once the leaders of a Great Team recruit A-caliber players who fit the culture, they continue the process by building depth in the organization. Depth provides suitable replacements for key players and a sense of calm in moments that can be perceived as tumultuous by members of the team.

The top-performing sports and business organizations all operate on the principles that 1) no team player is irreplaceable and 2) talent must be shaped in order to build a deep bench at all levels of the organization. One of the best ways for leaders to do this is to create healthy internal competition. The right kind of competition within an organization can bring out the best performance and growth of A-caliber recruits and high-potential employees.

Additionally, Great Team cultures develop strategies for improving the quality of depth at various positions within the organization. Implementing intense practices or creating a learning environment can enhance both the skill level of individual players or employees and the depth of the team positions.

The concept that one person’s presence or absence can make or break a team is antithetical to how a team should operate. An organization that lacks depth places immense responsibility on the shoulders of a few.

This can be a crucial mistake, as the Indianapolis Colts learned during their 2011-2012 season. When their superstar quarterback, Peyton Manning sustained a neck injury and missed the entire season, the team suffered. They won only two games that season because they did not have a backup plan in the even of Manning’s absence. By contrast, when St. Louis Rams quarterback Trent Green was injured in 1999, backup quarterback Kurt Warner took over. This deep-bench substitution led to the Rams’ first Super Bowl win and sparked a three-season run that is famously known as the “Greatest Show on Turf.”

Just as a good coach has a plan to replace a starting player, a business leader must have a plan to replace a key employee. This is one of the most helpful and necessary parts of creating depth in a company. Even when it’s not feasible to hire from outside to fill a vacancy, it makes sense to plan for a replacement from within the organization and prepare that person for the new responsibilities.

5. Great Teams Have a Road Map

Every Great Team lays out its plan for finding success in a clear and concise road map. To help navigate that vision, a successful organization has an active, well-designed training program with end goals in mind. This plan is the fabric of an organization’s culture, and all involved in it understand the importance of following the road map to reach their desired success — even if the journey is a long one.

A road map guides a team in its pursuit of greatness and forms a culture in which individuals can identify their long-term roles. No team can achieve long-term success without one. Whether in the world of sports or business, a road map is vital to reaching a team’s full potential.

Bill Snyder, head coach of the Kansas State University Wildcats football team, installed a road map for his organization that transformed the struggling football program into a national powerhouse. One of the first things he did to turn the team around was to post his “16 Goals for Success” as a motivator to inspire program change. These goals –– gathered succinctly on a single page –– were leadership terms with clearly spelled out definitions –– and expectations –– for his players to follow daily. The Wildcats used Snyder’s clear vision as a driver, winning 193 victories in his 24 years of coaching.

A Great Team outlines expectations for all members of an organization and for the organization as a whole. This clear-cut set of objectives –– a road map –– enables the organization to set benchmarks and goals and ultimately to lay the foundation for its own success. Take, for example, Nestlé Global and its 4x4x4 Roadmap. In this one-page document, Nestlé describes its vision for the brand across all departments and subsidiary products. This road map outlines Nestlé’s four “competitive advantages,” four “growth drivers” and four “operational pillars.” Combined, these 12 principles form a clear outline of the company’s plan for the future.

The Nestlé Strategic Roadmap differs from a typical business mission statement in the same way the plan of a successful sports organization differs from that of a mediocre one. Nestlé clearly states its goal to be “the leader in Nutrition, Health and Wellness, and the industry reference for financial performance, trusted by stakeholders.” Its road map spells out how it will achieve this goal as a company.

6. Great Teams Promote Camaraderie and a Sense of Collective Direction

Team building requires camaraderie — fellowship among members of the team. Camaraderie doesn’t happen by accident; developing a strong sense of trust, accountability and togetherness around team goals requires intentional effort. When an organization comes to a collective understanding of its objective, the individuals develop a sense of responsibility to each other. They know the direction the team is heading and trust that their teammates are willing to work hard to accomplish their respective goals.

Sylvia Hatchell, head coach of the women’s basketball team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is the third-winningest head coach in NCAA women’s basketball history. She has built a strong team culture by creating a family system and promoting a mentality of respect and winning –– especially in regards to developing camaraderie. Hatchell said. “Out there by yourself, you can be broken. With your team, you can’t. That’s how you win championships.”

Building mental and emotional bridges among team members can increase employee engagement, productivity and innovation. Camaraderie is often overlooked, but it can be the greatest asset in unifying a team.

7. Great Teams Manage Dysfunction, Friction and Strong Personalities

While 100 percent camaraderie is the dream scenario for team culture, some degree of dysfunction is likely in even the best situations. When a team has strong personalities and talented people, there will inevitably be friction. The roles of persecutor, victim and rescuer are played out in disagreements in sports and business each and every day. Such a clash of personalities can heavily disrupt the productivity of a team –– or can even destroy it. But if the situation is handled wisely, the fireworks can be defused and a productive working relationship can move forward on a positive note.

The common perception is that conflict should be avoided at all costs. But not all conflict is negative or deconstructive. It can be a source of tremendous energy and innovation when managed well. According to the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, leaders commonly manage — or mismanage — conflict in one of five ways:

Some rely on their rank and title, debating fiercely if necessary, to force their way through workplace friction. That’s competing. Others try to “play nice,” giving in to even unreasonable demands to keep the peace. Their strategy is accommodating. Some fail at addressing conflict because they’d rather pretend it isn’t happening and hope it will settle itself. They are masters at avoiding the issues. Still others prefer compromising and try for a middle ground.

Each of these four strategies for dealing with conflict can have some success. But Great Teams set a standard above the rest by choosing the fifth option — collaborating. This means they do their best to listen actively, consider all points of view, and stress the common purpose and shared values of the organization. Great Teams don’t falter in the face of friction but grow stronger when addressing it directly.

8. Great Teams Build a Mentoring Culture

The most successful and high-performing teams strategically embed professional guidance within their cultures to inspire teaching and learning at every opportunity. Great Teams understand how powerful the synergy can be between veterans and recruits, especially when both mentors and mentees have clearly defined responsibilities to make the relationship successful.

Like the most successful teams in sports, many of the high-performing organizations in business make mentoring a priority. Technology manufacturer Intel, for example, has created a process that connects individuals on the basis of high-demand skills. The mentees –– whom Intel calls “partners” –– choose topics that interest them, and an Intel questionnaire and extensive employee database match the recruits with mentors who are subject-matter experts in those areas. Intel has three rules for its mentoring relationships:

1) partners govern the relationship, create meeting dates and ultimately decide what they would like to work on;

2) mentors and partners draw up a contract that contains the details of the mentoring relationship; and 3) terms and limitations are left to be discussed and decided upon by the mentor and partner, not Intel.

The fact that employees can access Intel’s innovative mentoring system through email and company intranet expands the mentoring reach across the company’s international employee pool. The result is a diverse, open stream of information sharing that ultimately fuels growth by shaping the company culture. As Intel has shown, when a corporate culture includes mentorship, the end result is a dynamic learning environment with leaders constantly shaping leaders.

9. Great Teams Adjust Quickly to Leadership Transitions

In sports and business, transition is inevitable. Any organization will be uniquely challenged when responding to employee retirement, resignation or termination — but Great Teams adjust more quickly than their opponents and do not allow leadership change to derail their missions. Instead of losing momentum and letting change become an excuse for failure, the leaders of these organizations allow moments of change to accelerate their teams’ success.

In 2005, Symantec acquired Veritas Software in order to gain a competitive edge; however, the move more than doubled Symantec’s staff — to 14,000 — and created engagement problems with far-flung employees. Communication suffered, cooperation dwindled and disengagement grew. Silicon Valley watchdogs, keenly observing the merger, even recruited and hired away Symantec employees.

Former vice president Jennifer Reimert and her team sought to correct these failures with a more effective way to reward outstanding members of their huge employee base for good service. Later that year, the company introduced Applause, an employee recognition program that rewarded high performers. Applause not only recognized the top 15 percent of the company’s employees, but also served as a driver for refreshing Symantec’s corporate culture and reinforcing the company’s values of innovation, trust and customer-driven action.

Employees were empowered to congratulate and celebrate the accomplishments of colleagues who did outstanding work or provided innovative ideas. Job satisfaction and cooperation soared as people rewarded one another enthusiastically. Production rose as employees strove for recognition themselves. And by centralizing the process, Symantec reached more employees than ever and strengthened its corporate culture.

10. Great Teams Adapt and Embrace Change

Being resistant — or even oblivious — to change is a common mistake. Great Teams keep their eyes open to what is going on and tweak their methods to ensure an ability to thrive in changing circumstances. At the same time, their leaders remain mentally tough and understand the importance of focusing on the task at hand in the midst of changing circumstances.

Bill McDermott of SAP said, “Always be who you said you would be to your customer and do things for them that others perhaps wouldn’t do.” The ability to adapt style of play to current conditions is crucial in business, particularly in a digital world where consumer demands change quickly.

The first step in embracing change is recognizing the internal and environmental factors that made you successful in the first place. Understanding how these components have changed over time will help identify what the company needs to do to stay ahead of the competition.

Achieving success is an evolving process that becomes more challenging with each passing year. But if an organization can acknowledge the reality that past success does not necessarily predict future success, then change becomes an unlikely ally rather than an adversary.

Any team desiring to be great must develop the mental edge required to master change. Ultimately, that’s what makes the most innovative and undeniably successful teams great.

11. Great Teams Run Successful Huddles

A common frustration among organizations is company meetings, which can trigger negative emotions throughout the levels of any team. Lateness, inattention, overdrawn objectives and unclear directives are enough to give even the most seasoned professionals a dislike for meetings. But Great Teams use these gatherings to inspire confidence, encourage productivity and create a competitive advantage. They understand the value of getting together in person or via technology to share opinions, coordinate plans and solidify team culture. A Great Team will be intentional about how meetings are conducted. Here are 10 ways Great Teams can ensure equally great meetings:

Begin and end meetings on time. Consider instituting consequences for team members who are chronically late.

Schedule meetings wisely. Great meetings and huddles are planned when all participants can attend.

Begin with a shared or pre-read agenda — and stick to it.

Engage employees with strong, emotion-driving content.

Make the meeting’s objective clear from the beginning.

Don’t waste time with off-topic discussion.

Allot enough time for necessary discussion points.

Calculate the cost of all in the meeting, and make the appointment count.

Tailor the meetings for all participants.

End the meeting by reviewing objectives met or decisions made.

12. Great Teams Improve Through Scouting

Great Teams scout their competition in order to gain competitive advantage. Having a clear understanding of how competitors do things can set up a company to do the same things better. This is key for immediate and long-term success.

In sports an appropriate strategy or game plan cannot be formulated without a detailed scouting report. Scouts provide both firsthand and video evaluation of the opponents’ tendencies or styles of play. Additionally, the staff completes a computer analysis of the opposing team –– both current and long-term –– for the coaches to study and break down.

When leaders of a professional team perform a scan, they examine the trends dominating their customer demographics, education, government policy and especially their competition. Great Teams analyze every perspective and option and position themselves to take full advantage of any knowledge gained about an opponent.

In the corporate world, the SWOT analysis is a user-friendly, widely accepted tool that helps an organization evaluate itself internally. Leaders who utilize the SWOT understand that they can directly manage their internal strengths and weaknesses and capitalize on favorable conditions in the marketplace, but must anticipate — and react appropriately to — outside threats.

Benchmarking, like the SWOT analysis, is one of a leader’s strongest resources in identifying how the company’s products, practices and services measure up against competitors. The goal of benchmarking is to evaluate whether internal processes are above or below external industry standards. This works by examining company-to-company comparisons of day-to-day functions and overall performance.

Scouting –– both internal and external –– is a consistent learning tool that all teams should adopt and reinforce. Good scouting keeps a team continually aware of its potential, the capabilities of its opponents and the need to develop aggressive championship strategies.

13. Great Teams See Value Others Miss

Great teams never answer the “why” question with, “Because we’ve always done it this way.” Instead, they regularly evaluate each situation and seek unique opportunities for improvement. In today’s fast-paced world, many of those opportunities can be found in the world of analytics — defined as “the method of logical analysis.”

Big data is a hot topic in the worlds of sports and business because the collection of metrics, analytics and information can reveal a potential advantage or disadvantage. The Great Teams collect that data and analyze it to recognize trends others might miss.

Sometimes a team needs a fresh look at what everyone has decided the “rules” for success look like. At the Pulaski Academy, the Bruins varsity football team is led by Coach Kevin Kelley. In 2003, Coach Kelly watched a taped lecture by a Harvard professor on the value of the fourth down punt. The professor analyzed 2,000 football games and came to the conclusion that teams should never punt.

Armed with new perspective and valuable stats, Kelley broke down the numbers behind his own team’s fourth down decisions. The data he found backed up the concept that going for it on fourth down was the correct call, even though most football coaches adamantly insisted on punting the ball to the other team. And for that reason, the Pulaski Academy Bruins made an unorthodox decision they would never punt the football again. Coach Kelley’s unconventional football philosophy has been effective for his team, which has five state championships under his leadership.

With metrics now considered a best practice in today’s marketplace, several key lessons have emerged from the leading voices in statistical analysis: Big data drives accurate decision making. Statisticians understand the importance of informed business decisions, and data analysis can help encourage an organization toward — or dissuade it from — taking a course of action.

14. Great Teams Win in Critical Situations

Every player or employee wants to be a part of a team that can achieve victory in the most critical of situations. A Great Team wins in those moments because it has figured out effective ways to finish strong. And with the game on the line, a team accustomed to pressure can execute its strategy without hesitation and not fall apart in the process. The culture of a fourth-quarter team requires countless hours of team preparation so that its members learn to trust in themselves and each other when the stakes are high. This type of approach can help a team get through a season, series or game even when the scoreboard tilts the wrong way.

A high-performing team does not remove its foot from the accelerator even in critical moments but instead focuses on ongoing strategy and goal completion. In critical times, a team should always do what it does best. Intense moments should never be the stage for trying something rarely practiced.

15. Great Teams Speak a Different Language

Through success or failure, great leaders always know what to say to bring out the best in their organizations. Many teams undervalue the art of properly framing communication, especially in times of struggle. Successful leaders do not berate or chide team members but seek ways to positively articulate objectives and expectations. They have better coaching conversations, ask better questions and drive results. Positive communication is not only a habit for high-performance teams but also a tool used to reinforce and enhance the values of organizations.

Great Teams create cultures with solid foundations in positive reinforcement. Walt Disney World and Disneyland acknowledges superstar employees — which the company refers to as “Cast Members” — on the spot with its Guest Service Fanatic cards. Whenever Disney management (or any fellow employee) notices a Cast Member truly living and expressing the company’s service values of safety, courtesy, show and efficiency, the actions of the employee are recognized on the spot by handing out the cards. Card recipients are eligible for drawings, and copies of the cards are kept in the recipients’ personnel files.

The cards have been beneficial to Disney because 1) leaders are expected to be on alert for employees who are living the values and 2) Cast Members are recognized for doing their jobs well and reinforcing culture. Additionally, the cards serve as fantastic leadership indicators when the company is seeking dedicated employees for promotions. It’s always easier for team leaders to criticize performance, but Great Teams create cultures that have solid foundations in positive reinforcement.

16. Great Teams Avoid the Pitfalls of Success

As difficult as winning is, winning repeatedly is more challenging by a factor of ten. Even after defeating all competitors, some organizations are truly unprepared for victory. A team that does not know how to navigate success will ultimately be thrown off track in its attempts to succeed further. The Great Teams maintain success by not falling victim to the pitfalls of human nature; they overcome common temptations, resist complacency and nurture a culture that wins consistently. Winners capitalize on new opportunities, adjust game plans and do not settle for what worked last season or year.

The Great Teams are led by culturally intelligent leaders. These individuals understand the impact that a strong workplace culture can have on goal completion and focus-driven work. And a culturally perceptive team can be especially valuable during challenging times.

The most successful brands of our time — such as Nike, McDonald’s, Google and Apple — tend to transcend the marketplace, ultimately becoming something much greater than a brand: a meaning. A brand becomes symbolic by keeping cultural promises in an ever-changing society; its relevance is embedded in its desire to remain significant. Likewise, risk-taking organizations outperform companies that play it safe during periods of change. These teams seek and create new possibilities with an innovative spirit.

It’s never too early for a team to discuss the temptations of victory and new goals worth fighting for. Successful teams should ask themselves, “How do we respond after a record year? In what ways can we defy the natural human tendency to coast?”

For a Great Team, repeat success is often a by-product of a high-performing culture. Maintaining championship or industry-leading momentum requires experienced leadership, cultural drivers and clear communication of the end goal and how to get there. People want to feel excited about the future and the potential of progress.

Progressive leaders understand these truths and connect their teams to a culture that motivates, challenges and empowers them to start and to keep winning. Always strive to remember the pitfalls of success –– and don’t let them derail your Great Team!

#Qualities Of Great Teams

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click2watch · 6 years ago

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Bitfinex Drops Minimum Balance to Trade on Crypto Exchange

Bitfinex has removed its $10,000 minimum equity requirement to start trading on the cryptocurrency exchange, enabling a broader range of investors to participate.

The company, based in the British Virgin Islands, cited “overwhelming demand from a wide variety of traders” for the change.

“We simply could not ignore the increasing level of requests for access to trade on Bitfinex from a wider cohort than our traditional customer base,” Jean-Louis van der Velde, CEO at Bitfinex, wrote Tuesday on the company’s corporate blog.

“For the last six months, we have been working hard to ready our platform for a new wave of customer accounts and are now in a position to open Bitfinex to a wider audience,” he added. “By dropping our minimum equity requirement, the only limits are now set by the traders themselves.”

To be clear, this does not necessarily mean unlimited margin borrowing. According to the terms and conditions page on Bitfinex’s website, customers can finance no more than 70% of the value of the digital tokens they buy on the exchange.

Further, if a trader ends up owing lenders more than their tokens are worth, “Bitfinex reserves the right to seize, take over, and assume all of your liabilities and collateral and to dispose of one or more of your positions,” the terms and conditions warn.

Upgrades

Bitfinex also said Tuesday it’s been migrating the exchange’s operations onto “self-designed, dedicated servers with premium hardware for advanced security and lowest latency.”

Further, the company is upgrading certain areas of client services, such as: “automated responses to common queries, and quicker issue resolution” from customer support; a new know-your-customer (KYC) portal; and additional information on the tokens listed on the exchange.

The exchange has been long mired in controversy over its connection with the stablecoin project Tether, with which Bitfinex shares leadership. Tether has been struggling to provide proof of its dollar reserves backing the USDT stablecoin, and ended up saying the tokens may not be backed by fiat money alone.

The two companies have been scrambling to maintain consistent banking relationships after Wells Fargo stopped serving them in 2017. For a short time, Bitfinex and Tether had accounts at Noble Bank in Puerto Rico until the end of October 2018 and finally ended up as customers of Bahamas-based Deltec. Also in October, some Bitfinex clients complained they had trouble withdrawing their funds.

Image of Bitfinex’s logo via Shutterstock

This news post is collected from CoinDesk