Ron Swanson: Badass

 

 

Too good not to repost, via: sorakeem

Doubt

There is nothing more dreadful than the habit of doubt. Doubt separates people. 

It is a poison that disintegrates friendships and breaks up pleasant relations. 

It is a thorn that irritates and hurts; it is a sword that kills. 

- Buddah

May 1st

“I, with a deeper instinct, 

choose a man who compels my strength, 

who makes enormous demands on me, 

who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, 

who does not believe me naïve or innocent,    

who has the courage to treat me like a woman.”
~ Anais Nin 

Pretty little things

Sometimes I think it's okay that I take advantage of the fact that I'm a girl...having a compilation of pretty things isn't a bad thing.

JCREW does it once again...

This morse code jewelery is such a creative idea, I love it.

"Let's Do It"

I love all of these delicate pieces from this etsy shop.

Pretty with an edge.

Gorgeous.

Let's run away.

If I were a character in a romantic comedy, I'd live in Paris and own a flower shop.

Simple.

You can't have a list of "pretty" without including the epitome of beauty herself.

And you want to travel with her


And you want to travel blind


And you know that she will trust you 

For you’ve touched her perfect body with your mind. 

                                                                                                ~Leonard Cohen

Wow, this makes sense

I actually attack the concept of happiness. I don’t mind people being happy - but the idea that everything we do is part of the pursuit of happiness seems to me a really dangerous idea and has led to a contemporary disease in Western society, which is fear of sadness. It’s a really odd thing that we’re now seeing people saying “write down 3 things that made you happy today before you go to sleep”, and “cheer up” and “happiness is our birthright” and so on. We’re kind of teaching our kids that happiness is the default position - it’s rubbish. Wholeness is what we ought to be striving for and part of that is sadness, disappointment, frustration, failure; all of those things which make us who we are. Happiness and victory and fulfillment are nice little things that also happen to us, but they don’t teach us much. Everyone says we grow through pain and then as soon as they experience pain they say “Quick! Move on! Cheer up!” I’d like just for a year to have a moratorium on the word “happiness” and to replace it with the word “wholeness”. Ask yourself “is this contributing to my wholeness?” and if you’re having a bad day, it is.

- Hugh Mackay

Sunday love

 

 via greenlikebathwater

The stack just keeps growing...

via themeetcute

WIT 

via themeetcute

I'm trying, but it's harder than it looks

 via themeetcute

 via modernhepburn

Yeah. I think I could be her.

   via modernhepburn

Zebra Scarf!  

via modernhepburn

 Outdoor bed. Yes, please. 

via crushculdesac

 

I'd try this.

 via libraryinatower 

My typical day. Concerned about my next meal...

 via themeetcute

It's only Tuesday

via framesofreadingroad (I think)

I feel like it's the middle of the week already, (I guess yesterday went by super slow?) Anyways, I figured a little extra motivation/inspiration couldn't hurt. It may ward off a mid-week slump. Happy Tuesday!

Ha

via themeetcute

Relationships?

 

I have always been...hesitant, to say the least, to enter a relationship. As my mother reminds me all too often, I tend to be a selfish person, especially recently. In my twenties, I feel like it's okay, almost necessary to be selfish - not with your time, your money, or your sympathy, but with yourself. You are discovering who you are all over again, and as you test boundaries, figure shit out, and (hopefully) begin to like what you see in yourself, it's only natural to hold that close, treasure it, because it's so fragile and you're afraid there isn't enough of it to give to someone else. I always felt that I couldn't have a relationship and at the same time grow personally and continue to be a full and complete version of myself. I was under the impression that being in a relationship was what Isha Judd refers to in this article; she says, "Unfortunately, often in relationships we play small, stuck in insecurity and sheltering ourselves within the role of co-dependency." That was what I had done in the past. I was afraid to see myself  in a role - as a "girlfriend." But I realize now that I never have to define myself int he context of a role.

At the risk of divulging too much information and becoming boring or pedantic, I don't wish to preach about "love." But I have to say that this article hits close to home. I am a person who is constantly on the path to self discovery, always wanting to grow, to do, to be. I began my current relationship when I was at an important time in my life; I was listening to myself, sure of myself, and confident as to who I was. My life felt full. But then I met John and I realized what more my life was capable of holding. As Judd says, this person unlocked parts of myself that I never knew existed. And instead of shutting them out, which is what I would have done in the past, afraid to open up my insecurities at the risk of becoming pigeonholed into a "role," I gave way and began to flourish. Growing with someone can be just as enriching as growing independently. Instead of looking around to people or "things" in our lives, looking within ourselves unlocks the most satisfying self discovery. Ans once this happens, you might be surprised at how much of yourself that you have, and are willing, to give.

Great minds never rest

I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world.
This makes it hard to plan the day.
- E.B. White

 

Gratuitous globe post

This quote by E.B. resonates with me; I often feel torn, not just when I wake in the morning, but throughout my days, and while I am planning for my future. Certain injustices truly upset me to my core and I feel helpless that I am just one insignificant person. But then I realize that if everyone felt that way, nothing would ever get done. I'm starting to realize that I can utilize my strengths to make small changes. Even if I just use my time to conduct research, to pass on knowledge, use the written word to spark some sort of interest in others - there are things that I can do. And those small improvements may make the world (at least the world in which I live) a more enjoyable place to be.I guess it all comes back to balance. Damn.

via handcraftedinvirginia (if memory serves me correctly)

Some people bring out the worst in you, others bring out the best, and then there are those remarkably rare, addictive ones who just bring out the most. Of everything. They make you feel so alive that you’d follow them straight into hell, just to keep getting your fix.

- Karen Marie Moning (via wordsthat-speak)

Chicks before...dicks? Can I say that here?

 via musingsinfemininity

Throughout my life, it's been hard for me to relate to women. As a kid I mostly kept to myself, spent time with my horses, (I acknowledge that I was am a loser) had my nose in a book, and identified best with my male classmates. This lasted until I went to college where I had my first close group of female friends. Don't get me wrong, I had girl friends in grade school, one of my best friends today lived next door to me for most of my childhood, but I was always weary of female friendships because of the stigma that surrounds them - they intimidate me. I don't do drama, up until recently I was oblivious that I was even supposed to have insecurities, I'm a logical thinker, and (again, up until recently) barely got emotional. I just felt that it was easier to talk to guys about most of my problems. When I was really upset I didn't want someone to tell me what I wanted to hear to spare my feelings - a typically female trait - I wanted someone to tell it to me straight, no matter how it would make me feel - a typical male trait. I'm still that way. In the past I have approached relationships like a guy: practical, somewhat detached, most likely to bail when things got tough (my apologies to guys here, I am most certainly generalizing) so most of the time my female friends would respond to one of my relationship complaints with an eye roll and a, "Stop being such a duuuude."

But now, for the first time in quite awhile, I am in a serious relationship, and for what may be the very first time in my life, am seeing the value in female relationships. Your twenties are something that no one prepares you for and you feel like you're re-navigating your way through puberty all over again, except this time, the stakes are higher and you're supposed to have your shit together. Your body changes in weird ways, your goals evolve, your relationships are more serious, and money means more to you than beer. You need someone in your life who knows what you're going through, who can relate, laugh, and share in your misery. For the first time in my life, a friendship with a guy just wont suffice. This became apparent a few weeks ago when I was having a conversation with my boyfriend. Both he and I are passionate people, discuss topics from politics to future dreams, and I feel like it's okay to be completely open and honest about anything...but a line needed to be drawn, and rightfully so. I was complaining to him, trying, but failing, to articulate what it was like to be a twenty-something female, when he looked up at me, desperation in his eyes and said, "Can't you talk to Farah about this?" And he was right. There was no possible way he was going to get what I was saying, and neither would any of my male friends.

I'm thankful that I am in my twenties in a post-sexandthecity world where female relationships aren't all about sex talk, bra size, and diets. My friends and I do share the same insecurities; we also share the same pressures, high hopes, and dedication to get what we want out of life. It's to the point where, if I don't hang out with my girl friends, I desperately miss them. I'm craving some 'ovaries before brovaries' time and where I used to think that was a flaw in my dude-like demeanor, I now see it as a vital part of a balanced life. Some things are likely never to change: for instance, I'll probably always be the most masculine of my friends, continue to wear boys clothes, never fantasize about a wedding, and go on participating in the crusade for women's lib....but I'm okay with that.

 

Plenty of time

Everything changed the day she figured out there was exactly enough time for the important things in her life.

- Brian Andreas 

 via modernhepburn

 

Lately I've been feeling restless - like there's not enough time in my life to do all the things I want to do. Which is silly, because I'm young and I don't want to rush my life. It's not like I want to hurry up and be living in the future...it's hard to explain. I'm thinking about all the things I want to accomplish and I am afraid that I will run out of time, or that life will get in the way and take me down the wrong path, or I'll get side tracked and forget what I really want out of life. Oy. I've also been so busy that I've neglected to take pause and appreciate the little things, which means that I have been more stressed than I need to be, not sleeping as soundly, and uninspired. That is no way to live life. At least I'm taking notice so I can make a few small adjustments. There is always time for the things that are important. Always.

via museofagypsysoul