thoughtcatalog--2020-12-13--Here’s What The Newly Cracked Coded Message From The Zodiac Killer Says

50 years ago the Zodiac killer terrorized the bay area in California .
He murdered five people during his reign of terror , mostly couples parked at lover ’ s lanes .
The Zodiac himself communicated with the press and claims his kill count is much , much higher .
One of the ways he communicated with the press was through cyphers , one of which has just been solved after 51 years of mystery .
Like many serial killers , Zodiac lived for attention and would send messages to the San Francisco Chronicle , Vallejo Times Herald , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each paper 1/3 of a cryptogram and threatened : “ If you do not print this cipher by the afternoon of Fry.1st of Aug 69 , I will go on a kill ram-Page Fry .
night .
I will cruse around all weekend killing lone people in the night then move on to kill again , until I end up with a dozen people over the weekend ” .
” A California couple solved this 408-symbol cryptogram which the Zodiac claimed contained his identity .
What it actually said was : “ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much fun – it is more fun than killing wild game in the forest because man is the most dangerous animal of all – to kill something gives me the most thrilling experience – it is even better than getting your rocks off with a girl – the best part of it is that when I die I will be reborn in paradise and all the ( lone or stray people ) I have killed will become my slaves – I will not give you my name because you will try to slow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for my afterlife.
” Another letter from the Zodiac contained a 340 character cypher which has just been solved .
A team of a software developer , a mathematician , and a computer programmer worked together to break the code .
David Oranchak , Jarl Van Eycke , and Sam Blake have been working for over a decade and were finally able to translate the cypher .
They announced the feat on December 11 , 2020 .
The newly solved cypher reads : “ I HOPE YOU ARE HAVING LOTS OF FUN IN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ON THE TV SHOW WHICH BRINGS UP A POINT ABOUT ME I AM NOT AFRAID OF THE GAS CHAMBER BECAUSE IT WILL SEND ME TO PARADICE ALL THE SOONER BECAUSE I NOW HAVE ENOUGH SLAVES TO WORK FOR ME WHERE EVERYONE ELSE HAS NOTHING WHEN THEY REACH PARADICE SO THEY ARE AFRAID OF DEATH I AM NOT AFRAID BECAUSE I KNOW THAT MY NEW LIFE IS LIFE WILL BE AN EASY ONE IN PARADICE DEATH ” The group immediately took their findings to the FBI who says that their investigation is ongoing : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the case .
We know anything can happen as last year the Golden State Killer was finally identified , arrested , and brought to justice after terrorizing California for more than 50 years .
In the meantime , here are some theories about who the Zodiac killer may be .

50 years ago the Zodiac killer terrorized the bay area in California. He murdered five people during his reign of terror, mostly couples parked at lover’s lanes. The Zodiac himself communicated with the press and claims his kill count is much, much higher. One of the ways he communicated with the press was through cyphers, one of which has just been solved after 51 years of mystery.
Like many serial killers, Zodiac lived for attention and would send messages to the San Francisco Chronicle, Vallejo Times Herald, and The San Francisco Examiner. Zodiac sent each paper 1/3 of a cryptogram and threatened: “If you do not print this cipher by the afternoon of Fry.1st of Aug 69, I will go on a kill ram-Page Fry. night. I will cruse around all weekend killing lone people in the night then move on to kill again, until I end up with a dozen people over the weekend”.” A California couple solved this 408-symbol cryptogram which the Zodiac claimed contained his identity. What it actually said was:
“I like killing people because it is so much fun – it is more fun than killing wild game in the forest because man is the most dangerous animal of all – to kill something gives me the most thrilling experience – it is even better than getting your rocks off with a girl – the best part of it is that when I die I will be reborn in paradise and all the (lone or stray people) I have killed will become my slaves – I will not give you my name because you will try to slow down or stop my collecting of slaves for my afterlife.”
Another letter from the Zodiac contained a 340 character cypher which has just been solved. A team of a software developer, a mathematician, and a computer programmer worked together to break the code. David Oranchak, Jarl Van Eycke, and Sam Blake have been working for over a decade and were finally able to translate the cypher. They announced the feat on December 11, 2020. The newly solved cypher reads:
“I HOPE YOU ARE HAVING LOTS OF FUN IN TRYING TO CATCH ME
THAT WASNT ME ON THE TV SHOW
WHICH BRINGS UP A POINT ABOUT ME
I AM NOT AFRAID OF THE GAS CHAMBER
BECAUSE IT WILL SEND ME TO PARADICE ALL THE SOONER
BECAUSE I NOW HAVE ENOUGH SLAVES TO WORK FOR ME
WHERE EVERYONE ELSE HAS NOTHING WHEN THEY REACH PARADICE
SO THEY ARE AFRAID OF DEATH
I AM NOT AFRAID BECAUSE I KNOW THAT MY NEW LIFE IS
LIFE WILL BE AN EASY ONE IN PARADICE DEATH”
The group immediately took their findings to the FBI who says that their investigation is ongoing:
We hope this is a big break in the case. We know anything can happen as last year the Golden State Killer was finally identified, arrested, and brought to justice after terrorizing California for more than 50 years. In the meantime, here are some theories about who the Zodiac killer may be.


thoughtcatalog--2020-12-13--December, You Devastate Me Yet Again

December, You Devastate Me Yet Again

December , you devastate me yet again .
Each glossy morning is met startled awake by a spine aching from the weight of yearning for something to curl against .
There are dreams I wake from that leave me already spent for the day .
The lucid kind in which I get to live out the fantasies wandering the innermost corridors of my mind are my favorite kind .
Some dawns , I wake up feverish , my hair stuck to the back of my neck , from having been ravaged by the type of lover one can only ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a film left on the edges of my dream , coagulating like blood ; I finish myself off before going back to sleep .
In others , I conjure up my own stories and fairytales , lives in which I live a simple life , a happy life , where I write all day and tend to my garden during breaks , sometimes finishing off a joint for creative purposes before heading back to my laptop inside .
In the evenings , I pour a glass of wine in the kitchen and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting dinner started for the person on their way home to me .
Sometimes , it ’ s just me—alone , but happy—walking around Paris , carrying bags full of books I purchased at Shakespeare & Co. and looking for an outdoor table at a cafe to sit down with a notebook .
My favorite dreams are those in which I stare out to the Amalfi coast at sunset , I am wearing a red dress before the dozing off of the sun always .
But December , with you arrives the cold @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the still , and with it the thoughts that turn dreams into a kind of horror .
Sometimes they ’ re reels of things I never wanted to live again .
Weary I wake from having to swallow my burglarized virginity and store it back in that dark , dusty , web-filled corner on the shelf my hands never reach for , my fingers grazing the names of other thieves .
It stands stacked right next to the penchant for violent men it spawned , their heavy hands , violets bloomed on my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my arms .
There , also sit the times I couldn ’ t differentiate love from pain ; how much could I take , what would it take for me to finally leave ?
Covered in even thicker film , is my inability to forgive myself , but we won ’ t talk about that , there are quieter spirits roaming around making themselves known .
I tune them out with the bird who has made a home of the tree right outside my window .
I ’ m not sure , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d say it was a mockingbird calling out for a mate .
Around 10 each day , I drink my second cup of coffee and listen to it with an envy resembling rage .
This bird with a tiny fluttering heart , with a body so fragile , so defenseless , feels like my nemesis .
How dare he sing like that , when I can ’ t even tell you about my hauntings ?
My mother tells me she ’ s afraid of me , and not because she finds me @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she does not know me at all .
I am always biting my tongue from having to keep from telling her that she isn ’ t special in the sense that no one really does .
( December , allow me to share with you in the lowest of whispers how sometimes I can still feel the monster ’ s hip bones digging into me on the precipice of where it all went so wrong . )
I wonder what my friends and other people see when they look at me .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all I choose to show and choose to hide .
If I peeled it all back , could they still look at me ?
Is it still love when the person you love is someone you don ’ t know at all ?
Humanity has the audacity to synonymize itself with compassion , lamenting the wreckage of things—take the Cathedral of Notre Dame—as if skin and clothes weren ’ t hiding all the ruin that could exist inside a human body .
There are things that come visit to make themselves a home @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trees in winter turned to mausoleum , their skittish shadows coming to life , there are ghosts everywhere pressing themselves into my bones .
December , nothing hurts quite like you .
You devastate me into a paralyzing stupor .
Sometimes , when I ’ ve got writer ’ s block , I go on drives into the city .
I park and walk around the tree-lined streets in the museum district , their branches reaching for each other across walkways and lanes .
Never do I fail to think about how even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if they can feel undone by something as simple as touch .
The thought devastates that I am more alone than a fucking oak .
When I ’ m feeling especially masochistic , I drive by the apartment where he ’ d spread my body , right there , on the living room carpet , kiss and lick me all over , finger fuck me , until my pleas to feel him inside of me turned to screams .
I can still see the lick of his top lip when he ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his feet and order me to look up at him .
His touch was wildly intoxicating .
Back then , I would have committed ( and did ) all number of sins to feel that mouth , that grip , that whip of his belt .
More than that , I was addicted to the way he made me unashamed of , not just my body , but of who I was and what metaphorical weight I carried .
No amount of words in either of the languages I ’ m fluent in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feeling so seen by another human being .
Maybe all it was were my branches reaching , less lonely in the canopy , even if all we had was what little sunlight escaped through the stolen moments .
It could have been love , and for the sake of all sorts of creative and artistic endeavors , I will call it that .
We both claimed it , calling it beautiful , but my mascara stained pillowcase each time he left me to sleep alone to go home to her liked to remind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when I chose to tune its preaching out , there was no silencing the humming , the buzzing of wasps circling the hive hanging on the eave outside : You ’ re nobody .
I cruise by , Arctic Monkeys playing , and wonder about who may live up there , now .
I imagine a woman with a heart softer than mine .
The light in the kitchen is turned on .
Is she cooking for somebody ?
The wet tendrils of her hair soaking the front of her robe , her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Every inch of her body lathered in lotion .
A record playing .
Her outfit on stand by .
Did she try it on and change her mind three times ?
I hope when he rings the doorbell there is a bottle of her favorite wine in his right hand , I hope he ’ s romantic and has another left handful of flowers .
I hope he grabs her firmly , parts his lips , and kisses her in a fashion wholly catered to her .
For her sake , I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope it ’ s real .
Whoever lives in my apartment , now , deserves better than what I got .
I remember the night some part of me decided that for the rest of my life he would be who I thought of when I was in bed with someone else .
For years , he was .
But December , I fell in love again last year with someone who was even better than us at keeping secrets .
December , I shared things about myself he never deserved to know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a gentleman looked like , and fuck knows I have trouble recognizing them on my own .
I asked him to love me , begged him to kill me , all because I wanted to know what it was like to be ruined by tenderness for once .
And I was .
The words he said to me , the songs he played for me , his voice , the way my name sounded coming out of his mouth , spooled through me like thread for months after he left me for someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a secret ?
The truth is I don ’ t know if I ’ ve ever actually been in love with anyone , or just infatuated with being devastated .
For all my declarations of insecurity and self-loathing , I am comfortable alone , I much prefer it that way .
Some would say this echoes of acceptance .
I ’ d rather the casual lover , the easy lover , the ‘ call me when you want to fuck again ’ kind of friend .
My heart couldn ’ t bear another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can ’ t open myself up again .
But December , sometimes I lose myself in sick fantasies in which someone sees me and accepts me , and not just the me I choose to put on display , but the me with the fucked up heart I keep bringing back from the dead .
The me that holds both the razor blade and the defibrillator .
Someone who looks at me and thinks , she ’ s a goddamn miracle .
Someone not so easily scared away .
Someone who understands the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about here , as much as my nostalgia for fountains in Mexico .
Someone as in love with my eyes , as with the demons that glow in the night on this left hip of mine .
Someone not afraid to look me in the eye and ask me what wanting to die feels like .
Someone who hears my response and still thinks of me as beautiful .
December , for all my fear , I still feel like there ’ s an endless ocean inside of me of love to give @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that love is not for me .
The fact that I ’ m sitting here writing about it makes me feel like there ’ s a snowstorm over my head following me around , and December , it barely even freezes in this part of Texas .
December , you remind me my whole existence is an act of suffocation .
You bring it all out .
December , I ’ ve never felt so alone .
How can it be that you breathe such sorrow into me and at the same time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the heavens may open up for me ?

December, you devastate me yet again.
Each glossy morning is met startled awake by a spine aching from the weight of yearning for something to curl against.
There are dreams I wake from that leave me already spent for the day.
The lucid kind in which I get to live out the fantasies wandering the innermost corridors of my mind are my favorite kind. Some dawns, I wake up feverish, my hair stuck to the back of my neck, from having been ravaged by the type of lover one can only ever meet in the imagination. Their hands, a film left on the edges of my dream, coagulating like blood; I finish myself off before going back to sleep.
In others, I conjure up my own stories and fairytales, lives in which I live a simple life, a happy life, where I write all day and tend to my garden during breaks, sometimes finishing off a joint for creative purposes before heading back to my laptop inside. In the evenings, I pour a glass of wine in the kitchen and play one of my favorite records while getting dinner started for the person on their way home to me.
Sometimes, it’s just me—alone, but happy—walking around Paris, carrying bags full of books I purchased at Shakespeare & Co. and looking for an outdoor table at a cafe to sit down with a notebook. My favorite dreams are those in which I stare out to the Amalfi coast at sunset, I am wearing a red dress before the dozing off of the sun always.
But December, with you arrives the cold, and with it the quiet, the still, and with it the thoughts that turn dreams into a kind of horror.
Sometimes they’re reels of things I never wanted to live again. Weary I wake from having to swallow my burglarized virginity and store it back in that dark, dusty, web-filled corner on the shelf my hands never reach for, my fingers grazing the names of other thieves. It stands stacked right next to the penchant for violent men it spawned, their heavy hands, violets bloomed on my ribs and on the fleshy part of my arms. There, also sit the times I couldn’t differentiate love from pain; how much could I take, what would it take for me to finally leave? Covered in even thicker film, is my inability to forgive myself, but we won’t talk about that, there are quieter spirits roaming around making themselves known.
I tune them out with the bird who has made a home of the tree right outside my window. I’m not sure, but if I had to guess, I’d say it was a mockingbird calling out for a mate. Around 10 each day, I drink my second cup of coffee and listen to it with an envy resembling rage. This bird with a tiny fluttering heart, with a body so fragile, so defenseless, feels like my nemesis. How dare he sing like that, when I can’t even tell you about my hauntings?
My mother tells me she’s afraid of me, and not because she finds me threatening, but because she feels like she does not know me at all. I am always biting my tongue from having to keep from telling her that she isn’t special in the sense that no one really does. (December, allow me to share with you in the lowest of whispers how sometimes I can still feel the monster’s hip bones digging into me on the precipice of where it all went so wrong.) I wonder what my friends and other people see when they look at me. I’m just the conjured image of all I choose to show and choose to hide. If I peeled it all back, could they still look at me? Is it still love when the person you love is someone you don’t know at all?
Humanity has the audacity to synonymize itself with compassion, lamenting the wreckage of things—take the Cathedral of Notre Dame—as if skin and clothes weren’t hiding all the ruin that could exist inside a human body.
There are things that come visit to make themselves a home for sleeping season, like the barren trees in winter turned to mausoleum, their skittish shadows coming to life, there are ghosts everywhere pressing themselves into my bones.
December, I love you.
December, you’re so goddamn beautiful.
December, you’re my favorite month.
December, nothing hurts quite like you.
You devastate me into a paralyzing stupor.
Sometimes, when I’ve got writer’s block, I go on drives into the city. I park and walk around the tree-lined streets in the museum district, their branches reaching for each other across walkways and lanes. Never do I fail to think about how even plants long for connection; to wonder if they can feel undone by something as simple as touch. The thought devastates that I am more alone than a fucking oak.
When I’m feeling especially masochistic, I drive by the apartment where he’d spread my body, right there, on the living room carpet, kiss and lick me all over, finger fuck me, until my pleas to feel him inside of me turned to screams. I can still see the lick of his top lip when he’d watch me crawl on all fours to his feet and order me to look up at him.
His touch was wildly intoxicating. Back then, I would have committed (and did) all number of sins to feel that mouth, that grip, that whip of his belt. More than that, I was addicted to the way he made me unashamed of, not just my body, but of who I was and what metaphorical weight I carried. No amount of words in either of the languages I’m fluent in could ever suffice for the high of feeling so seen by another human being.
Maybe all it was were my branches reaching, less lonely in the canopy, even if all we had was what little sunlight escaped through the stolen moments.
It could have been love, and for the sake of all sorts of creative and artistic endeavors, I will call it that. We both claimed it, calling it beautiful, but my mascara stained pillowcase each time he left me to sleep alone to go home to her liked to remind me it was anything but. Even when I chose to tune its preaching out, there was no silencing the humming, the buzzing of wasps circling the hive hanging on the eave outside: You’re nobody.
I cruise by, Arctic Monkeys playing, and wonder about who may live up there, now. I imagine a woman with a heart softer than mine. The light in the kitchen is turned on. Is she cooking for somebody? The wet tendrils of her hair soaking the front of her robe, her legs smooth, freshly shaved for him. Every inch of her body lathered in lotion. A record playing. Her outfit on stand by. Did she try it on and change her mind three times? I hope when he rings the doorbell there is a bottle of her favorite wine in his right hand, I hope he’s romantic and has another left handful of flowers. I hope he grabs her firmly, parts his lips, and kisses her in a fashion wholly catered to her. For her sake, I hope it’s organic. I hope it’s real. Whoever lives in my apartment, now, deserves better than what I got.
I remember the night some part of me decided that for the rest of my life he would be who I thought of when I was in bed with someone else. For years, he was. But December, I fell in love again last year with someone who was even better than us at keeping secrets. December, I shared things about myself he never deserved to know, all because he taught me what a gentleman looked like, and fuck knows I have trouble recognizing them on my own. I asked him to love me, begged him to kill me, all because I wanted to know what it was like to be ruined by tenderness for once. And I was. The words he said to me, the songs he played for me, his voice, the way my name sounded coming out of his mouth, spooled through me like thread for months after he left me for someone else.
December, can you keep a secret? The truth is I don’t know if I’ve ever actually been in love with anyone, or just infatuated with being devastated.
For all my declarations of insecurity and self-loathing, I am comfortable alone, I much prefer it that way. Some would say this echoes of acceptance.
I’d rather the casual lover, the easy lover, the ‘call me when you want to fuck again’ kind of friend. My heart couldn’t bear another false god. I am afraid I can’t open myself up again.
But December, sometimes I lose myself in sick fantasies in which someone sees me and accepts me, and not just the me I choose to put on display, but the me with the fucked up heart I keep bringing back from the dead. The me that holds both the razor blade and the defibrillator. Someone who looks at me and thinks, she’s a goddamn miracle. Someone not so easily scared away. Someone who understands the hauntings I can’t tell you about here, as much as my nostalgia for fountains in Mexico. Someone as in love with my eyes, as with the demons that glow in the night on this left hip of mine. Someone not afraid to look me in the eye and ask me what wanting to die feels like. Someone who hears my response and still thinks of me as beautiful.
December, for all my fear, I still feel like there’s an endless ocean inside of me of love to give.
December, you make me forget that love is not for me.
The fact that I’m sitting here writing about it makes me feel like there’s a snowstorm over my head following me around, and December, it barely even freezes in this part of Texas.
December, you remind me my whole existence is an act of suffocation.
You bring it all out.
December, I’ve never felt so alone.
How can it be that you breathe such sorrow into me and at the same time make me believe that any day now the heavens may open up for me?


thoughtcatalog--2020-12-14--All The Things I Feared Most About Growing Up

Growing up and entering the real world for the first time is beyond scary .
In The Wilds on Amazon , a group of teenage girls from vastly different backgrounds end up stranded on a desert island after a plane crash .
They ’ re forced to take care of themselves and rely on each other if they want to live to see another day .
Although graduating and moving away from home isn ’ t exactly the same as getting dropped on a mysterious island , it ’ s still a massive change .
It ’ s still incredibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ main things I worried about while growing up to prove you aren ’ t alone in your fear : 1 .
I was worried about taking care of myself without adults around to guide me .
All throughout high school , your parents are around to correct your mistakes .
They can guide you in the right direction , give you advice when you ’ re struggling , and offer you encouragement when you lose faith in yourself .
However , when you grow up and embark on the real world , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
You ’ re forced to make your own decisions and take responsibility for your own actions .
You aren ’ t a child anymore , so you can ’ t expect your parents to magically make everything okay again .
You have to take care of yourself .
You have to learn who you really are and become your own unique person .
You have to truly find yourself .
2 .
I was worried about fitting in with other women .
Even today , women are pitted against each other way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see each other as competition in the workplace and on the dating scene .
However , tearing other women apart isn ’ t going to get you further in life .
Working together is going to be much more productive than competing with each other .
However , it isn ’ t always easy to get along with people who are different than you .
It isn ’ t always easy to communicate your thoughts and feelings in a productive way .
When I was growing up , one of my biggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enough to appreciate other women ’ s strengths instead of being jealous of their successes .
3 .
I was worried about taking on new , adult responsibilities .
When you ’ re young , there ’ s not much for you to worry about , aside from getting your chores done on time and completing homework assignments .
Even if you slack , what ’ s the worst that can happen ?
You might get detention or a grounding , but it won ’ t be the end of the world .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , not fulfilling your responsibilities might mean you go hungry .
It might mean you don ’ t have a place to rest your head at night .
It might mean you ’ re in big trouble .
The older you get , the more responsible you are for your own safety and happiness .
Your to-do list starts feeling a lot more important .
4 .
I was worried about getting into more serious , mature relationships .
Dating changes significantly as you grow older .
When you ’ re young , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crushes .
You can snuggle with them and kiss them and hold their hand without worrying about what tomorrow will bring .
However , once you get older , there ’ s more pressure to get serious .
Your flings can easily turn into committed relationships , which could eventually turn into lifelong marriages .
Even worse , there are so many more relationship issues to worry about when you ’ re older — from cheating to pregnancy .
At some point , relationships stop being harmless fun and start being a little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worried about staying optimistic after having such a troubled past .
When you ’ re young , the world seems like a beautiful , safe space .
However , as you grow older and experience death and heartache , you realize the world can be incredibly cruel .
One of the hardest things about growing older is reminding yourself to stay positive .
You have to stop dwelling on your past problems and choose to remain optimistic .
Even though the world can knock you down , you have the power to pick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ never give up on yourself , even when it feels like everything is going wrong .
You have to remind yourself everything is going to be okay again soon .
Growing up is scary — but you ’ re going to survive .
Watch the first episode of ‘ The Wilds ’ for free for a limited time on Prime Video ’ s YouTube .

Growing up and entering the real world for the first time is beyond scary. In The Wilds on Amazon, a group of teenage girls from vastly different backgrounds end up stranded on a desert island after a plane crash. They’re forced to take care of themselves and rely on each other if they want to live to see another day.
Although graduating and moving away from home isn’t exactly the same as getting dropped on a mysterious island, it’s still a massive change. It’s still incredibly scary. Here are some of the main things I worried about while growing up to prove you aren’t alone in your fear:
1. I was worried about taking care of myself without adults around to guide me.
All throughout high school, your parents are around to correct your mistakes. They can guide you in the right direction, give you advice when you’re struggling, and offer you encouragement when you lose faith in yourself. However, when you grow up and embark on the real world, you’re pretty much on your own. You’re forced to make your own decisions and take responsibility for your own actions. You aren’t a child anymore, so you can’t expect your parents to magically make everything okay again. You have to take care of yourself. You have to learn who you really are and become your own unique person. You have to truly find yourself.
2. I was worried about fitting in with other women.
Even today, women are pitted against each other way too often. They’re forced to see each other as competition in the workplace and on the dating scene. However, tearing other women apart isn’t going to get you further in life. Working together is going to be much more productive than competing with each other. However, it isn’t always easy to get along with people who are different than you. It isn’t always easy to communicate your thoughts and feelings in a productive way. When I was growing up, one of my biggest challenges was learning how to love myself enough to appreciate other women’s strengths instead of being jealous of their successes.
3. I was worried about taking on new, adult responsibilities.
When you’re young, there’s not much for you to worry about, aside from getting your chores done on time and completing homework assignments. Even if you slack, what’s the worst that can happen? You might get detention or a grounding, but it won’t be the end of the world. However, when you’re older, not fulfilling your responsibilities might mean you go hungry. It might mean you don’t have a place to rest your head at night. It might mean you’re in big trouble. The older you get, the more responsible you are for your own safety and happiness. Your to-do list starts feeling a lot more important.
4. I was worried about getting into more serious, mature relationships.
Dating changes significantly as you grow older. When you’re young, it’s easier to enjoy your crushes. You can snuggle with them and kiss them and hold their hand without worrying about what tomorrow will bring. However, once you get older, there’s more pressure to get serious. Your flings can easily turn into committed relationships, which could eventually turn into lifelong marriages. Even worse, there are so many more relationship issues to worry about when you’re older — from cheating to pregnancy. At some point, relationships stop being harmless fun and start being a little more stressful.
5. I was worried about staying optimistic after having such a troubled past.
When you’re young, the world seems like a beautiful, safe space. However, as you grow older and experience death and heartache, you realize the world can be incredibly cruel. One of the hardest things about growing older is reminding yourself to stay positive. You have to stop dwelling on your past problems and choose to remain optimistic. Even though the world can knock you down, you have the power to pick yourself back up again. You should never give up on yourself, even when it feels like everything is going wrong. You have to remind yourself everything is going to be okay again soon. Growing up is scary — but you’re going to survive.
Watch the first episode of ‘The Wilds’ for free for a limited time on Prime Video’s YouTube.


thoughtcatalog--2020-12-14--What Each Zodiac Sign Hates About Dating In A Pandemic

It ’ s hard to date when you can ’ t see each other in person .
You hate that you can ’ t see your dates in person to test the chemistry .
All of your conversations occur online .
You hate that you can ’ t meet people naturally , like at concerts or bars .
You have to look for them online .
You hate that you ’ re forced to take things slow ( because you can ’ t meet in person ) and can ’ t set your own pace for the relationship .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ any privacy .
Everyone is home all the time , so if you want to go on a Zoom date , your roommates/parents/pets are all going to overhear .
You hate that you can ’ t plan big , exciting trips with them because you have no idea when you ’ ll be able to travel again .
You hate that you have nothing to talk about with matches because nothing is really going on at the moment .
You hate that you ’ re usually walking around in sweatpants or pajamas and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that you don ’ t have the chance to have sex .
You can only touch yourself .
You hate that some matches pressure you to meet up , even though it ’ s unsafe , and ghost you when they don ’ t get their way .
You hate that quarantine has made you feel even more alone and it ’ s getting harder to pretend you don ’ t want a relationship .
You hate that you don ’ t get to kiss them to see whether they ’ re even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You hate that it ’ s hard to tell whether the person you ’ re interested in is talking to a dozen other people or only you .

It’s hard to date when you can’t see each other in person.
Aries
You hate that you can’t see your dates in person to test the chemistry. All of your conversations occur online.
You hate that you can’t meet people naturally, like at concerts or bars. You have to look for them online.
Gemini
You hate that you’re forced to take things slow (because you can’t meet in person) and can’t set your own pace for the relationship.
Cancer
You hate that you don’t get any privacy. Everyone is home all the time, so if you want to go on a Zoom date, your roommates/parents/pets are all going to overhear.
For the person who is always googling astrological compatibility when they meet someone new. How You’ll Do Everything Based On Your Zodiac Sign includes an exhaustive analysis of each sign’s personality. You’ll learn which high school clique represents them (Pisces are the cool art kids), who would get eaten first in a scary movie (Gemini, obviously) to how each sign prefers to say ‘I love you’ (for Taurus, it’s with good food). Alternating between silly, sweet, and serious, this book is filled with deep dives into the mind of everyone whose birth chart you can get your hands on. Buy now
Leo
You hate that you can’t plan big, exciting trips with them because you have no idea when you’ll be able to travel again.
Virgo
You hate that you have nothing to talk about with matches because nothing is really going on at the moment.
You hate that you’re usually walking around in sweatpants or pajamas and rarely feel sexy anymore.
Scorpio
You hate that you don’t have the chance to have sex. You can only touch yourself.
Sagittarius
You hate that some matches pressure you to meet up, even though it’s unsafe, and ghost you when they don’t get their way.
You hate that quarantine has made you feel even more alone and it’s getting harder to pretend you don’t want a relationship.
Aquarius
You hate that you don’t get to kiss them to see whether they’re even worth talking to for another month.
Pisces
You hate that it’s hard to tell whether the person you’re interested in is talking to a dozen other people or only you.


thoughtcatalog--2020-12-14--The Best Arguments That Arthur Leigh Allen Was The Zodiac Killer

The Zodiac killer is an unknown murderer who terrorized northern California in the 1960s and 1970s , primarily targeting couples parked at lovers ’ lanes .
He communicated regularly with the police and media , sometimes through cyphers .
One of the main suspects police liked for the Zodiac was a veteran former school teacher who was fired after he was caught molesting children .
The man , Arthur Leigh Allen , was considered by many to be the prime suspect in this unsolved case .
This theory was advanced by Robert Graysmith , a former political cartoonist for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the murders who went on to write the book Zodiac : The Shocking True Story of the Hunt for the Nation ’ s Most Elusive Serial Killer in 1986 .
[ * ] John Douglas , the FBI profiler Mindhunter is based on says that many serial killers wish to be in the armed forces and serve as police officers , but lack the social skills to succeed in those jobs .
Arthur Leigh Allen served in the navy but was dishonourably discharged in 1958 for an undisclosed reason .
[ * ] @ @ @ @ @ @ @ animal abuse .
This is one of three characteristics in the Macdonald triad , which is a predictor of a future violent serial offender .
Allen ’ s sister-in-law , Karen Allen , has said that Allen mutilated animals as a child .
[ * ] In 1974 he was fired from his job as a school teacher after he was caught molesting students .
He was convicted and spent 3 years in prison at Atascadero State Hospital .
During the time Allen taught , he was also disciplined for carrying a gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working as a teacher , Allen used only one sick day .
This was the day Cheri Jo Bates was stabbed to death at Riverside City College .
This isn ’ t an official Zodiac killing but many people familiar with the case consider Bates the first murder of the Zodiac .
[ * ] Michael Mageau , who survived being shot in the face , neck and chest from a close range by the Zodiac , picked Arthur Leigh Allen out of a lineup .
However , the lineup occurred 22 years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ access to the type of vehicle Mageau described the Zodiac arriving in .
[ * ] Allen ’ s shoe size was similar to footprints found in Zodiac crime scenes .
[ * ] Allen owned a Zodiac watch , which is where the symbol for the Zodiac is though to originate .
[ * ] Police officers thought that Allen ’ s gait was similar to that described by Zodiac survivors .
[ * ] Another Zodiac survivor , Bryan Hartnell , also said that Allen ’ s voice and stature ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s attack ) were a fit for the Zodiac .
[ * ] Allen had a 6 year friendship with a man named Don Cheney .
Cheney said the friendship ended because he was creeped out that Allen might be the Zodiac killer .
Cheney eventually went to the police and told them Allen had said he fantasized about killing couples at random , that he desired to be called ‘ Zodiac ’ , that Allen signed his letters with the same symbol the Zodiac did , that he attached his flashlight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the Zodiac , and that he described preying on women by sabotaging their vehicle in a similar manner to Kathleen Johns and possibly Cherri Jo Bates .
[ * ] Allen had the same brand and model of typewriter that was used to write some of the Zodiac letters .
[ * ] Allen told the police that his “ favorite ” book was The Most Dangerous Game , a short story about a wealthy big game hunter who becomes bored of hunting animals and begins hunting humans instead .
This book @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created by the Zodiac .
Another one of Allen ’ s friends has said that Allen was “ fascinated ” by the idea of hunting humans .
[ * ] There is evidence that Arthur Leigh Allen may have been stalking Zodiac victim Darlene Ferrin .
He told Don Cheney that he liked a waitress at the restaurant where she worked and she had told people about a man named “ Lee ” .
[ * ] On the day of the Lake Berryessa attack , Allen told police he was going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He also said he had bloody knives , but that they were from butchering chickens .
[ * ] A search of Allen ’ s home found that he had drawn sketches of a bomb he could make .
This type of bomb was referenced in Zodiac letters .
The evidence against Arthur Leigh Allen was considered circumstantial .
Specifically , DNA and handwriting samples believed to belong to the Zodiac killer did not match Allen .
He was never charged with the murders and passed away in 1992 from a heart attack @

The Zodiac killer is an unknown murderer who terrorized northern California in the 1960s and 1970s, primarily targeting couples parked at lovers’ lanes. He communicated regularly with the police and media, sometimes through cyphers. One of the main suspects police liked for the Zodiac was a veteran former school teacher who was fired after he was caught molesting children. The man, Arthur Leigh Allen, was considered by many to be the prime suspect in this unsolved case. This theory was advanced by Robert Graysmith, a former political cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle at the time of the murders who went on to write the book Zodiac: The Shocking True Story of the Hunt for the Nation’s Most Elusive Serial Killer in 1986.
[*] John Douglas, the FBI profiler Mindhunter is based on says that many serial killers wish to be in the armed forces and serve as police officers, but lack the social skills to succeed in those jobs. Arthur Leigh Allen served in the navy but was dishonourably discharged in 1958 for an undisclosed reason.
[*] Another common trait of serial killers is animal abuse. This is one of three characteristics in the Macdonald triad, which is a predictor of a future violent serial offender. Allen’s sister-in-law, Karen Allen, has said that Allen mutilated animals as a child.
[*] In 1974 he was fired from his job as a school teacher after he was caught molesting students. He was convicted and spent 3 years in prison at Atascadero State Hospital. During the time Allen taught, he was also disciplined for carrying a gun on campus.
[*] While working as a teacher, Allen used only one sick day. This was the day Cheri Jo Bates was stabbed to death at Riverside City College. This isn’t an official Zodiac killing but many people familiar with the case consider Bates the first murder of the Zodiac.
[*] Michael Mageau, who survived being shot in the face, neck and chest from a close range by the Zodiac, picked Arthur Leigh Allen out of a lineup. However, the lineup occurred 22 years after the attack. Allen also had access to the type of vehicle Mageau described the Zodiac arriving in.
[*] Allen’s shoe size was similar to footprints found in Zodiac crime scenes.
[*] Allen owned a Zodiac watch, which is where the symbol for the Zodiac is though to originate.
[*] Police officers thought that Allen’s gait was similar to that described by Zodiac survivors.
[*] Another Zodiac survivor, Bryan Hartnell, also said that Allen’s voice and stature (The Zodiac wore a hood during Hartnell’s attack) were a fit for the Zodiac.
[*] Allen had a 6 year friendship with a man named Don Cheney. Cheney said the friendship ended because he was creeped out that Allen might be the Zodiac killer. Cheney eventually went to the police and told them Allen had said he fantasized about killing couples at random, that he desired to be called ‘Zodiac’, that Allen signed his letters with the same symbol the Zodiac did, that he attached his flashlight to his gun in a similar manner to the Zodiac, and that he described preying on women by sabotaging their vehicle in a similar manner to Kathleen Johns and possibly Cherri Jo Bates.
[*] Allen had the same brand and model of typewriter that was used to write some of the Zodiac letters.
[*] Allen told the police that his “favorite” book was The Most Dangerous Game, a short story about a wealthy big game hunter who becomes bored of hunting animals and begins hunting humans instead. This book is referenced in one of the cyphers created by the Zodiac. Another one of Allen’s friends has said that Allen was “fascinated” by the idea of hunting humans.
[*] There is evidence that Arthur Leigh Allen may have been stalking Zodiac victim Darlene Ferrin. He told Don Cheney that he liked a waitress at the restaurant where she worked and she had told people about a man named “Lee”.
[*] On the day of the Lake Berryessa attack, Allen told police he was going to Lake Berryessa but changed his mind. He also said he had bloody knives, but that they were from butchering chickens.
[*] A search of Allen’s home found that he had drawn sketches of a bomb he could make. This type of bomb was referenced in Zodiac letters.
The evidence against Arthur Leigh Allen was considered circumstantial. Specifically, DNA and handwriting samples believed to belong to the Zodiac killer did not match Allen. He was never charged with the murders and passed away in 1992 from a heart attack.


thoughtcatalog--2020-12-14--Your Worst Moments Don’t Have To Turn Into Life Lessons

It ’ s wonderful if you can get something good out of a bad situation .
If you can see the silver lining to the pain you went through in the past or learn an important life lesson that will help you in the future .
However , it ’ s okay if your bad experiences are simply… bad .
You don ’ t have to justify the horrible things that have happened to you .
You don ’ t have to be thankful that you were treated terribly by someone so you can appreciate it more when you get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t have to learn important lessons the hard way .
You didn ’ t have to experience pain in order to discover what you truly deserved .
Don ’ t feel like you have to say thank you to the people who have torn you down .
Your experiences might have made you stronger — but you would still be strong without them .
You don ’ t have to come up with reasons why it ’ s actually a good thing you were treated horribly in the past .
You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Someone hurt me and it wasn ’ t fair .
I didn ’ t deserve to go through that kind of pain .
It never should have happened.
” When you ’ re at your lowest , it ’ s okay if you can ’ t see the bright side of a situation .
No one should pressure you to think positively and be thankful for what you learned from one of the worst moments of your life .
Positivity can be toxic , too .
Sometimes , negativity is a perfectly valid @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wonderful if you can use your past experiences to make better decisions in the future , but you shouldn ’ t feel pressured to find a silver lining in order to feel better about the hell you endured .
You shouldn ’ t feel like you ’ re broken or ungrateful or whiny because you ’ re only able to focus on the negative .
When bad things happen to you , you ’ re allowed to be upset .
Maybe you ’ ll be able to look back on your experience one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you learned from the moment — but maybe not .
It ’ s okay if your only emotion over what happened to you is anger .
You ’ re allowed to be angry .
You should be angry .
You should never settle for such horrible treatment again in the future .
You should know that you deserve to be treated with respect .
Even if you learn a wonderful lesson from someone toxic , it doesn ’ t mean what they did to you was okay .
It doesn ’ t mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shitty things happen for no good reason .
Sometimes , the world is completely unfair .
You didn ’ t deserve the random , bad things that happened to you .
You didn ’ t cause them .
You didn ’ t do anything wrong .
You don ’ t have to thank the toxic partners and bullies from your past for turning you into who you are today .
You don ’ t have to feel like they ’ re the reason you turned out so well-rounded and independent .
You are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strong .
You are the reason why you ’ ve made it this far .
You should thank yourself , not them .

It’s wonderful if you can get something good out of a bad situation. If you can see the silver lining to the pain you went through in the past or learn an important life lesson that will help you in the future.
However, it’s okay if your bad experiences are simply… bad.
You don’t have to justify the horrible things that have happened to you. You don’t have to be thankful that you were treated terribly by someone so you can appreciate it more when you get treated right in the future.
You didn’t have to learn important lessons the hard way. You didn’t have to experience pain in order to discover what you truly deserved. Don’t feel like you have to say thank you to the people who have torn you down. Your experiences might have made you stronger — but you would still be strong without them.
You don’t have to come up with reasons why it’s actually a good thing you were treated horribly in the past. You’re allowed to say, “Someone hurt me and it wasn’t fair. I didn’t deserve to go through that kind of pain. It never should have happened.”
When you’re at your lowest, it’s okay if you can’t see the bright side of a situation. No one should pressure you to think positively and be thankful for what you learned from one of the worst moments of your life. Positivity can be toxic, too. Sometimes, negativity is a perfectly valid response.
Sure, it’s wonderful if you can use your past experiences to make better decisions in the future, but you shouldn’t feel pressured to find a silver lining in order to feel better about the hell you endured. You shouldn’t feel like you’re broken or ungrateful or whiny because you’re only able to focus on the negative.
When bad things happen to you, you’re allowed to be upset. Maybe you’ll be able to look back on your experience one day in the future and appreciate what you learned from the moment — but maybe not.
It’s okay if your only emotion over what happened to you is anger. You’re allowed to be angry. You should be angry. You should never settle for such horrible treatment again in the future. You should know that you deserve to be treated with respect.
Even if you learn a wonderful lesson from someone toxic, it doesn’t mean what they did to you was okay. It doesn’t mean all should be forgiven.
Sometimes, shitty things happen for no good reason. Sometimes, the world is completely unfair. You didn’t deserve the random, bad things that happened to you. You didn’t cause them. You didn’t do anything wrong.
You don’t have to thank the toxic partners and bullies from your past for turning you into who you are today. You don’t have to feel like they’re the reason you turned out so well-rounded and independent. You are the reason why you’re so strong. You are the reason why you’ve made it this far. You should thank yourself, not them.


thoughtcatalog--2020-12-14--Good Deeds Aren’t Going To Erase Your Toxic Behavior

If you ’ re actually putting effort into changing , into becoming a better version of yourself , into dropping your toxic behaviors , that ’ s a beautiful thing .
You should be proud of yourself for actively trying to grow into a softer , gentler human .
However , doing something nice for me today isn ’ t going to erase all of the horrible things you did yesterday .
You can give me elaborate , heartfelt apologies .
You can surprise me with fresh bouquets and sweet-smelling chocolates .
You can swear that you ’ re never @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ ve changed , that it took you a while but you finally see the error of your ways .
But that ’ s not going to fix anything that happened between us .
Although those gestures are coming from a good place , although you might have the best intentions , you need to understand you can ’ t win back my affection .
You can ’ t expect me to change my mind about kicking you out of my world .
In fact , it ’ s kind of insulting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chance .
You hurt me , deeply , and you can never change that fact .
You can ’ t take back the horrible , disrespectful words you said .
You can ’ t take back how insecure and alone and downright fearful you made me feel .
You can ’ t erase the damage now , simply because your guilt has been eating you alive .
I ’ m sorry if me refusing to accept your apology makes you feel shitty — but you made me feel shitty , too .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deserve the treatment .
You deserve everything that ’ s coming to you .
I ’ m glad you realized you were wrong and are finally owning up to what you ’ ve done , but really , you should ’ ve realized that from the start .
You should ’ ve known you were acting inappropriately .
You should ’ ve held yourself to a higher standard .
I ’ m the one who suffered from your mood swings and outbursts and lack of affection .
I ’ m the one who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could you expect me to forgive you ?
How do you even expect me to believe that you ’ re telling me the truth , after so many lies ?
You might be the exact same monster who hurt me .
You might not have changed as much as you ’ re telling yourself .
Even if you really have changed , even if you are a new person who would never put me through hell again , I don ’ t owe you anything .
I don ’ t have to answer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invite you inside my home .
I don ’ t have to treat you with kindness when you spent so long treating me like nothing .
Your good deeds are a step in the right direction .
I don ’ t want you to feel like your acts of kindness are a waste — but at the same time , I don ’ t want you to think you can make up for what you ’ ve done to me .
Some mistakes are too huge to recover from .
Some relationships are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m so happy that you ’ re trying to better yourself — but I ’ m not going to be your reward .

If you’re actually putting effort into changing, into becoming a better version of yourself, into dropping your toxic behaviors, that’s a beautiful thing. You should be proud of yourself for actively trying to grow into a softer, gentler human.
However, doing something nice for me today isn’t going to erase all of the horrible things you did yesterday.
You can give me elaborate, heartfelt apologies. You can surprise me with fresh bouquets and sweet-smelling chocolates. You can swear that you’re never going to hurt me again, that you’ve changed, that it took you a while but you finally see the error of your ways. But that’s not going to fix anything that happened between us.
Although those gestures are coming from a good place, although you might have the best intentions, you need to understand you can’t win back my affection. You can’t expect me to change my mind about kicking you out of my world. In fact, it’s kind of insulting for you to think you deserve another chance.
You hurt me, deeply, and you can never change that fact. You can’t take back the horrible, disrespectful words you said. You can’t take back how insecure and alone and downright fearful you made me feel. You can’t erase the damage now, simply because your guilt has been eating you alive.
I’m sorry if me refusing to accept your apology makes you feel shitty — but you made me feel shitty, too. The difference is, I didn’t deserve the treatment. You deserve everything that’s coming to you.
I’m glad you realized you were wrong and are finally owning up to what you’ve done, but really, you should’ve realized that from the start. You should’ve known you were acting inappropriately. You should’ve held yourself to a higher standard.
I’m the one who suffered from your mood swings and outbursts and lack of affection. I’m the one who had to pay the price. How could you expect me to forgive you? How do you even expect me to believe that you’re telling me the truth, after so many lies? You might be the exact same monster who hurt me. You might not have changed as much as you’re telling yourself.
Even if you really have changed, even if you are a new person who would never put me through hell again, I don’t owe you anything. I don’t have to answer your texts or open the door and invite you inside my home. I don’t have to treat you with kindness when you spent so long treating me like nothing.
Your good deeds are a step in the right direction. I don’t want you to feel like your acts of kindness are a waste — but at the same time, I don’t want you to think you can make up for what you’ve done to me. Some mistakes are too huge to recover from. Some relationships are too broken to be mended.
I’m so happy that you’re trying to better yourself — but I’m not going to be your reward.


thoughtcatalog--2020-12-14--The Creepiest 6 Hour Murder Mystery Miniseries To Get Sucked Into This Week

My favorite genre of horror movie is the whodunit .
I can ’ t help but get addicted to any movie or series that teases out the killer of a juicy murder mystery .
HBO ’ s The Undoing is the latest and greatest example of a cryptic thriller done right .
And , since the entire series has now aired , you can binge the show in one day ( or one week if you have a healthier relationship to your screen time than I do ) .
The Undoing is about a wealthy family : Dr. Grace Fraser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dr. Jonathan Fraser ( Hugh Grant ) and their son Henry Fraser ( Noah Jupe ) .
At first the violent murder of a fellow student ’ s mother at Henry ’ s prestigious private New York City school seems tragic , but irrelevant .
Slowly the family ’ s ties to the murder are revealed and the trial of the century begins .
What makes this series particularly good is that the main character played by Nicole Kidman is a PhD level psychologist .
She has literally spent her entire life learning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every person involved in this case .
The story told from her perspective includes another element of whodunit because we have a front row seat to witnessing how completely oblivious someone can be when they are manipulated by a narcissist in their life .
The Undoing is HBO ’ s most popular show since Game of Thrones .
You can stream the miniseries in it ’ s entirety on HBO Max or purchase the episodes individually for around the same price as a month of the streaming service .

NO SPOILERS.
My favorite genre of horror movie is the whodunit. I can’t help but get addicted to any movie or series that teases out the killer of a juicy murder mystery. HBO’s The Undoing is the latest and greatest example of a cryptic thriller done right. And, since the entire series has now aired, you can binge the show in one day (or one week if you have a healthier relationship to your screen time than I do).
The Undoing is about a wealthy family: Dr. Grace Fraser (Nicole Kidman), her husband Dr. Jonathan Fraser (Hugh Grant) and their son Henry Fraser (Noah Jupe). At first the violent murder of a fellow student’s mother at Henry’s prestigious private New York City school seems tragic, but irrelevant. Slowly the family’s ties to the murder are revealed and the trial of the century begins.
What makes this series particularly good is that the main character played by Nicole Kidman is a PhD level psychologist. She has literally spent her entire life learning how to read people and she knows every person involved in this case. The story told from her perspective includes another element of whodunit because we have a front row seat to witnessing how completely oblivious someone can be when they are manipulated by a narcissist in their life.
The Undoing is HBO’s most popular show since Game of Thrones. You can stream the miniseries in it’s entirety on HBO Max or purchase the episodes individually for around the same price as a month of the streaming service.


thoughtcatalog--2020-12-14--I Love Myself Too Much To Stand Still

I Love Myself Too Much To Stand Still

I love myself too much to settle .
I ’ m not going to allow comfort to trick me into remaining in one place .
I ’ m going to continue moving forward , continue striving for more , continue fighting to reach my full potential .
I ’ m not going to give up on myself or assume my journey is over .
It ’ s never over .
There ’ s always more to explore , more tidbits to learn about the world around me and about my own inner workings as well .
I love myself too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not going to sway me anymore .
I ’ m not going to make excuses for the people who hurt me .
I ’ m not going to believe their empty promises and their halfhearted apologies .
I ’ m going to take steps forward without them because they are only an anchor , holding me back .
I ’ m not going to dwell on what could have been with humans who are only capable of draining me .
I love myself too much to waste time in the wrong places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ move on and venture out on my own , it ’ s a better alternative to staying in a land where I feel unwelcome .
It ’ s better than forcing myself to find scraps of happiness in a situation that isn ’ t built for me .
I ’ m not going to cram myself into the wrong rooms like a puzzle piece .
I ’ m going to find the places where I truly belong .
I love myself too much to pretend everything is okay when I ’ m secretly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t want to put on a lifelong play .
I don ’ t want to have everyone in the world convinced of my happiness except for the person who matters the most — myself .
I can ’ t keep up the charade .
I can ’ t allow myself to focus on what others think of me instead of prioritizing myself .
I love myself too much to say this is as good as it gets .
I ’ m not going to sell myself short .
I ’ m not going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ m not going to act like it ’ s impossible for me to succeed so there ’ s no point in even trying .
I ’ m not going to disrespect myself in that way .
I ’ m going to hold myself with confidence , even when it ’ s a serious struggle .
I love myself too much to call it quits , to give up my dreams in favor of a simpler life .
Yes , there will be setbacks along my journey .
No , there won ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the one thing that is certain is that I will always keep trying .
I will never lose faith in myself .
I will never give up out of fear that my best isn ’ t good enough .
I ’ m too stubborn to quit .
I ’ m going to chase after my wildest dreams until they become mine .
I love myself too much to stand still .
I love myself too much to give up on trying to create a brighter life for myself and broaden my horizons .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ for anything less than real happiness .

I love myself too much to settle. I’m not going to allow comfort to trick me into remaining in one place. I’m going to continue moving forward, continue striving for more, continue fighting to reach my full potential. I’m not going to give up on myself or assume my journey is over. It’s never over. There’s always more to explore, more tidbits to learn about the world around me and about my own inner workings as well.
I love myself too much to accept toxic treatment. Love is not going to sway me anymore. I’m not going to make excuses for the people who hurt me. I’m not going to believe their empty promises and their halfhearted apologies. I’m going to take steps forward without them because they are only an anchor, holding me back. I’m not going to dwell on what could have been with humans who are only capable of draining me.
I love myself too much to waste time in the wrong places. As scary as it is to move on and venture out on my own, it’s a better alternative to staying in a land where I feel unwelcome. It’s better than forcing myself to find scraps of happiness in a situation that isn’t built for me. I’m not going to cram myself into the wrong rooms like a puzzle piece. I’m going to find the places where I truly belong.
I love myself too much to pretend everything is okay when I’m secretly falling to pieces. I don’t want to put on a lifelong play. I don’t want to have everyone in the world convinced of my happiness except for the person who matters the most — myself. I can’t keep up the charade. I can’t allow myself to focus on what others think of me instead of prioritizing myself.
I love myself too much to say this is as good as it gets. I’m not going to sell myself short. I’m not going to discount my abilities. I’m not going to act like it’s impossible for me to succeed so there’s no point in even trying. I’m not going to disrespect myself in that way. I’m going to hold myself with confidence, even when it’s a serious struggle.
I love myself too much to call it quits, to give up my dreams in favor of a simpler life. Yes, there will be setbacks along my journey. No, there won’t always be strong forward momentum. But the one thing that is certain is that I will always keep trying. I will never lose faith in myself. I will never give up out of fear that my best isn’t good enough. I’m too stubborn to quit. I’m going to chase after my wildest dreams until they become mine.
I love myself too much to stand still. I love myself too much to give up on trying to create a brighter life for myself and broaden my horizons. I love myself too much to settle for anything less than real happiness.


thoughtcatalog--2020-12-14--This Is Your Top Love Language, Based  On Your Zodiac Sign

When it comes to giving and receiving love , we all have our personal preferences .
We can recognize when someone is trying to show us how they feel , but specific ways resonate with us more than others do .
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman is one of the most well-known descriptions of how people give and receive love differently .
While not everyone with the same zodiac sign reacts the same way , there are some consistent patterns regarding how each zodiac sign wants to be loved .
Check your zodiac sign below ( your Sun/Moon/and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ top love language is !
Aries aren ’ t afraid to express and bold , grand gesture- you want your feelings to be known .
When it comes to love , you want someone to affirm that they love and appreciate you .
You don ’ t want to have to guess at whether a person is happy with you .
While you appreciate any attempts at showing love , you feel the most comforted when it ’ s said to you , straight-forward .
You are significantly in tune with your senses @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a thoughtful gift or kind word from the person you love , you feel a specific type of way when you can physically be close to them .
Whether it ’ s hand holding , a simple brush of your arm when they walk past , or cuddling on the couch after a long day- you feel comforted and grounded when the person you care about shows you physical affection .
Most people would associate you with Words of Affirmation- but you don ’ t necessarily need to be complimented , Gemini .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ with other people , and you have a tendency to fixate on your latest discovery .
You feel loved when someone takes the time to sit with you and really listen to what you ’ re saying and engage with you one-on-one .
Having a person ’ s full attention speaks volumes to you .
We know you would do anything for your loved ones , Cancer .
You go out of your way to nurture and care for others in every way possible .
When it comes to your love language , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of .
While you will know the heart behind any kind gesture or word , you feel the most loved when someone goes out of their way to help you and take care of you .
Whether it ’ s offering to help you clean the kitchen or running some errands with you , it makes you feel safe and secure to know you don ’ t have to do everything alone .
Leos may be aware of their accomplishments and believe they are genuinely great people- but that doesn ’ t mean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it from the people you love .
You love being recognized for what you ’ ve done , but it means so much more if you have people to share it with .
When your loved ones encourage you or compliment you , it truly means the world .
You really take notice when someone gets things done , don ’ t you ?
You spend so much time trying to keep things running smoothly in your life , and you have a particular method of how to do so .
While you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quite as detail-oriented and organized as you , it makes you feel the most loved when the people you love do even the smallest things to help you out .
You have a hard time asking for help when you need it , and when someone steps in without you asking , it ’ s an incredible display of love for you .
You certainly have an eye for things , Libra .
You aren ’ t superficial , but you are in awe when someone goes out of their way to pick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t have to be expensive- it just needs to come from the heart .
You like those tangible reminders that someone was thinking of you and knew you so well !
You may put on a tough front , Scorpio , but that doesn ’ t mean you like being left alone all the time .
You enjoy connecting with others , and you want to feel as close to them as possible .
You are over the moon when someone shows you physical affection , and it tends to break @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put up .
Sex doesn ’ t have to be the end game- you enjoy even the smallest expressions .
You have a reputation for being always on the go , Sagittarius .
You are very optimistic and expressive about how you feel because you don ’ t see any reason not to be .
When it comes to feeling loved , you want someone who can keep up with you .
Most people think quality time requires sitting at home on a couch .
However , you want someone who is enthusiastically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you love together .
When someone is trying to be involved with what you love rather than pushing you to stay back , it ’ s everything you could hope for .
You are someone who not only values hard work but helping the people you care about .
For someone as focused and goal-oriented as you are , you tend to have a lot on your plate .
When the person you love steps up and does anything for you that is helpful , it speaks volumes .
You really do lean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than words .
You may cringe at the idea of cheesy , romantic lines Aquarius- but that isn ’ t what Words of Affirmation are .
You spend a great deal of time inside your own head pondering so much , and you genuinely want the world around you to be a better place .
At times , you stretch yourself to then and often ask yourself if what you ’ re doing is even worthwhile or stress that you could be doing more .
It makes you feel secure and loved when @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing a great job or encourages you while you ’ re doing the best you can .
You enjoy spending time with your loved ones , Pisces .
You can sometimes get a little caught up in your mind and your daydreams , but spending time with the people you love brings you back to reality- in a good way .
You appreciate it when people take the time to listen to you and be present with you .
The memories you make are ones you hold onto , and you really feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you their time and energy .

When it comes to giving and receiving love, we all have our personal preferences. We can recognize when someone is trying to show us how they feel, but specific ways resonate with us more than others do. The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman is one of the most well-known descriptions of how people give and receive love differently.
While not everyone with the same zodiac sign reacts the same way, there are some consistent patterns regarding how each zodiac sign wants to be loved. Check your zodiac sign below (your Sun/Moon/and Venus particularly) to see what your top love language is!
Aries: Words Of Affirmation
Aries aren’t afraid to express and bold, grand gesture- you want your feelings to be known. When it comes to love, you want someone to affirm that they love and appreciate you. You don’t want to have to guess at whether a person is happy with you. While you appreciate any attempts at showing love, you feel the most comforted when it’s said to you, straight-forward.
Taurus: Physical Touch
You are significantly in tune with your senses, Taurus. While you can appreciate a thoughtful gift or kind word from the person you love, you feel a specific type of way when you can physically be close to them. Whether it’s hand holding, a simple brush of your arm when they walk past, or cuddling on the couch after a long day- you feel comforted and grounded when the person you care about shows you physical affection.
For the person who is always googling astrological compatibility when they meet someone new. How You’ll Do Everything Based On Your Zodiac Sign includes an exhaustive analysis of each sign’s personality. You’ll learn which high school clique represents them (Pisces are the cool art kids), who would get eaten first in a scary movie (Gemini, obviously) to how each sign prefers to say ‘I love you’ (for Taurus, it’s with good food). Alternating between silly, sweet, and serious, this book is filled with deep dives into the mind of everyone whose birth chart you can get your hands on. Buy now
Gemini: Quality Time
Most people would associate you with Words of Affirmation- but you don’t necessarily need to be complimented, Gemini. You enjoy sharing things you find interesting with other people, and you have a tendency to fixate on your latest discovery. You feel loved when someone takes the time to sit with you and really listen to what you’re saying and engage with you one-on-one. Having a person’s full attention speaks volumes to you.
Cancer: Acts of Service
We know you would do anything for your loved ones, Cancer. You go out of your way to nurture and care for others in every way possible. When it comes to your love language, you just want to be taken care of. While you will know the heart behind any kind gesture or word, you feel the most loved when someone goes out of their way to help you and take care of you. Whether it’s offering to help you clean the kitchen or running some errands with you, it makes you feel safe and secure to know you don’t have to do everything alone.
Leo: Words Of Affirmation
Leos may be aware of their accomplishments and believe they are genuinely great people- but that doesn’t mean you don’t need to hear it from the people you love. You love being recognized for what you’ve done, but it means so much more if you have people to share it with. When your loved ones encourage you or compliment you, it truly means the world.
Virgo: Acts of Service
You really take notice when someone gets things done, don’t you? You spend so much time trying to keep things running smoothly in your life, and you have a particular method of how to do so. While you know that most people aren’t quite as detail-oriented and organized as you, it makes you feel the most loved when the people you love do even the smallest things to help you out. You have a hard time asking for help when you need it, and when someone steps in without you asking, it’s an incredible display of love for you.
Libra: Gifts
You certainly have an eye for things, Libra. You aren’t superficial, but you are in awe when someone goes out of their way to pick out something special for you. It doesn’t have to be expensive- it just needs to come from the heart. You like those tangible reminders that someone was thinking of you and knew you so well!
Scorpio: Physical Touch
You may put on a tough front, Scorpio, but that doesn’t mean you like being left alone all the time. You enjoy connecting with others, and you want to feel as close to them as possible. You are over the moon when someone shows you physical affection, and it tends to break down some of those walls you carefully put up. Sex doesn’t have to be the end game- you enjoy even the smallest expressions.
Sagittarius: Quality Time
You have a reputation for being always on the go, Sagittarius. You are very optimistic and expressive about how you feel because you don’t see any reason not to be. When it comes to feeling loved, you want someone who can keep up with you. Most people think quality time requires sitting at home on a couch. However, you want someone who is enthusiastically by your side, doing the things you love together. When someone is trying to be involved with what you love rather than pushing you to stay back, it’s everything you could hope for.
Capricorn: Acts Of Service
You are someone who not only values hard work but helping the people you care about. For someone as focused and goal-oriented as you are, you tend to have a lot on your plate. When the person you love steps up and does anything for you that is helpful, it speaks volumes. You really do lean on the idea that actions speak louder than words.
Aquarius: Words Of Affirmation
You may cringe at the idea of cheesy, romantic lines Aquarius- but that isn’t what Words of Affirmation are. You spend a great deal of time inside your own head pondering so much, and you genuinely want the world around you to be a better place. At times, you stretch yourself to then and often ask yourself if what you’re doing is even worthwhile or stress that you could be doing more. It makes you feel secure and loved when someone tells you that you’re doing a great job or encourages you while you’re doing the best you can.
Pisces: Quality Time
You enjoy spending time with your loved ones, Pisces. You can sometimes get a little caught up in your mind and your daydreams, but spending time with the people you love brings you back to reality- in a good way. You appreciate it when people take the time to listen to you and be present with you. The memories you make are ones you hold onto, and you really feel as if people care when they give you their time and energy.


thoughtcatalog--2020-12-14--What Each Zodiac Sign Wants To Put Less Effort Into Next Year

You want to put less effort into looking good on social media .
You want to focus on actually making yourself happy instead of appearing happy .
You want to put less effort into toxic relationships .
You want to stop trying so hard to make things work with people who treat you like garbage .
You want to put less effort into making other people comfortable and say whatever is on your mind , even if it hurts .
You want to put less effort into looking for love .
You want to enjoy the single life and stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other side .
You want to put less effort into impressing the people around you .
You want to worry about yourself first and foremost .
You want to put less effort into your nine-to-five .
You want to create a healthier work/life balance so you aren ’ t neglecting your loved ones anymore .
You want to put less effort into your appearance .
You want to focus on your inner self more than your external self .
You want to put less effort into making extra money .
You want to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to put less effort into pretending you ’ re okay and actually admit when you ’ re struggling and need help .
You want to put less effort into making your parents happy and more effort into doing what you believe is best for yourself .
You want to put less effort into getting laid and more effort into creating meaningful relationships .
You want to put less effort into fitting in and focus on finding yourself .

You want to put less effort into looking good on social media. You want to focus on actually making yourself happy instead of appearing happy.
Taurus
You want to put less effort into toxic relationships. You want to stop trying so hard to make things work with people who treat you like garbage.
Gemini
You want to put less effort into making other people comfortable and say whatever is on your mind, even if it hurts.
Cancer
You want to put less effort into looking for love. You want to enjoy the single life and stop assuming the grass is greener on the other side.
For the person who is always googling astrological compatibility when they meet someone new. How You’ll Do Everything Based On Your Zodiac Sign includes an exhaustive analysis of each sign’s personality. You’ll learn which high school clique represents them (Pisces are the cool art kids), who would get eaten first in a scary movie (Gemini, obviously) to how each sign prefers to say ‘I love you’ (for Taurus, it’s with good food). Alternating between silly, sweet, and serious, this book is filled with deep dives into the mind of everyone whose birth chart you can get your hands on. Buy now
Leo
You want to put less effort into impressing the people around you. You want to worry about yourself first and foremost.
You want to put less effort into your nine-to-five. You want to create a healthier work/life balance so you aren’t neglecting your loved ones anymore.
Libra
You want to put less effort into your appearance. You want to focus on your inner self more than your external self.
Scorpio
You want to put less effort into making extra money. You want to focus more on making memories.
Sagittarius
You want to put less effort into pretending you’re okay and actually admit when you’re struggling and need help.
Capricorn
You want to put less effort into making your parents happy and more effort into doing what you believe is best for yourself.
You want to put less effort into getting laid and more effort into creating meaningful relationships.
Pisces
You want to put less effort into fitting in and focus on finding yourself.


thoughtcatalog--2020-12-15--What Each Zodiac Sign Will Be Like As An Aunt

You ’ ll be the aunt who they feel comfortable talking to about dating and partying .
You ’ ll be the aunt who runs around the yard , playing silly games with them that other adults are too mature to take part in .
You ’ ll be the aunt who accidentally curses in front of them and gets along better with them as they grow older .
You ’ ll be the aunt who spoils the kids rotten and always shows up with toys or games or money .
You ’ ll be the aunt who shows up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and rehearsal .
You ’ ll be the aunt who recommends them music , shows , and books because you have similar tastes .
You ’ ll be the aunt who buys them clothes and teaches them how to apply makeup .
You ’ ll be the aunt who takes them everywhere with you and brings them on tons of adventures .
You ’ ll be the aunt who only really sees them on the holidays — but who they consider their favorite .
You ’ ll be the aunt who helps them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world .
You ’ ll be the aunt who lets the kids get away with murder and never disciplines them .
You ’ ll be the aunt who texts them more than they text their parents .

Aries
You’ll be the aunt who they feel comfortable talking to about dating and partying.
Taurus
You’ll be the aunt who runs around the yard, playing silly games with them that other adults are too mature to take part in.
You’ll be the aunt who accidentally curses in front of them and gets along better with them as they grow older.
Cancer
You’ll be the aunt who spoils the kids rotten and always shows up with toys or games or money.
For the person who is always googling astrological compatibility when they meet someone new. How You’ll Do Everything Based On Your Zodiac Sign includes an exhaustive analysis of each sign’s personality. You’ll learn which high school clique represents them (Pisces are the cool art kids), who would get eaten first in a scary movie (Gemini, obviously) to how each sign prefers to say ‘I love you’ (for Taurus, it’s with good food). Alternating between silly, sweet, and serious, this book is filled with deep dives into the mind of everyone whose birth chart you can get your hands on. Buy now
Leo
You’ll be the aunt who shows up to every graduation, school play, and rehearsal.
Virgo
You’ll be the aunt who recommends them music, shows, and books because you have similar tastes.
You’ll be the aunt who buys them clothes and teaches them how to apply makeup.
Scorpio
You’ll be the aunt who takes them everywhere with you and brings them on tons of adventures.
Sagittarius
You’ll be the aunt who only really sees them on the holidays — but who they consider their favorite.
Capricorn
You’ll be the aunt who helps them with homework and teaches them about the world.
You’ll be the aunt who lets the kids get away with murder and never disciplines them.
Pisces
You’ll be the aunt who texts them more than they text their parents.


thoughtcatalog--2020-12-15--33 Stupidly Simple Ways To Spread Positivity In A Shitty Year

1 .
Thanking people for small tasks that usually go unnoticed days later .
“ Oh quick question , did you restock that shelf the other day ?
Thanks , that really helped.
” “ I forgot to tell you , thanks for putting more paper in the copier.
” “ Did you rewrite the tasks on the dry erase board ?
Thanks , I can finally read it.
” 2 .
Remember small details about people and ask them about it .
“ How was the new coffee machine you bought ?
” “ Did that brother-in-law you don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” I notice people get a little excited when I do it .
3 .
When I ’ m talking with someone and they tell me to say hello , pass on well wishes , etc .
to another person , I always do .
It always brings a smile to that person ’ s face .
And then they ’ ll respond in kind , and I ’ ll pass that message on back .
Smiling faces are beautiful .
4 .
Complimenting people .
A quick , “ I like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plant on your desk looks so nice !
” is so easy to do , and it makes people smile .
5 .
If I ’ m approaching a traffic light , and see empty lanes , I switch over to the one in the middle , so the cars behind me can turn right on red and are not held up because of me .
I hope that makes their day a bit quicker and gives them a feeling that they were able to make that light without stopping !
6 .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I walk along my country road .
Today I was 9 for 9 on returned waves !
7 .
I try to give compliments behind people ’ s backs where they can hear but they think I don ’ t know they are listening .
I live around people who have either been hurt by others or have become cynical after watching other people get hurt .
Seems to be the easiest way to spread positivity without coming off like I have ulterior motives .
8 .
I like to reply to non-famous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraging messages .
9 .
Whenever I call customer service or whatever I try to remember the name of the person on the other end .
When the call is over I thank them by using their name and say they were very helpful .
You can tell that people usually forget their names .
10 .
I ’ m a pretty positive person in general and I love making dumb puns or jokes .
Even at my expense , I feel like it ’ ll get a chuckle .
11 .
Pay @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you in a drive-through .
12 .
Whenever I ’ m in the car and I see someone jogging , I roll down the window and tell them , “ YOU GOT THIS !
” 14 .
If I find a penny bottoms up , I flip it over for the next person to find it .
15 .
I know people ’ s names .
I remember .
I try hard to remember them .
I write them down .
People love it when you know their name , and in turn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I make postcards to give to friends and family on special occasions .
17 .
Anytime someone mentions their hobby I ’ m quick to say , “ You do pottery ( or whittling or bird watching or whatever ) ?
” Tell me more about that !
” Hobbies are what people do to be happy , and it ’ s nice when people talk about things that make them happy .
18 .
Thanking people for their time .
Everyone ’ s time is valuable and thanking them for giving @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way .
19 .
When I see families take a group picture , I offer to take the next one for them .
I hate seeing the dads always left out or the family being incomplete .
20 .
I like to go up to people who are wearing merch from a show and tell them I love it and ask who ’ s their favorite character .
People love when you take an interest in their interest !
If someone tells a story or just shares an experience I try to always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seems like no one else heard , assuming we ’ re in a group setting .
If someone puts on an act for a joke that doesn ’ t catch on , I try and back them up with antics that complement theirs .
Whenever the opportunity presents itself , I try to acknowledge and encourage other people in subtle ways .
I always hated the social spotlight because of poor self-esteem , but I find that the kind of attention I get from this is just wonderful .
Also , it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you .
23 .
My parting words to everyone I interact with ( usually when getting food ) are “ take care of yourself.
” That started during the pandemic and it ’ s not going away after it ’ s over .
24 .
I make sure to tell every retail or customer service worker how much I appreciate them .
25 .
Whenever I buy something from a vending machine , I always leave the spare change .
26 .
I like to make origami cranes and give them to people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people ’ s tolls at the booth , or leave small tabs at coffee shops .
I ’ m a sucker for small , unexpected surprises .
28 .
If someone is done unloading their shopping cart I offer to take it back as I ’ m walking into the grocery store .
Always appreciated .
29 .
Random acts of kindness !
Example : Today I bought a ticket for street parking and had about an hour left on the ticket when I left , so I just tapped it to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone used it !
30 .
Always asking a customer service representative on the phone if they have a survey/feedback I can answer to give them all the stars for their help .
If they don ’ t , I ask for a supervisor so I can commend the person who helped me .
31 .
Whenever you cook something nice , especially on festive occasions , always share with like 3-4 houses around you .
32 .
Sending them a morning message saying how much they mean to you and appreciate them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all of my students that I love them .
I know it ’ s cheesy , but I never know what some of my students go through at home and if they hear that enough .

Ask Reddit has some great ideas on how to spread positivity this week!
1. Thanking people for small tasks that usually go unnoticed days later.
“Oh quick question, did you restock that shelf the other day? Thanks, that really helped.”
“I forgot to tell you, thanks for putting more paper in the copier.”
“Did you rewrite the tasks on the dry erase board? Thanks, I can finally read it.”
2. Remember small details about people and ask them about it.
“How was the new coffee machine you bought?”
“Did that brother-in-law you don’t like act annoying this time?”
I notice people get a little excited when I do it.
3. When I’m talking with someone and they tell me to say hello, pass on well wishes, etc. to another person, I always do. It always brings a smile to that person’s face. And then they’ll respond in kind, and I’ll pass that message on back. Smiling faces are beautiful.
4. Complimenting people. A quick, “I like your shirt,” or “Your plant on your desk looks so nice!” is so easy to do, and it makes people smile.
5. If I’m approaching a traffic light, and see empty lanes, I switch over to the one in the middle, so the cars behind me can turn right on red and are not held up because of me. I hope that makes their day a bit quicker and gives them a feeling that they were able to make that light without stopping!
6. Waving at each car that passes as I walk along my country road. Today I was 9 for 9 on returned waves!
7. I try to give compliments behind people’s backs where they can hear but they think I don’t know they are listening.
I live around people who have either been hurt by others or have become cynical after watching other people get hurt.
Seems to be the easiest way to spread positivity without coming off like I have ulterior motives.
8. I like to reply to non-famous people’s Tweets or TikToks with encouraging messages.
9. Whenever I call customer service or whatever I try to remember the name of the person on the other end. When the call is over I thank them by using their name and say they were very helpful. You can tell that people usually forget their names.
10. I’m a pretty positive person in general and I love making dumb puns or jokes. Even at my expense, I feel like it’ll get a chuckle.
11. Pay for the person’s drink/meal behind you in a drive-through.
12. Whenever I’m in the car and I see someone jogging, I roll down the window and tell them, “YOU GOT THIS!”
13. Leaving positive sticky note messages with doodles in public places.
14. If I find a penny bottoms up, I flip it over for the next person to find it.
15. I know people’s names. I remember. I try hard to remember them. I write them down.
People love it when you know their name, and in turn they usually know your name.
16. I make postcards to give to friends and family on special occasions.
17. Anytime someone mentions their hobby I’m quick to say, “You do pottery (or whittling or bird watching or whatever)?” Tell me more about that!”
Hobbies are what people do to be happy, and it’s nice when people talk about things that make them happy.
18. Thanking people for their time. Everyone’s time is valuable and thanking them for giving a little to you goes a long way.
19. When I see families take a group picture, I offer to take the next one for them. I hate seeing the dads always left out or the family being incomplete.
20. I like to go up to people who are wearing merch from a show and tell them I love it and ask who’s their favorite character. People love when you take an interest in their interest!
21. Be everyone’s “hype man.”
If someone tells a story or just shares an experience I try to always acknowledge them clearly, especially if it seems like no one else heard, assuming we’re in a group setting.
If someone puts on an act for a joke that doesn’t catch on, I try and back them up with antics that complement theirs.
Whenever the opportunity presents itself, I try to acknowledge and encourage other people in subtle ways. I always hated the social spotlight because of poor self-esteem, but I find that the kind of attention I get from this is just wonderful. Also, it has the added benefit of making everyone love you.
22. Small smiles when talking to people.
23. My parting words to everyone I interact with (usually when getting food) are “take care of yourself.” That started during the pandemic and it’s not going away after it’s over.
24. I make sure to tell every retail or customer service worker how much I appreciate them.
25. Whenever I buy something from a vending machine, I always leave the spare change.
26. I like to make origami cranes and give them to people.
27. I like to pay people’s tolls at the booth, or leave small tabs at coffee shops. I’m a sucker for small, unexpected surprises.
28. If someone is done unloading their shopping cart I offer to take it back as I’m walking into the grocery store. Always appreciated.
29. Random acts of kindness! Example: Today I bought a ticket for street parking and had about an hour left on the ticket when I left, so I just tapped it to the place where you purchase tickets. Hopefully someone used it!
30. Always asking a customer service representative on the phone if they have a survey/feedback I can answer to give them all the stars for their help. If they don’t, I ask for a supervisor so I can commend the person who helped me.
31. Whenever you cook something nice, especially on festive occasions, always share with like 3-4 houses around you.
32. Sending them a morning message saying how much they mean to you and appreciate them.
33. I try to tell all of my students that I love them. I know it’s cheesy, but I never know what some of my students go through at home and if they hear that enough.