forum For those in need of Encouragement
Started by @Echo_6 group
tune

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@Shuri-the-Floof-Doggo

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it it not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-interested, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not relish evil but rejoices with the truth."
-Corinthians, New Testament

Good morning/afternoon/evening my friends. Today I come to you to talk about love, and the dangers of abandoning it. The dangers of following it blindly. And finally, what it means to love. Thank you very much, everyone.

Love is a curious thing, and there are many different types of it. And it is all to sorrowful a thing to proclaim, but lately it seems, that love is lacking in our world. People are lying, cheating, stealing, killing mother Earth, and oppressing each other. Our situation is bleak for sure, but not without hope.
Hope for an idyllic future that you don't need fed to you by a company, or government, or other organization that might not even be telling the whole truth. It is a future that you can help build, yourself. See, very few of us, will have the power to truly alter the course of history. But we can all bend it in the right direction, just a miniscule amount. And that matters. And if I say that a lot it's because it's really important. So with that, let's talk about the subject of following love blindly, why don't we.

For all its beauty, and for all its purity, and for all the hope and good it inspires, love has a dark side as well. Love can be a thing which fogs the mind, which places a beautiful satin fold over the eyes, it can inspire complacency and a sense of false contentment, and impede progress. In just the opposite way, it is possible to experience compassion fatigue, and to lose sight of what's important. So I beseech you all, to take care of yourself, try to recharge your mind, spirit and body whenever is appropriate. One must act with both compassion, and a clear head. Thus is the dark side of love. But now, we arrive at the final segment of this very small essay.
The dangers of abandoning love.

I feel like it's everywhere lately, people are slowly losing their ability to feel for one another. It's like empathy, sympathy, guilt and shame have more-or-less left the building, and took a piece of love with them. And I'm not just talking about love for others. I'm talking about love for ourselves. And I know that words on a screen saying 'love yourself' isn't going to magically make it better, so if it's alright, I'd like to give you all just a little bit of optional homework.
Like I said, entirely optional.
A thousand word essay on the things you truly love about yourselves. Do it whenever you're able and willing, if you are at all. I know some of you folks are quite busy, so if you are please don't pile further work onto the heap.
Anyway I digress.
The dangers of abandoning love, are present all around. The plastic in our oceans, the toxins in our skies, the blood and tears on the hands of dictators, and the cold, hollow feeling that seems to have become the new status quo. And I can't offer a solution, I don't think any one person can, which is why it's important that we come together in times like this. As family, friends and companions.

Thank you all so much for your time.

@Jay-Marae-is-in-an-emotional-maze

Thank you, Shuri, and now I will elaborate on the dangers of losing sight of love.

God not only told us what love is, but He also told us how to use it.
When you see someone do evil or harm, do not meet them with resistance and disgust, meet them with love.

Some good verses on this:
"Do not take revenge on others or continue to hate them, but love your neighbors as you love yourself. I am the Lord." (Leviticus 19:18)
"Above everything, love one another earnestly, because love covers over many sins." (1 Peter 4:8)
"Be always humble, gentle, and patient. Show your love by being tolerant with one another. Do your best to preserve the unity which the Spirit gives by means of the peace that binds you together." (Ephesians 4:2-3)
"To conclude: you must all have the same attitude and the same feelings; love one another, and be kind and humble with one another. Do not pay back evil with evil or cursing with cursing; instead, pay back with a blessing, because a blessing is what God promised to give you when he called you." (1 Peter 3:8-9)

Now, you may not have to agree with what they did or simply just forget. You just need to forgive and teach.
Another thing though, they may not always respond well. But that's ok. If you give them a reminder that the thing they just did wasn't appropriate or the words they just could've hurt someone and they brush it off multiple times, that's not up to you to help them anymore. You can still love them and be kind with them (even if that means separating in extreme cases). After that, it's in God's hands.

@Echo_6 group

I'd like to put out there, that this chat is not just for people to put words of encouragement, but it's also it's a place you can come to to ask for encouragement. I'm not saying that if you're adding encouragement to this chat, that you should stop, I'm saying that this is a place to put it, and a place to ask for it.

@Echo_6 group

Okay I feel like this place has been a little depressing lately. Time for a funny story to brighten your day.

I grew up on small farm outside of a tiny town. We had a few animals like horses, sheep, goats, rabbits and chickens. We had a big forest in our backyard that I would explore it all the time.
Well, one day I was coming up from the forest, towards the house. And I glanced over and there were two of my sisters throwing a chicken on the roof of the house. Then I stepped onto the porch and stopped. I looked over and there were my sisters, throwing the chicken onto the roof.
Of course it land on the roof, turn around, and jump down. And as soon as it did that, my sisters would grab it again and throw it right back up. I stood there on the porch staring at them for a good two minutes before my mom came out. She gave one look at the girls and was like. "Stop throwing the chicken on the roof."
To which my sisters replied with. "We're trying to get a picture of it and it keeps jumping down."
My mom stared at them for a moment longer before turning to leave. I heard her mutter to herself. "That should not be something I should have to say." As she walked away.
So yeah, my sisters were throwing a chicken on the roof to try and take a picture.
If you need any motivation for something, my sisters paint a beautiful picture of strong will.
Have a wonderful rest of your day.

@Shuri-the-Floof-Doggo

"Hope is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -

And sweetest - in the gale - is heard -
And sore must be the storm -
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm -

I’ve heard it in the chillest land -
And on the strangest sea -
Yet - never - in extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me."
-Emily Dickenson on hope

Like I said it's popular as Hell

Deleted user

I have a little something to share
It's not much, but… I don't know, maybe someone could need to hear it

I had a friend. We'll call her G. Well, we'd been best friends since the summer before sixth grade. I thought I'd hit the friend jackpot: She was sweet as can be, smart, always loyal, even sillier than me… But you'll notice I said 'thought.' Because over time it became evident that this was not true. G was not a good friend: In seventh grade, she mocked my mental health, backstabbed me, lied to my face… And that continued until this year. Over the summer, I really thought about our relationship. At this point I had come out to her as bisexual, and she was extremely homophobic. I could not longer vent to her about anything, the way you should with a best friend, because I felt she would turn around and tell everyone else my secrets. It occurred to me that G was not a real friend, not even close, but it is difficult to turn away from someone you have been so close with for so long. I knew I had to walk away from her and her bullcrap. But working up the nerve to do so is hard. I dreaded returning to school because I knew I would see her again.
By some miracle, the second I saw her I just turned and walked away.
Things have happened since then. She was unhappy I had left her. She still backstabs me, worse than she did before, and she has turned entire groups of people against me. I can't count how many nights I've cried over her. She has told people I have called them derogatories and just been overall petty. It was hard for me. I could go into detail on the effects it had on me, but that's not what this is about.
This is about who I found.
At this point I didn't have a true solid friend group. It was more like a variety of acquaintances. I would stay inside at lunch and recess to avoid having to find a group to spend my time with, because I wasn't really close enough with these acquaintances to sit with them or whatever.
Then I met J.
Once again, not her real name. She's in my history class. We were put together in a project. We talked. A lot. We're both bi. Before I knew it, we were dating. This was the beginning of my return to happiness. She helped me come up to my mom, be more honest to everyone around me, and love myself. She accepted that I was not ready to do certain things or spend time with certain people. But one day, I went to lunch and recess with her. I met her friend group. Compiled of two other girls and a guy, they were all terrific– Sweeter, funnier, sillier and more loyal than G was when we first met.
And you know what?
They healed me. They are my people. We play Uno during lunch and recess. We send each other memes 24/7. We are always there for each other when we need to cry or even crash at someone's house for a bit.
I am happy.
G still lingers. She hasn't stopped backstabbing me or lying about what I have done. But I haven't spoken a word to her since the day I decided she was toxic. And I don't miss her: Because I have new friends who really care about me and a girlfriend who I am in love with.

I guess the moral of the story is that things will get better.
People don't always change; Sometimes you have to. Sometimes you have to do what is right for you. It's not selfish to leave someone or cut a toxic friend out of your life.
Try it.
Just hold on. I promise you, everything will start shaping up.
<3

@Rainy_day_artist_classic group

So, I heard this song called 'Truth Be Told' by Matthew west. I really felt like some of the lyrics stood out today, I'll put them below

~Lie number 1, you're suppose to have it all together.
And when they ask how you're doing, just smile and tell them, "Never better."

Lie number 2 everybody's life is perfect except yours
So keep your messes and your wounds, and your secrets safe with you behind closed doors.

Truth be told, the truth is rarely told, now.

I say I'm fine, yeah I'm fine, oh I'm fine, hey I'm fine but I'm not.
I'm broken.
And when it's out of control I say it's under control but it's not.
And you know it.
I don't know why it's so hard to admit it
When being honest is the only way to fix it
There's no failure, no fall
There's no sin you don't already know.
So let the truth be told.

(That's the first part of the song, I'd suggest listening to it, it's really good.)

@Jay-Marae-is-in-an-emotional-maze

I guess the moral of the story is that things will get better.
People don't always change; Sometimes you have to. Sometimes you have to do what is right for you. It's not selfish to leave someone or cut a toxic friend out of your life.
Try it.
Just hold on. I promise you, everything will start shaping up.
<3

Thanks. I kind of needed that even though I didn't really realize it (I have a friend who I'm not sure is toxic or not but I don't want to leave her because of anxiety, social groups, her mental health, and also she's been a really good friend to me in the past)

@Jay-Marae-is-in-an-emotional-maze

(Also that song sounds really good and I like my songs to have lots of lyrics with meanings so I'll definitely check it out <3)

(<3 Did you ever look it up? Just curious)

I did! I liked it but I'm not sure if I'll put it in my playlist because I only put songs I really really like in my playlist. Otherwise it's still a good song!

@Shuri-the-Floof-Doggo

What is the human condition? We've been asking this everlasting question since before our ancestors settled in the Fertile Crescent. Since before Thales hypothesized that the Primary Principle, or the Essence of Existence was water, and since before Gilgamesh, Heracles, Samson, and David. And it is all too natural for our kind to ask a question about a concept as essential to how we identify ourselves as this. So what is it?

Well, I think the easy answer to such a question, is this.
The human condition is the characteristics, elements, key events, and situations which compose the essentials of human existence, such as birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict, hope, rebirth, change and coping with our own mortality.
Simple as that right?
Not even close.
The human condition is primarily defined by its limits.
Humans have to be born to exist, they have to grow and develop to reach their highest point, humans aspire and hope and try to do things instead of just wishing them done. Humans always change. Humans always struggle against nature, each other, and themselves. Humans die. And as terrible as those things are, they're the things that make being human worth it. Humans make mistakes, and fuck up, we are relegated to this existence as opposed to being gods, just like the rest of nature we are all too fallable. But at the same time, it's these things, that make what we have so much more valuable. Without agony there can be no ecstasy. Human life is valuable because of the struggle it takes to maintain it, and though we will never reach it, it is striving to make the world a perfect place that keeps the fires in our souls alight. Human life is valuable because we are individuals. Individuals who grow and change, because we laugh, smile, cry, tremble, lash out. Because we find solace in each other, and cannot exist without each other. Because we seek fulfillment in each other. It is seeking to improve our humble existence, that makes it worthwhile.
Being human is crying when your favorite character dies even though they don't exist. It's trying to build a better life for the ones you love.
It's staring into the void of the vast universe with stars that dwarf our Sun, and its endless, icy vacuum and not blinking just because you can. It's being in a comfortably uncomfortable truce with your darker side.
Humanity is the universe viewing itself subjectively through an ultimately flawed but great engine.
And yet it is the little things that define us. Hot, long showers, coffee or tea in the morning, great big 100 lb fluffball doggos, small mewling kittens, staring at your hot self in the mirror, Christmas/Hanukkah mornings, laying in bed on your phone all day. Niche communities full of dorks like yourself but still so different, distraction, indulgence, making someone else's life just a bit easier. A few puppers in a basket, newborn piglets, your favorite song, and musician. It's every little invaluable thing you wouldn't be able to experience if you weren't on the face of this Earth with all the ones you love.
We are capable of wholesome kindness, and unending, cruel depravity. We are a race of people, some of whom are trying to be our best when it's all too easy to be your worst, and we can't afford to lose what love we have in our hearts.
It's like I've said before, life is the purple-prose in the book that is the universe. It is inherently valuable.
Hhhhhh I hope I didn't trigger anyone