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thepenultimateword · 5 months

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Keep the King

For my song-story writing challenge! This story is based on the song "King" by "The Amazing Devil", which was submitted by @lqmie! I'll be honest, I secretly really wanted this one, so when the randomizer gave it to me I was ecstatic.

Sorry it’s a day late, I’m mad at myself for not meeting the deadline in time when I’m the one who made it, I also meant this to be MUCH longer, but realized I was getting over ambitious , but I hope everyone still enjoys.

***

Chimera ignored the water’s wailing. Phantom hands dragged on the oars while luminescent waves rocking the rowboat to and fro, threatening to leave the vessel stranded and stagnant enough to flip, but she kept her eyes fixed on the shore, lit in a blue, spectral glow that made the shadows of the trees stretch long.

“Not long now, your highness.”

“You’ll hang for this!” King Idris shouted in return. He looked a bit like trussed bird on the boat’s floor, hair mussed, cheek to the boards, fine bell sleeves crumpled in scarlet tatters behind his back. He’d been a bit scrappier than she’d imagined such a slender, pampered thing to be. She’d barely managed to drag him past the forestline and into the glammer before his guards caught up. Pinning him long enough to tie and blindfold him had been a whole other mess. The scratches on the backs of her hands prickled like stinging nettle.

“My soldiers are some of the best trackers in the kingdom; they will hunt you down! You’ll be on the noose faster than you can plead mercy, that is if they don’t tear you apart first!”

“Last I saw, your soldiers were having quite the problem with glammer, sooo…” Chimera heaved against an especially violent pull from the lake’s occupants. An oar almost slipped from her paw side, but she managed to sink her claws into the grooves. “Besides, you’re going back soon anyway. Just wait.”

“Take me back now!”

“No can do.”

King Idris cranked, his cloth-swathed face in her direction. “I’m giving you an order!”

Chimera clicked their tongue in feigned disappointed. “Sorry, not human.”

“What do you want then? Gold? Food? Do you have a grudge on my father?”

“Nope. I only came for you.”

The boat knocked hard against the head of the dock, and Chimera shook off any lingering fingers from the oars. The king yelped as a couple glowing droplets speckled his cheek though they quickly dulled against his skin.

“The water won’t hurt you, silly.” She scooped up the rope from the floor and leaped over his head to the dock, tethering the boat fast to the post. “It’s what’s in the water that wants to hurt you.”

Idris only had the chance to make a small strangled sound before Chimera grabbed him under the arms and hoisted him up after her.

“Don’t touch me! Monster!”

Chimera dropped him. She probably shouldn’t have. Adler would ask if he had a giant bruise on his face. Besides, this was a king, not only a human king, her king. Or he would be.Of a sort. Anyway, she’d been charged with keeping him safe here, not with dropping him face first on s hard, splintery dock. But…that word. Monster. It made her insides burn, and her hands moved on impulse.

“Suit yourself.” A quick flick of her knife and both the blindfold and the bonds around his ankles fluttered to the ground. She kept the hands tied for good measure. “I dont care if you walk.”

Idris rolled onto his side and blinked rapdily at his new surroundings. His eyes widened like silver pieces at the Dead Lake, then like saucers at the sight of dark looming trees and the pitch black spaces in between the trunks. She wondered if he caught the dark’s barely perceptible writhing? Like something alive. But the biggest reaction came when he looked at Chimera. His pale eyes became like twin moons. He’d called her monster based off a glimpse, she must seem truly inhuman now. She was a sight, alright, even among other fae. A lion paw on the top, a goat leg on the bottom, a tufted tail in between. Plus one devilish horn.

“We’re going up there.” Chimera pointed up the cliff face to the rickety house at the top; blessedly, the king’s gaze followed. “I really wouldn’t recommend running off. Especially not at night. The lake will drown you and the wood will eat you.”

Idris leaned his forehead against the planks and slowly shoved himself up onto his knees. He glared up at her. “My soldiers are coming.”

Chimera shrugged. “Then let’s wait for them inside.” She hooked her claws into the knot of his bonds and yanked him upright. “Come on.”

Maybe Idris realized the stupidity of staying out on this rock because he walked forward without argument. Every once in a while his muscles went rigid like he wanted to bolt or jump or turn on her, and Chimera prodded him in the back with the hilt of her knife, but halfway up he was wheezing to much for defiance. By the time they reached the top of the cliff’s stone steps, he seemed to be choking on his own breath.

"Hey." Chimera slapped him a couple times on the back, but it only sent him into a fit of coughing. "Hey, hey, hey."

She pulled him to the dining table and rushed to fill one of their wooden cups with cold tea from the kettle. She only remembered his bound hands as she held out the cup.

"Right." She moved the cup up to his mouth. He drew his lips together into a tight line, though a few spluttering coughs broke threw, sending ripples across the drink's surface. "It's just honey and blackberry. The normal kind. Not fae food. On my honor."

Idris slowly loosened his mouth and took a tentative drag. HIs face unwrinkled a fraction.

After a couple sips, Chimera placed the cup on the table and crouched behind the king to cut ropes on his wrists. He slowly drew his arms in front of himself, flexing his hands and wrists a couple times before folding them in his lap, the shredded ends of his sleeves swathing his knuckles less elegantly than this morning.

"Did they ever make you do anything in that castle?" Chimera said before she could think better of it.

"I tire out easily," Idris snapped with the defensiveness of one already hyperaware of his own limitations and others' thoughts on the matter. "I always have. There are more important things than traipsing up mountains and hitting people with swords."

Maybe so. As far as she knew King Hyacinthe didn't do much of either. News from the deep wood only brought word of sweet torture and cruel revelries, the fae court's specialties.

"Do you want something to eat?" Chimera said.

Idris went even stiffer than he already was. "Why?"

"Becaaaause we've been traveling since this morning?"

"When you kidnapped me?"

"I wouldn't exactly call it kidnapping." Chimera plopped into the seat next to him.

"Oh? Pray tell then. What would you call it?"

"A temporary retrieval. It's not like I just snatched you to snatch you; we've been expecting you, see?" She motioned to the thick pile of skins in the corner. "That's your bed there in the corner. And there is food for 3 stockpiled in the cellar. We even scrounged you up some clothes for the stay."

"Oh, how magnanimous, that fixes absolutely everything because what I've really been concerned about is what I'm going to wear."

"Well, obviously I couldn't come to you, so I was sent to bring you here."

Idris stared at her incredulously. "Sent? By who?"

"King Hyacinthe." Idris continued to stare. No recognition. "The king. The other king. Fae king. My brother and I were specifically assigned. It's a very important job, you know, and not easily acquired."

Idris held up his hands, trembling a little with the rising register of his voice. "Job? Assigned? Is this a political abduction? Are the fae planning a siege on my kingdom? Are there going to be peace negotiations?"

So he didn't know. Chimera had wondered. When a changeling was planted as an infant it often wouldn't know its true identity. But usually, they figured it out. There were only so many unexplainable things that could happen--accidental glammering, elemental phenomenons, new appendages--before someone took notice. But Idris...the way he spoke. It was like a human.

"No, nothing like that," Chimera said.

The human kingdom was already covered 25 years ago. Time for him to know.

"This is an individual issue. You're late."

Idris furrowed his brow.

"You should have manifested years ago, maybe it's best that you didn't, but now you're king. And obviously, you've been doing an awful job on your own, so if you're ever going to change, you're going to need a mentor."

Idris folded his hands tightly together and rolled back his shoulders, staring Chimera down with a cold regality that couldn’t counterfeited. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Chimera’s stomach dropped a little. She’d known their situations weren’t the same, but she’d still stupidly thought… Nevermind. None of this was about her. Alder would be depending on her to get their plans in motion.

"Haven’t you felt anything? It's like an itch. An itch so bad you want to claw out of your own skin.”

“I don’t have dealings with magic or magic folk. I have nothing to do with your witchcraft.”

Chimera snorted. “You might want to bend that person ideal.”

“I do not and will not. I demand an immediate explanation of the fae monarchy’s intentions for my kingdom and myself. I will not be cooperating until you do so.”

How did such a pale, and fragile thing pull off such commanding airs? Like he shrugged away his very body and exposed the core of his being. Well, she had to say it straight out sooner or later.

She took a deep breath and then locked eyes with the changeling king. “King Idris, the entire fae court, has been waiting for your ascension. Because only you, a changling raised as human royalty and crowned their king, can make the human kingdom ours.”

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elshells · 1 year

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Happy STS! Share your favorite piece of meta-lore for your WIPs/books/stories! (by meta-lore I mean, inspirations, how you arrived at your vision, what drove you to form it into what it is today, etc, things like that!)

This is such a cool question, thanks for asking! These are the kinds of things I like to think about ALL the time, and I'm always happy to talk about it!

It's kind of a long funny story. Cue the long-winded flashback!

The idea of Agent Ace actually started out life as a Supernatural fanfiction on Wattpad, though today it's pretty much unrecognizable from what it used to be (I don't even think there are any existing characters atm who are inspired by/reflections of SPN characters anymore). This was about four or five years ago, and although I eventually stopped writing fanfic and abandoned the work as a whole, I was still really drawn to the idea of an urban murder mystery with a twist.

It wasn't until about two years ago that I repurposed that plot for an event on Wattpad called the Open Novella Contest. Basically, if you've never heard of it, annually from February to June, writers are challenged to write a 20,000-40,000 novella and enter it in a series of rounds to be judged by Wattpad staff. I didn't get very far in the contest (I think I only made it three or four chapters in before I hit a wall and missed the monthly deadline), but ever since then this story has haunted me during all hours of the day for the last two years, refusing to pay rent until I complete it. Today, it's basically my heart and soul.

Someone I know once described Agent Ace as a 'spy thriller that dives into the dark side,' and I love that description so much. Though the story has evolved so much since I first began writing it. It's hard to believe, for example, that Sophia, one of the two POVs I follow that fills the conventional 'detective' role, was the original murder victim until I decided to develop her further. It's honestly for the best it's taken me so long to write it; it needs a LOTTTT of time in the oven before it's fully baked, which gives me plenty of time to study my outline (something I never appreciated until I started writing from a dual POV)!

I'm not sure at what point exactly it crossed into the realm of science fiction, but I'm also not surprised. I practically grew up on sci-fi, and it's one of my favorite genres to read and write. The worldbuilding is always so intricate and clever, and the characters are rich and diverse, navigating these unfamiliar worlds so seamlessly, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't influenced by certain sci-fi media. The MCU probably had the biggest impact on the story, and a lot of plot, world, and character elements were inspired by shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Arcane (though I've never played League of Legends), and The Umbrella Academy.

I've also gotta give credit to Marissa Meyer, one of favorite sci-fi authors of all time. Her writing style is fantastic and has really helped guide me in developing my own style. The Lunar Chronicles were obviously influential, but I may or may not have definitely started reading her Renegades series for some pointers in writing about a city governed by superheroes.

I haven't completed writing this story yet, even after two years, but I'm more than halfway done and recently passed 50,000 words (which is generally considered the minimum word count for a novel). It's been such a special journey so far, and I'm really proud of the growth and progress I've made along the way.

TLDR; It was hard to pinpoint one thing specifically, but ultimately, what I thought would be just a gritty, standalone murder mystery novella has become the first novel in what I plan to be a four-book series. There's never a dull moment writing this book, and I can't wait to share it with the world one day.

#storyteller saturday #though it's Sunday by the time I post this because oops #wip: agent ace #current wip #lore rambles #ella's writing

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nonhleot · 2 years

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Standing on the edge of becoming an OT...

I can't believe i'm here now. I'm not going to lie and say it was as smooth as a poker table at the beginning of these journey,well of course not!They say first year in varsity is the easiest and is full of experiences and numerous opportunities for students to make mistakes but i say mine was a total nightmare academically and non academically.Reflecting on it now makes me think about the journey i had as an OT student, which has taught me so much and i'm willing to share few things i learnt with you.

When i started these journey of studying OT i didn't know anything about OT and what it does and i was so overwhelmed. It even came to the point where i was asking myself whether it's the path i was willing to embark on but i have always been that person who wants to be unique in everything i do,growing in my community we always had that mentality that if you are going to study at varsity you going to be a teacher, doctor,nurse and social worker; so i didn't know anything else;OT included so i wanted to change that.

As the going gets tougher and harder I've learnt to develop time management skill because OT has a lot of work and needs you to be as organised as possible otherwise you will end up missing deadlines and tests;and who wants that?Secondly, taking accountability and responsibility for your own learning by that i mean ask as much questions as possible during lectures and on practicals and make sure you maintain ethical and professional behavior towards your patients,colleagues and everyone.

As i'm in the transition phase of becoming an OT, I'm like an older person who has gone back to the child phase who needs nurturing, love and care; now i have gone back to the feelings/emotions i felt during my first year that i have dealt with already which is the lot of anxiety and excitement at the same time scared. I'm scared because looking back at what i have learnt throughout these journey, the skills(problem solving,communication etc.),challenges i have encountered and most importantly failing,falling and rising up which motivated me to never give up in life which is another thing I've learnt.

Inspirational-And-Motivational-Quotes10-680x1024.jpg (680×1024) (gravetics.com)

At the end of the day it's life which is like a puzzle, you can only see the picture once you put everything together and each and everyday you need to keep on searching the correct piece and never give up if you are having difficulty in finding the correct piece; try again until you find it.Which may not be an easy thing to do as it requires a lot of patience and determination/dedication; however, if you have it you should be fine.

Motivational-Quotes-for-Students-7.jpg (800×800) (thesavvycouple.com)

With that being said, we are humans we have feelings and emotions(stress/anxiety) but we have to have ways to deal with those emotions by developing coping skills or getting the professional help.And yes!Who said therapist don't need therapy after all.

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uncloseted · 2 years

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How do I know if I have ADHD or if I'm just procrastinating because school work is boring and I want to sleep? Sometimes I struggle to do my homework especially if it's late or I had to go to work and my friend keeps telling me it's a symptom of ADHD if I can't focus enough to do my work.

You might have ADHD if most of the following statements are true about you, and you have experienced these situations often or very often throughout your life:

You have trouble wrapping up the final details of a project once the challenging parts have been done.

You have difficulty getting things in order when you have to do a task that requires organization.

You have trouble remembering appointments or obligations.

You avoid or delay getting started on tasks that require a lot of thought.

You fidget or squirm when you have to sit down for a long time.

You feel overly active and compelled to do things, as if you're "driven by a motor".

Other signs of ADHD include if the following statements are true about you often or very often, and have been throughout your life:

You make careless mistakes when you have to work on a boring or difficult project.

You have difficulty keeping your attention when you are doing boring or repetitive work.

You have difficulty concentrating on what people are saying to you, even when they're speaking to you directly.

You misplace things.

You're distracted by activity or noise around you.

You feel restless or fidgety where you're expected to remain seated, or leave your seat when you're expected to remain seated.

You have difficulty unwinding and relaxing when you have time to yourself.

You find yourself talking too much in social situations.

You find yourself finishing the sentences of the people you're talking to.

You have difficulty waiting your turn in situations where taking turns is required.

You interrupt others when they're busy.

Everyone experiences these symptoms once in a while, but if you experience them often and they're getting in the way of your life, you may want to talk to a doctor about getting evaluated for ADHD.

The way I would personally describe the difference between ADHD and procrastination is that when ADHD is preventing me from doing something, I want to do the thing but I can't. If you'll excuse me for being pretentious for a minute, it reminds me of the ending of Waiting for Godot:

Vladimir: Well, shall we go?

Estragon: Yes, let's go.

[They do not move]

Vladimir and Estragon know they should move. They want to move. Emotionally, they're trying to move. But they can't physically do it. This is a conversation I have with my brain all day long about everything, important or unimportant, things I enjoy doing and things I'm uninterested in. "Shall we brush out teeth?" "Yes, brushing our teeth is a good idea. It's important for our health and something we want to do." [Christina does not move]. "Okay, we'll wait for three more minutes and then we'll go brush our teeth." [three minutes pass, Christina does not move] "Okay, if you go brush your teeth, then you get a reward." [Christina does not move] And so on, and so on. For me, it's like a form of paralysis, except I know my body can move; it's just my brain that won't send the signals.

Procrastination is different. It's when you don't want to do the thing so you're not doing it, even though you know you should. Generally, people who are procrastinating are doing something else that's productive or enjoyable. They're just not doing the task that they should be doing. And when someone who's procrastinating is at the wire, they can do the work that they've been putting off. People with ADHD can sometimes do the task in a panic at the last minute, but just as often they miss the deadline entirely.

That said, procrastination is often indicative of its own issues. I've said before on here that I don't believe in laziness as a concept, and I stand by that. Procrastination isn't an issue of willpower. It's a result of an inability to manage negative moods that we have around a task. We procrastinate because the task is boring, or gross, or anxiety-provoking, or we're afraid that we'll fail at the task so we don't want to start it at all, or we resent that this is a task that we have to do, or we're not sure where to start, or we're not sure we're capable of achieving the task... to stop procrastinating, we don't need to "be less lazy". We need to address the underlying negative moods that we associate with doing this task instead of adding to those negative moods by blaming ourselves for not being able to do the task. We need to be able to practice self-compassion by forgiving ourselves for procrastinating, and we need to come up with strategies for coping with those negative moods.

Some ways to manage those feelings are:

Cultivating curiosity about the procrastination. Why are you procrastinating? What emotions are you feeling? Where do those emotions come from? What are you feeling in your body?

Reframing the task. Find ways to think about the task that are positive. Instead of being something scary that you might fail at, maybe it's an opportunity to practice a skill or learn something new. I always try to remind myself of this gif when I feel like procrastinating:

Consider only the next action. Break your task down into small pieces, and then focus only on the immediate "action step" in front of you. If that's too much for you, you can think in hypotheticals- "if I was going to do this task, the next step I would do is this. Then I would do this."

Just do 5 minutes. Sometimes, the biggest hurdle to get over is just starting. If you tell yourself that you only need to work on the task for 5 minutes, and then you can quit, you're more likely to start. Then, once the 5 minutes is up, working on the task doesn't feel so bad and you can continue to do it.

Temptation bundling. Do something you enjoy doing alongside the thing you're procrastinating. Maybe you don't want to clean your room, but you do want to listen to a new episode of a podcast. Maybe you don't want to exercise, but you do want to watch a new episode of TV. If you pair an action that you want to do with one that you should do, you're more likely to actually do the one that you should do.

Make temptation more inconvenient. This is maybe an obvious one, but it's harder to procrastinate if you make it hard to procrastinate. Put your phone on do not disturb and work somewhere that has limited distractions.

The last thing I want to quickly touch on is that you mentioned you have trouble with procrastination when it's late or you had to go to work. Your "procrastination" might just be that you're tired. No person has an unlimited supply of energy, regardless of how much willpower they have. So maybe it's not that you're procrastinating, but rather that you're just out of energy. If that's the case, you may need to commit to sleeping more hours every night, improving your sleep hygiene, managing your time more effectively, or cutting back on commitments in your life that are draining your energy.

#productivity #adhd #stop procrastinating #procrastination #laziness

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msmarvelouswinchester · 4 years

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Chan's 500 Followers Celebration

A few days days, I hit 500 followers milestone and trust me, I still can't believe it! It's a really big thing for me so I decided to hold a little challenge!

Now, the challenge has three parts. You can either participate in all three or you can participate in one of them.

A Writing Challenge

My blog is a fanfic blog so what is better than holding a writing challenge for the celebration!

Rules :

You don't have to follow me to participate in this challenge (anyone can participate but it will be better if you follow me afterall this is a followers challenge)

Since I mainly post about SPN, I have decided to keep this challenge about SPN only. The characters you can write about - Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki. I will accept reader inserts, OFCs, sister!reader, daughter!reader, no-pairings.

There is a list of 25 prompts. You can choose one from the list and send me an ask.

You can write any genre - Smut, Angst, Fluff, Crack. Just remember to tag appropriately. You can also combine it with other challenges. You can write a oneshot or a series. Whatever you want, go nuts!

Limitations - Underage smut, bathroom stuff, knife kink, incest, and ships like destiel and wincest (just not my thing)

Minimum word limit is 500 but no max. word limit. Just remember to add a keep reading feature after 500 words.

The deadline for the submission of the fic is 31st December.(but if you need more time, just let me know) Tag me in the A/N of the fic and use the tag #chans500followerscelebration. In case I don't get to your fic within 3 days, send me an ask or a message because sometimes tumblr tagging system sucks!

Now the prompts but hold on.....there is a little twist in this. You can not only write a fic yourself but you can also send me a fic request with one of the prompts. Choose a prompt and send me an ask with the pairing and the genre you want (smut, fluff, angst) - it doesn't matter if two person send the same prompt or if the prompt is already taken by someone for writing a fic of their own.

Exceptions : I don't write ABO dynamics and I am still a fledgling in the smut genre so maybe try to keep the smut requests to minimal.

Characters I will write for - Jensen Ackles, Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Jared Padalecki. I will accept reader inserts, OFCs, sister!reader, daughter!reader, no-pairings.

Prompts :

1. Pick me. Choose me. Love me. @jensengirl83

2. I asked them if they wanted to embarrass you, and they instantly said yes.

3. How was I such an idiot, to believe that you, out of all people, could ever love me? @fablesrose

4. I don’t think my heart can take watching you love someone else again. @roonyxx

5. Sometimes I want to punch you and other times I want to kiss you.

6. You were like coming up for fresh air. It's like I was drowning and you saved me. @miss-nerd95

7. For me, it was enough. @jay-and-dean

8. Sometimes I wish I’d never met you.

9. That’s almost exactly the opposite of what I meant.

10. If it’s not broken, try again. We’ll find a way to get around this.

11. It doesn’t matter what I have to say if you’re not going to hear me out. @thinkinghardhardlythinking

12. I know this couldn’t have been more horrible of a time to say I love you, but it’s true.

13. But maybe this thing was a masterpiece 'til you tore it all up.

14. Cause all of my enemies started out friends.

15. Remember how I said I'd die for you. @spookytaylors

16. Why'd I have to break what I love so much?

17. We're happy, free, confused, and lonely at the same time. @hardcoresupernatural

18. I've found time can heal almost anything.

19. What? Does that feel good?

20. If you thought that was your birthday present, then you’re in for a treat.

21. Did I stutter? Do as you’re told! @jawritter

22. Would you shut up and kiss me already? @flamencodiva

23. Are you trying to turn me on or are you just that oblivious? @downanddirtydean

24. The worst thing is, that even after all of that, I’m still in love with you. @holylulusworld

25. I think I’m in love with you and i don’t know what to do. @itsangelpie

Blog Rates -

This is exclusively for my mutuals.

Send me a 🌹 to get a blog rate.

Random Compliment -

Tagging some people who I think would like to participate or maybe just give a signal boost - @rightontheborderz @miss-nerd95 @roonyxx @jensengirl83 @spookytaylors @flamencodiva @jawritter @deanwanddamons @fablesrose @akshi8278 @holylulusworld @jay-and-dean @whatareyousearchingfordean @deanmonandnegansbitch

#chans500followerschallenge #supernatural #jensen ackles #dean winchester #jared padalecki #sam winchester #spn

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harrycook · 6 years

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June 12th 2018 was my 27th birthday.

Here are 27 things I feel like I have learnt about life so far:

1. Don’t Argue With Stupid People.

You get nowhere. It’s like playing scrabble with a dog, no matter how well you play, the dog will end up shitting on the board and walking away like he won anyway.

2. Eat The Damn Cake.

Yes I know that eating right and exercise is important for your health, but if you are in the vicinity of a cake or delicious bite of something, just eat it.

3. Working Is A Part Of Life, Not The Entirety Of Life.

Unless you adore what you do for a living and it is your pasison and life’s mission, take a deep breath and don’t take it all so seriously. At the end of the day, a job is to pay the bills and have pocket money to go and enjoy yourself when you’re not working. Unless you are genuinely passionate about your career, don’t sweat it. Don’t break your back worrying about a job that would replace you within a week if you dropped dead.

4. Don’t Take Anything Seriously, Seriously.

Unless you are performing open heart surgery or have the cure for cancer in your back pocket, lighten the fuck up. No matter what your job is, ask yourself if it will matter in 100 years? If not, giggle and let it go. The world won’t stop spinning if you miss a deadline or make a mistake. Breathe. It’s all good.

5. Ignorance Is A Choice.

Yes. It’s 2018. There is no excuse for ignorance or stupidity when we have more information on our phones than a public library. If you don’t understand something, research it. Pick up a book, scan the internet, question everything, especially the news. Be curious, ask questions and most of all, don’t be lazy. Educate yourself so the world can be full of kinder, more worldly individuals who know what they are talking about.

6. Throw Away Anything You Thought You Knew That Doesn’t Sit Well With Your Values.

We grow up in a society that feeds us garbage from the moment we enter the world. Boys are taught to be one way and girls are taught to be another. It’s a system that hasn’t changed in hundreds of years because society wants us to constantly keep within the mold. Screw that. Break the mold and let people be who they want to be. Go after a job you want, not what society wants for you. Travel, see the world, stop worrying about what everyone else is doing and go after the stuff that means something to you.

7. Laugh At Every Chance You Get.

Nothing beats a good belly laugh. Plus, it’s also extremely healthy. Laugh as often as you can. This goes straight back to the not taking anything seriously thing. Giggle more. It works wonders for the soul.

8. Get A Hobby.

The past year I have picked up the piano again (not literally 'picked it up', obviously, but started learning again), attempted to learn Spanish, set a goal of reading a book a fortnight (up to book 25) and started working out a minimum of three times a week. Each year older I start realising how quickly time goes and how many amazing things are at my disposal to learn or try.

9. Read The News, Then Read It Again, And Then Research Some More.

Don't take anything at face value. Just because the news tells you one thing, don't take it as gospel. These news shows are run by multibillionaire white men and corporations with agendas. Don't take it at face value. Look in to things. Read as much as you can and become your own private investigator for the truth. Just because a news show says something, doesn't make it fact.

10. Read More.

Nothing opens up the heart and mind more than a good book. The excuse of not having enough time to read doesn't cut it. Instead of watching an hour of Netflix, take an hour to open a good book. It's good for the soul. Trust me.

11. Get A Pet.

YASSSSSSS. Get a dog. Then get another dog. Then when you think you simply can't handle the amount of snuggles you are getting, get another dog!! In all seriousness, dogs are extremely good for your health. They reduce stress and anxiety, boost happiness and are wonderful snuggle buddies. Adopt don't shop! There are plenty of rescue animals in need of good homes.

12. Sometimes People Hurt You. It Sucks.

Yes. Sometimes the people you never in a bazillion years thought could hurt you, will hurt you terribly. I had an experience in recent years with extended family that completely shifted my entire outlook on people in general. Sadly, some of the people you think you know are far from what you think. It sucks, yes, but once you acknowledge it, it slowly stops hurting. You can move on with your life when you realise that sometimes a wake-up call is all you need to realise that you're better off without certain people in your life. And that's totally ok.

13. Log Off. Often.

The age of social media is WONDERFUL for so many reasons. Keeping in contact with people, viewing beautiful content, learning things with a click and the hours and hours of streamable content are all fantastic reasons to use social media. But on the flip side, it can also be an information overload and I highly advise switching off, taking a bath and leaving your phone somewhere away from you for a few hours. It can't be healthy getting a constant stream of negative news 24/7. So unplug. Those cute puppy pics will be there when you get back.

14. Exercise.

I know, I know, YUCK. Exercise isn't the most fun of activities, and I am the first to admit that whenever I heard someone say "but the endorphins are good for your happiness levels" I'd roll my eyes so far back in my head I could see my brain. But it's completely and utterly true. Just a 40 minute run 3 times a week has improved my mood ten fold. I've suffered with depression, anxiety and addiction for years, but exercise allows me to completely refresh and enjoy the day on a belly full of endorphins. Do it for the feeling you get, not to achieve some unattainable body. It works a treat. Trust me.

15. Napping Is AMAZING.

Yes. Napping is one of the best damn things to do. Nothing beats an afternoon nap. It refreshes you for the rest of the day and is a great way to reboot the system. Don't let people tell you otherwise. It's bloody fantastic.

16. Journal.

I've written a journal since I was ten years old and looking back on all the adventures, worries, achievements and memories throughout the years is something I cherish so incredibly much. Studies have shown that journalling is really healthy for the mind and soul. Grab a notebook and get doodling.

17. Take Photos.

If taking selfies is your thang, go for it. If taking pictures of trees, animals or the sunset gets you going, snap away. Taking photos is therapeutic for a number of reasons, but most of all it's a lovely way to document your life with things to look back on. Get snapping.

18. Never Think You Know It All.

It's easy to be arrogant when we are conditioned all our lives with things we are expected to believe. "Boys should do this", "girls should do that". But just because we've been taught it from a society that has never been challenged to think differently, doesn't make it right. Question everything. Stay curious. Look into things and don't dismiss stuff you know nothing about. Not only is it a really ugly personality trait, it gets you nowhere in life. Opening your mind and heart is a surefire way of experiencing life in all its' beauty.

19. Go After What You Want In Life.

Jim Carey did a graduation speech about his father who never went after his dreams because he wanted to do the ‘safe thing'. Have a 'stable' career that would provide for his family. From memory, his father failed and lost everything in his 'stable' career. The moral being that if you are going to fail at something, at least let it be something you love, because the fact is it is just as possible to fail at something you hate. Give it a go. Life is too short to not go after what you want.

20. Travel. Travel. Travel.

See the world. It'll show you that we humans are all the same. It replaces ignorance with knowledge and shows you how vast our planet is. Get out there.

21. Someone Who Is Nice To You But Not Nice To The Waiter Is Not A Nice Person.

I love this quote because it's so damn true. Don't be a dick to service people. Don't think you're better than anyone because you're not. End of story. Period.

22. Get Over Yourself.

Sort of a continuation of the above, this is just a reminder to get over yourself, have a giggle and realise that just because you have a fancy car, a nice suit or well manicured hands means absolutely sweet F.A. Being a good person, showing kindness, empathy and caring about the planet and human beings as a whole is what counts in my books. Just be a good person. It's that simple.

23. Tell Your Loved Ones You Love Them And Don’t Go To Bed Angry.

Pretty self explanatory this one, but all the same, something to remember constantly. Life is far too short to go to bed angry at someone. Throw away silly arguments and tell the people you care about how you feel.

24. Screw What People Think Of You.

I mean it. Who cares what someone else thinks of you? That's their stuff. How they perceive you and how they feel about you is none of your business. Water off a ducks' back. Let it go.

25. Try Not To Worry So Much.

I know. Easier said than done, but sometimes it helps to take a step back, take a deep breath in and ask a few key questions: Can I do anything to change the current situation? If yes, do it. If not, let it go. Breathe through it and remember all we ever have is right in this moment.

26. Meditate.

YASSSSSSSSS times a million. Meditating is one of the most powerful things I have ever learnt in my 27 years on this planet. Taking a moment to just sit and reflect and focus on the here and now is one of the most intensely wonderful ways of reconnecting to what matters. There are a million different apps you can use or simply sit and count your breaths. It works wonders.

27. Life is what you make it, but most of all it’s about love.

Love, family, friends and making memories is the most important thing in life. Every year on this earth I realise more and more how utterly stupid it is to worry about material things. Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't enjoy material stuff whatsoever, but it shouldn't be what you go after in life. Nobody ever gets to the end of their life clutching on to their Chanel bag. The things that matter are the people you love and the memories you make.

So go for a walk, take in the view, have a laugh and breathe in every moment of every day. It's all we ever have.

- Harry.

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