Life Lessons - Blog Posts

Story time with Mac...

My grandma, mom, sister and I decided we were gonna use our new fire pit for the first time to roast marshmallows. Everything was fine and all; we were having a good time, just chatting, when all of a sudden the concrete bottom exploded. Sent embers flying up and out. No one was hurt because we had a wall of cement blocks surrounding the fire but still scared the crap out of us. My grandpa heard it all the way inside and rushed out to see if we were okay. So here's a lesson: If you're going to make your own fire pit using cement as a base, make sure you know what you're doing or have someone who does. Air bubbles in the cement was what caused it and that could've been a life threatening situation for any one of us. Please be careful when trying to build something that you've never had prior experience with.

A story within a story where a mother sits her rowdy children down and tells them a story about a the world's sweetest, kindest mother who never lost her temper, never cursed and never yelled at her children, no matter how rowdy they could get. She would only gently, kindly told them to not do the dangerous things. One day she sweetly, kindly told her children to not go play at the riverbank, because it's dangerous and they might slip on the rocks, fall into the water, and die. Her children do not listen. They go play at the riverbank, where they slip on the rocks, fall into the water, and die.

And the sweet perfect mother of the story comes to the riverbank, sees that all her children drowned, and starts crying so bitterly that angels overhear her, and the angels say to each other, "she does not deserve this, this woman has never done anything wrong in her life, this should not have happened to her", and feeling great pity for her, bring her children back to life, and after that they always listened to their mother and lived happily ever after.

And the storyteller's children, who at this point are familiar with the concept that these stories are supposed to have some sort of a moral or lesson in them, interject to point out that their mother hasn't always done everything perfectly, she isn't always sweet, curses a lot, and as a matter of fact loses her shit at her kids all the time. She isn't like the mother of the story at all.

And their mother agrees: Her children are correct. She is not a perfect mother who has never done anything wrong. Angels will not have pity on her, and they will not bring her little shits back to life if they go to the river and die. So they better fucking not go get themselves killed in the first place.

The Curse of Creativity and the suffering of artists:

"There are tons of people who are just as good as me." - Seiji Amasawa, Whisper of the heart (1995)

Ghibli movies have always had a huge impact on me. Full of quiet sensibilities and easily understood complex concepts; Ghibli movies made my childhood and the person I am today. And despite the cuteness of Totoro, the innocence of Ponyo, the quirky weirdness of Howl's moving castle (the themes of that movie are so intricate too) or the message about hardwork and burnout in Kiki's delivery service, there is one movie that remains in my heart (no pun intended)

"Whisper of the Heart" has taught me so much about myself and the path I am headed. It is the most beautiful, soul-crushing movie I have ever watched not because it has wars and the death of loved ones but because it is relatable and grounded. I can see myself in Shizuko and Seiji, I understand their struggles and dreams. I smiled with them and I cried for them. I related to Shizuko's struggle to see her writing as anything good and Seiji's belief that despite his achievements he isn't anywhere near as good at his skills as some other people.

This movie made me think about the saying I so often hear "Don't suffer for your dreams". While I scoffed at it when an adult said that to me first, now that I am much older and hopefully wiser, the words struck me not as nagging but as a warning.

Suffering doesn't equal great art, some people think that only those who are depressed and mentally ill can make great art, which is completely false. (Although I don't blame those people as many great artists and writers were actually mentally ill, it's not the only thing that makes one a great artist!) You don't have to suffer to be a great artist, you just have to be creative and work hard, there's nothing more to that.

When I was in my most depressed state during the last two years of high school, I wasn't writing or working hard on my book. I was staring at the wall wishing I would disappear. Overcoming that depression led me to write better, work harder, chase my dreams with passion.

During the times where I am stuck in a chapter I can't get through and my brain goes blank, I think to myself if I am actually a good writer or I have been just treading the waters of talent that I don't have. When people call me talented, it makes me squirm, it takes away my hardwork and effort.

Being a creative person is not easy, it's not all sunshine and rainbows where you are constantly getting new ideas. Sometimes it makes my head hurt. Acting on your ideas is not easy. I can think all I want but when it comes to actually writing that idea, I freeze.

Being an artistic person makes you feel self conscious. If anyone will like what I do? Will someone criticize me? What if no one likes my work? What if they judge me? There's someone who is better than me, why should I even bother?

Creativity isn't just a blessing, it's also a curse. It's a double-edged sword.

You should try to achieve the best but not make it your end goal. Life is so much more than success, fame and material goods. I don't write for any of those things, I write for myself and the people I care for. Even if I don't end up publishing any of my novels, I would still write. Never stop dreaming and become monotonous, you don't have to make sure your hobbies earn you money, they should give you peace and happiness.

There are times when I spend too much time in front of my computer typing out another new story when I stop and think back at those words, I don't feel dispassionate, suffering won't make me happy, writing whatever I want would. So I type ahead for some more minutes and take a break. I indulge in the world that I create in my books and make characters that I love more deeply than human beings, but I don't want it to become my life. I would still do normal everyday things and talk to normal everyday people. Work-life balance is utter bullshit and too idealistic, but making sure your work doesn't consume your life is what matters.

Even if I do end up getting an ordinary job and not making my hobby a career, I would not be disappointed.

I am ready to live a life of rationality and pragmatism but I will never accept monotony.

"The world would be a better place without me, which is exactly why I will keep on living"

"Do you have any other advice?" asked the boy.

"Don't measure how valuable you are by the way you are treated," said the horse.

Charlie Mackesy, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse.

If no one talks about this then I will.

Welcome back to LIFE LESSONS With daryonna!

Today's serious topic is:DEPRESSION

Depression is a common mental disorder that can affect anyone, affecting more than 280 million people of all ages. It can cause a depressed mood or loss of interest in activities for long periods of time, and can affect all aspects of life, including relationships with family, friends, and community. Symptoms of depression include:

Feeling sad, irritable, or empty

Loss of pleasure or interest in activities

Poor concentration

Feelings of excessive guilt or low self-worth

Hopelessness about the future

Continued feelings of sadness, hopelessness, pessimism, emptiness

Fatigue, lack of energy

Insomnia or other sleep issues

Anxiety, irritability, restlessness

Depression is a mental illness that should be taken seriously,even though some people use the word to make jokes. It involves a depressed mood or loss of interest in activities for long periods of time. Depression is different from regular mood changes and feelings about everyday life. Feeling sad from time to time is normal, but feeling sad most of the time is a sign that you might need extra support.

It can also lead to suicide.

Here is the things You need to do:you can do to help with depression include:

Keeping up with activities you used to enjoy

Staying connected with friends and family

Exercising regularly, even if it's just a short walk

Sticking to regular eating and sleeping habits as much as possible

Avoiding or cutting down on alcohol and not using illicit drugs.

Remember,you are not alone in this cruel world,there will be people out there who adore you and love you for who you are!❤️

#selfimprovement #thoughts #postivity #selfreminder #mentalhealth #growth #remindingmyself #bookblr

be addicted to real dopamine

be in the present and notice those little things you never saw before, but that have always been there

experience new exciting things that bring you joy

love people, listen to them and create meaningful connections

make art and don’t label it as “good” or “bad,” just let your soul be free

stop scrolling on social media and start turning pages of an interesting book

do mindfulness meditation and feel your body and mind calming down

move your body, no matter how as long as you’re enjoying

listen to music that matches the moment you’re in

eat nourishing food, feel your stomach full without discomfort

get a good night of sleep and feel yourself ready for another day

Welp…

Dark!Buddha: get attached to everything. develop attachments to whatever you see that are so profound you go insane

"I can suck on you but I can't unswallow"-10/12

WARNING WARNINGS TMI I GIVE TO MUCH INFORMATION BACK AWAY SLOWLY IF YOU WANT TO GO

ahhhhhhh I just had a 2 year old moment and I was the 2 year old

I just pooped my self got poop on my hand spent mins cleaning myself then I still had a LOT of poop and little to no toilet paper so I got paper towels but I was getting poop all over it was I dropped it and used by feet to rip it but the paper got stuck so I walk to sink to wet the paper towel so I can flush it I wet it flush the toilet I ruined a paper towel roll and am now sitting with the same pooped my pants in and this all happened in 10 mins