Soulidarity

Starve the ego, feed the soul.

[shrimpstr]

The morality of a gun depends entirely on

Which side of the barrel

You’re on.

[shrimpstr]

The Letter Never Mailed

Thank you

For making me realise that

My heart beats

Even after it breaks

Thank you

For making me realise that

I’m whole on my own, and no one but me

Can complete me

Thank you

For making me realise that

Your failures

Never defined me — they will never be a reflection of

Who I am

[shrimpstr]

Irrespective of how much time elapses, little pieces of them still find their way back into your life.

Whether you laugh and end up sounding just like you did that day you had the time of your life, or you order a meal that you used to get only with them. Or you rewatch a movie you all saw together.

No matter how hard you push them away, or lock them up in a drawer and throw away the key, they always make their way back. You just can’t reach into your heart and pull them out. And that’s when it hurts the most.

[shrimpstr]

Numero uno

The idea of infidelity has always been about being unfaithful to a partner in a relationship. However, we tend to forget that the first and the longest relationship we have is with ourselves. As the saying goes, the relationship you have with yourself determines every other relationship that you have. You set the standard. If you think about this regarding self-worth, then you can assume that if you have a healthy relationship with yourself where you recognise your worth, you will only entertain those who are worthy of your time and energy. In other words, those who also identify your worth.

But, how do we get to a place where we recognise our worth? How do we reach the point of our greatness? It comes down to being committed to your growth and expansion. It's about practicing self-love and becoming the greatest version of yourself – because that is what you owe yourself. The habits and daily rituals we create and stay dedicated to are essential here. Being self-aware and conscious of the changes we need to make to improve our lives is vital. Believing in yourself, remaining authentic and being loyal to one's path is also important. To divert our energy from these things is to cheat on ourselves; to stay without greatness by unfilling our potential.

People will love you and leave you throughout life. Whether that's because they're not a part of our journey anymore or because they're physically not around. The only relationship you can ever guarantee to remain while you're alive is the one you have with yourself. Therefore, you must stay faithful to your needs and evolution. Do this by aiming to outdo yourself daily, in every way. Can you be more skilful? Learn more? Be kinder? Encourage more positive self-talk?

Even amidst difficulty, such as the end of a relationship, aim to become a better person. Everyone you meet teaches you something, even if they come bearing pain. That pain is your tutor. So, if someone cheats on you, don't cheat on yourself by stooping down to their level. Instead, ask yourself what you can do better? That might just mean not defining yourself based on their actions.

[shrimpstr]

Dear College friends,

There was a time when I used to genuinely believe that we'd be the kind of best friends that would stay together forever and meet up all the time. That I'd always be up to date with everything going on in all your lives, be there for all the highs and lows, and even the usuals.

And we did live up to those expectations, for a very long time.

But times change, people grow, and bubbles burst. We started realising we don't always agree on everything. We met new people and made new friends and probably decided we liked them better. And that's okay.

Because unlike in high school, I now know that when it comes to friendship, the world is never black and white. You can't just fit your feelings for someone into being either 'best friends' or 'not friends at all.' It's more complicated, and more real, than that. Unlike in high school, I can now look behind the rosy facade, and accept how flawed we all really are.

But the thing is, no matter how many great friends we make, there will never be anyone who knows us the way we know each other. There's no one who knows my crazy better than you do, no one else who's seen me sing and dance like a complete nut without the fear of being judged, no one who knows more about the little things that make me happy. And I know all your quirks better than anyone else, because I've been seeing them and dealing with them for the past four years.

And no matter how much we drift apart, or even if there comes a day when we start despising each other or if we just simply lose touch, I know I will be able to count on you, I know I'll have the right to believe that I'll have you when I need you, no matter what.

Because that's what growing up together has done to us - we just can't not care about each other anymore.

Even if we don't talk anymore, even if we don't feel the connection that we felt in those 'good ol’ days,' even if I have a million other people I am closer to, I'll be there for you. And I'll love you. Even if I won't say it. And I know you'll love me too, even if you won't say it back.

Not everyone gets the privilege of having someone they can take for granted like that, and I want you to know how grateful I am that I do.

[shrimpstr]

The Giver

I may have been successful at giving,

But I never knew when to stop.

I worked so hard to break down others’ walls,

I forgot to break down my own.

I worked so hard to understand others’ silence,

But I forgot to understand my own.

[shrimpstr]

Resolve

I know that you’re waiting

For me to break down

To contact you.

I know you must be thinking

That I’m miserable without you,

Hoping that one day soon

You may give me attention.

Hear me now,

I am not the person I once was.

You destroyed me over and over,

Solely accused me of being flawed.

But I built myself back up

Into someone you will

Never

Have the honour of getting to know.

[shrimpstr]

I glorified every friendship based on a majority of my own contributions, but finally learnt to move past this narcissistic flaw and have come to terms with the fact that regardless of what happens in any relationship, I need only turn to myself; the love I give others is, after all, a reflection of the love I wish to receive. - SV.

[moritzcracker-deactivated202305]

[brklynbreed]

Stop chasing people. If they block you, cut off contact, ignore you… Let them go. Let those who naturally gravitate to you enjoy your energy. We spend so much time begging for those who wouldn’t blink twice at the thought of you. Cherish those who are there by choice, and not there because you chased them every time they decided to escape.

[wordsnquotes]

I just want to be me - I just want to be useful and… content. I want to stop wondering if I’ll ever feel whole and just be whole. I want to have a purpose, one that I can look at without feeling I’m less than I was.

Ellis O'Neal, The False Princess (via wnq-writers)

[wordsnquotes]

I don’t know a perfect person. I only know flawed people who are still worth loving.

John Green (via wnq-writers)

[shrimpstr]

This past year’s been one of the greatest and most difficult of my life. I learned that everything is temporary, essentially the true meaning of this too shall pass. Moments, feelings, people, actions. I learned that love is about giving, everything, and letting it hurt. I learned that vulnerability is always the better choice because it is easy to be cold in a world that makes it so difficult to be soft. I learned that all things come in pairs - life and death, pain and joy, you and me - and it’s just the way the universe balances itself. It’s been a year of hurting so badly but loving so well, making friends out of strangers, and strangers out of friends. Of learning that a well cooked meal can fix just about anything, and for the times it can’t, there will always be my mother’s arms. Nothing taken for granted, just an understanding of what is, and the knowledge that irrespective of what happens this year, nothing can have a permanent effect on me.

[shrimpstr]

We are all just A bunch Of addicts, Struggling with Our drug Of choice.

[shrimpstr]

A Letter Never Received

Thank you for spending long hours talking to me. For staying up late with me every time that I needed someone to listen to my endless stories. Even if it’s 3 in the morning, you wouldn’t hesitate to pick up the phone and listen to my drama about the things that make me worry and sad. You wouldn’t hesitate to visit me in the cold so you could be there for me and know that I was alright.

Whether it’s about someone who ruins my life or brightens up my day, you have always been there to listen.

Thank you for giving me advice, even if sometimes, I don’t listen to it at all; you had the patience to keep on telling me the same thing over and over again till it sunk into my head - thank you for that. Thank you lending me your shoulder to cry on, for reaching for my hands and for tapping me on my back when I doubt myself, and thank you for pushing me hard to realize that in this life, I don’t need other people to become happy and content.

Thank you for being crazy and weird as hell with me. For talking about random things in life as if there’s no tomorrow. For singing, playing around, making funny faces, joking and laughing all day long; for spending the nights up with me, even when you were tired, and decorating ledges and tables with chocolate wrappers and ice cream sticks and a couple of wine glasses beside us. For coming with me as soon as I ask you to, no matter the destination. Thank you for sharing yourself with me even though you find it hard to open up to people. Thank you for staying by my side through the good times and the bad, for being my love doctor and my pervy clown at the same time. Thank you for pacifying me when I’m angry and for making me laugh when I’m not in a good mood. Thank you for checking up on me whenever I’m sick and actually caring about whether I’m getting better and taking my mess on time. Thank you for being my human alarm clock. For waking up at 6am to make sure I’ve packed for my flight, to make sure I don’t miss it. For remembering and wishing me good luck ahead of every test or hurdle. Thank you for being the best food buddy. For pushing me to explore the places that I never would have been to with others, for tasting different kinds of food with me for the first time, for always sharing dessert with me, even when you’re full or broke. Thank you for taking memorable pictures wherever we go and whenever we have each other. Thank you for making those travels worthwhile. Thank you for leading me to the path where I could discover and find myself. Thank you for appreciating my existence. Thank you for working extra days so you could afford to gift me something special on my birthday. Thank you for surprising me and building that storage compartment for me when I had no idea how to. Thank you for constantly valuing me. Thank you for sharing pages of your life with me. Thank you for never giving up on me. I never thought I’d be as important as I am right now in someone’s life. Thank you for making every page of your book about us worth reading and meaningful. You filled everything with a burst of happiness and cared about us in the most detailed manner. Thank you for laughing at my jokes, for removing the awkwardness between us and even the distance whenever we would stop talking. Thank you for sharing and wanting to share my pain with me. I didn’t expect you to come into my life and make me feel these things and make things feel new yet homely and safe at the same time. Thank you for having the courage to shake and break the walls around me. You proved that you are different from others. Your presence brought numerous good memories, rays of sunshine and a new light to my path. Thank you for being my home and for loving me unconditionally despite all of my flaws. And even though I never reciprocated half as much as you have, thank you for staying. Thank you for a wondrous and truly memorable experience. Thank you for loving me like your own family.

I’m so glad I met you on this journey. I’m blessed to have you and I love you. I adore you. I’ll never let you go, and I promise I will work towards us in a way that you will never leave me.

———————————————–

But it seems we had an expiration date, that I missed.

[shrimpstr]

It is what it is

Heartbreak is watching the person you care most about effortlessly move on without you.

[shrimpstr]

Things used to be so easy Now I’m in the middle of everything And all I’m thinking is Is it fair? Why do I feel guilty For being there? When I was never the issue I was the fix Now you’re the ones Getting me into the mix And I’m not at fault I just want things To go back to The way they used to be