#strongwilled

[lowcountry-gothic]

Evidence has shown spanking to be connected to how we relate to success and failure even in adulthood. One study found that kids that were spanked in childhood, by adolescence showed an increased reaction in the brain when errors were made. The same study found that in these same adolescents who were spanked in childhood, their brains didn’t respond as strongly to success. This means that you’re more upset when you make an error, making it harder to deal with failure, or simply making a mistake — but when you do it correctly, you don’t get the same good feelings that others do.  We commonly see these outcomes in people with Complex PTSD, including chronic hopelessness (‘I’m always going to mess things up’), shame ('there’s something wrong with me,’) as well as difficulty appreciating when you are successful and life is going smoothly. The study seems to indicate that due to spanking, the brain becomes preoccupied on making mistakes at the expense of appreciating when things go well. It would make sense that this could create some patterns of thinking that focus on what goes wrong, but difficulty focusing on what goes well — setting people up for mental health challenges.

D.L. Mayfield and Crispin Mayfield, STRONGWILLED, Chapter 10: “Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child”

[amazonbooksauthor]

Stubbornness isn’t a problem; it’s a power! Here’s how to channel it for growth and success:

"Turning Stubbornness into Strength! Discover tools to help your child’s determination blossom."

"Got a strong-willed child? Learn the art of guiding, not fighting, with this empowering guide!"

"Helping stubborn kids shine—because strong-willed doesn’t mean unkind!"

"From 'I won’t!' to 'I can!'—Unlock your child’s potential with compassion and strategy."

"Stubbornness isn’t a problem; it’s a power! Here’s how to channel it for growth and success."

"Help your child turn their ‘no’ into ‘yes!’ by embracing their personality while setting boundaries."

"When it comes to big emotions and bigger wills, you’re not alone—let’s tackle stubbornness together!"

"A guide for parents of fierce little minds. Learn to nurture, guide, and empower your strong-willed child!"

Stubborn Child 

[masslaxer]

I am super dedicated, but it can be too much (I’ll fight for customers internally without caring as much about my colleagues).

I’m strong-willed or a “bulldozer” as Crystal calls it. Since a kid leading “the American Revolution” in my 5th grade class, I’ve always had a sense of what is “right” and “wrong” and never backed down from a challenge. I don’t blindly follow things and will fight back if I don’t believe in something.

[cantobear]

another vision of mine...

[hartbjjandmma]

Congrats to @aceansley on her much deserved and earn Brown Belt! She is an absolute stud of a person. A true go getter in this world, with an unrelenting will. Ansley won worlds and pans at purple and took the number 1 ranked spot in the world in her weight, age and division. It’s time to move up. ⬆️ to Brown Belt! Congrats Ansley! You are such a great role model to everyone around you. Keep going and keep pushing towards your goals. #hartbjj #hartbjjandmma #bjj #bjjbrownbelt #team #family #bjjfamily #hardwork #bjjlifestyle #bjjcompetitor #bjjcompetition #jiujitsu #jiujitsuwomen #strongwomen #conshohocken #conshy #perserverance #strongwilled https://www.instagram.com/p/CqgUKpzJUt_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[daemon-debugger]

TRUE SPIRIT IS MEDITATION:  “…breathe. Focus.” — Ben Bryant [Cliff Curtis] in True Spirit (2023)

“‘True Spirit’ leaves a wonderful feeling within the heart that never wanes. ∞❤️” — Peter Leyshan

“Nature can be very powerful, but... so are you.” ― Richard "Bray" Johnson [Josh Lucas] in The Secret: Dare to Dream (2020)

[themoonking]

me finding out that in ava reid’s lady macbeth, an allegedly feminist reimagining of the scottish play, lady macbeth is the one that needs to be convinced to kill the king by her husband. biting and ripping and killing why would you do that to her.

[subtlelifeblog]

You turned out to be stronger than you thought❤✨

[snedbee]

omg is that my wife?!?!?!

if i knew how to draw wings they would have them,,,,,

[rosemarytales]

I see your Hades and Persephone and I raise you Cathy and Heathcliff

[thevastnessof]

sometimes my mom will purposefully ignore "exit only do not enter" signs at the grocery store bc she doesn't like being told what to do, and then gets irritated bc that's the exit and it's harder to get through than using the designated entrance, and so shes inconvenienced herself exclusively to fight the power (door signs). I expressed this to my housemate and she said "with great love, your mom reminds me of a betta fish sometimes"

[lowcountry-gothic]

Lastly, we can see how spanking aids authoritarian goals because it’s been associated with lowered internal morals. In other words, spanking encourages kids to follow the rules immediately and without objecting outwardly, but discourages them from developing an internal compass of right and wrong. It sets kids up to dismiss their own sense of right and wrong in favor of listening to and obeying and outside authority, which is the ultimate goal of both authoritarian politics and high control religions.

D.L. Mayfield and Crispin Mayfield, STRONGWILLED, Chapter 10: “Spare the Rod, Spoil the Child”

[sirenofthegreenbanks]

2 + 3 + 12 + 33!!!!

had to fish around to find that ask game again!!!!! also hiiiii better late than never :))) :}}}}} <3 i need to tell u smth abt kleo i have Thoughts (not big thoughts this sounds as if its big it isnt i just reconsidered my initial statement that u might not like iiiiit)

2. anything that you'd like to write but feel that youre unable to??

oh yes!!! so much!!!!! even the things im writing bring me constantly into a situation of hair-tearing-out crying-clawing-screaming hitting-head-against-the-wall. i flip-flop between thinking i cant even write what im writing and thinking that im kinda decent. hhhhh. anyway!!!!!

i want to write a solid longfic with extensive worldbuilding. it doesnt matter the genre, just solid and rich worldbuilding where the writing stays consistent and steady until the end is already good. but if i could specifiy, i yearn for it to be a canon compliant/canon divergence/canon era fic with a unique take on canon. i want to write canon era fics in general, but im always hesitant to. i know what happens when i fall into a research hole, it fires up my anxiety. and i want to write scifi or a cool space opera. and i want to be able to write novel fic (of tyk) and not want to die during the process. all these things feel impossible to me :]]]]]]]]

3. how would u describe ur writing style?

i had to think about this for a bit!!!! because my writing style is unfortunately directly connected to my mental stability which is not always. stable. huehe. hmmmm i think my style (given that im doing good!) leans very hard into economical but evocative storytelling; like, i mean the rhythm of oral storytelling. stream of consciousness. prose poetry. poetry slam. i want the words to explode in your mouth and i want it to paint a very clear image in your head. i want people to hear me telling the story! even if the reader (or listener!) cant be there to experience it for themselves, at least i can tell them about it! thats probably because my first experience with story as a concept comes from audio dramas and generally someone reading something to me. thats honestly still the medium i prefer, tbh.

12. if you write in more than one language, whats the difference?

TvvvvvvT

currently i dont write in more than one language, if u dont count non-fictional handwriting bc i write all my notes in my native language. but i still remember how it used to be to write creatively in german. like im always whining about how difficult it is to cast the same image in english as in german; i just dont have that fine motor control over english as i have over german. i can easily switch between gears in german but english still ,, befuddles me pfft. its most noticable when im mucking around drafting and spend more time thinking about fun stuff like correct grammar and correct sentence structure and which word means what in english, than about the story and the characters. it takes so much energy and effort to think about and of all of this, there is barely any space left for the story that im trying to tell. which is def a major drawback for me and one of the reasons that ive been considering to start writing in german again. even though i have uh some baggage there that i dont really want to face. language is so connected to identity and culture. and thats another reason why english is difficult; i know english, aside from school, mostly from usamerican books or from online interactions with usamericans or people talking usamerican. so that has ofc heavily influenced my own english. like, i set all my stories in germany for reasons, but its stupidly hard to draw up the cultural markers because the language itself that im using is already coming with cultural influences from another country. its really strange and confusing, and i would find it fascinating and interesting if it wasnt so frustrating. sometimes it feels like there is a veil between me and what im trying to say, and also as if my thought patterns dont work as they would because the language that should just be a tool to tell a story is already so dominant. thats def smth i hope to change in the future

33. give your writing a compliment!

hmmm. its very earnest. reading my own stuff, even old stuff, i can tell what sort of struggles made it hard to get smth specific onto the page. and sometimes what ends up on the page is not what was supposed to be there in the first place. but its earnest and i can see that. its always the best i can do in that moment, and its always a piece of me because i give so much of myself during the process. thats not always a good thing but its how i am. im glad the earnestness, the sincerity, the love, the faith, the hope, is so visible to the bare eye.

yet another writing ask

[pied-piper-pluto]

genuinely think i deserve an award for not sniping at the guy sitting next to me in the screening of spirited away who, during the end scene where chihiro is supposed to pick out her parents from the lineup of pigs, said "if he's a dragon why can't they just fly away?"

[spotaus]

Pt 32!

[unfoldingmoments]

Is Willpower enough?

### 1. **Acknowledging Weakness:**

- **Human Willpower is Limited:** It’s natural to experience times when motivation, strength, or willpower runs out, especially in the face of hardship, depression, or exhaustion.

- **God's Strength in Weakness:** The Bible teaches that God’s power is most evident when we are weak. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." When you feel like you can’t go on, God provides the strength and grace to endure.

### 2. **Dependence on God:**

- **Human Effort Isn’t Always Enough:** Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, your own willpower fails, and that’s when dependence on God becomes essential.

- **God Provides What We Lack:** Isaiah 40:29-31 says, “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” When you’re depleted, you can turn to God for renewed strength, knowing that He will lift you up when you can’t lift yourself.

### 3. **Rest in God’s Strength:**

- **Not Based on Your Strength Alone:** Christianity emphasizes that you are not meant to carry all burdens or rely solely on your own strength. Matthew 11:28 invites those who are weary to find rest in Jesus: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

- **Surrender and Trust:** When willpower is gone, the Christian faith encourages surrender—trusting that God will provide the grace and strength to move forward, even when you can’t see a way out.

### 4. **Renewal Through Faith:**

- **Renewed Hope and Willpower:** Turning to God in prayer, Scripture, and community can renew your strength, bringing fresh hope and purpose when your own efforts fall short. Philippians 4:13 reminds us, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

### Conclusion:

When willpower fails, the Christian response is not to rely on more self-discipline or personal effort alone, but to lean on God’s strength. He is the source of renewal, hope, and perseverance, especially when you feel powerless. Trusting in Him allows you to find peace and strength beyond your own capacity.