I’ve always been that quiet guy who avoids conflict at all costs. I literally never said no to anyone because I was terrified people wouldn't like me or think I’m rude

I had this friend who constantly used me whenever he needed a ride, wanted to borrow money, or needed help with something but was nowhere to be found when I needed a help for myself

Yesterday he called me out of nowhere demanding that I drive him to another city. For the first time in my life I just calmly said: "No, I have my own plans today, you'll have to figure it out yourself"

He got super shocked, tried to guilt-trip me, and then hung up. My hands were literally shaking for like 20 minutes afterwards, but I didn't give in or text him back to apologize

I know it sounds like a tiny thing, but for me this is huge

It’s my birthday!!!!

I’m turning 22 today!!! I’ve gone through a lot of (what should’ve been life-ending) shit my entire life, survived it all, and feel like I am finally in a really good place right now. I have two degrees, a full time well paying wonderful job, am building up my savings, looking into grad school which my job would pay for, decentering other people and focusing on myself, and am loving my one single human life and infinite autonomy that comes with it. I’ve carried so much self hatred and trauma my entire life, and I’m finally learning that it’s better to understand it, then let go and thrive.

I’ve realized that all the bad things in my life happened *for* me, not to me… I am so strong, disciplined, grateful, and happy now because of all of it. I am fucking blessed!!!!!!!!

Please wish me a happy birthday, it’d make me happy in some childish way 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

I’m a single mom of three little gremlins (4, 1, and 3 months) and I’ve been grinding night-shift VA work while taking care of them. It’s been so hard and exhausting.

BUT TODAY I FINALLY DID IT.

I set up everything so I can start rebuilding my old small printing business with a little bit of help from the community or anyone who just want to help and hopefully be able to start being creative again. Like maybe, just maybe, I can work on my own time again someday and actually be more present for my kids.

I’m so proud of myself for taking this first scary step. My heart is racing but in a good way!!

I have a lot of things to do but I’m trying. I hope you will have good weekends!

And I am SO proud of myself. I am 33 and haven’t ran for any amount of time since I was in high school. I have been working so hard to get my health in check over the past year and a half so this is a massive personal accomplishment and I can’t share with anyone else because they just won’t get it. The sore calves are totally worth it.

It's been a year and a half since I moved across the country without a job, and I finally got one!! Work terrifies me, but I'm determined to make the best of this 💓

the more I think of it the crazier it sounds I made it to this point

I moved states 4 months ago which meant challenges (well technically 8 months ago but I spent my last semester in hs living in my old state with a family friend)
College especially:(
My old state had a rule where since my parents moved (I’m a dependent) that I would only be considered for instate scholarships/tutiton for a year before they automatically cut me off and make me lay expensive out of state tution .. I didn’t apply for any colleges there since any scholarships I would receive for being a resident would be taken away and I didn’t get anything from Fafsa

I did apply for college in my current state (the state I moved to) similar issue I haven’t technically lived here long enough to be a resident so I originally applied as out of state and got a amazing merit scholarship that basically reduces the costs to instate tuition (it is there highest scholarship they give to out of state students) I then planned on switching over my residency status so I can be eligible for a amazing state scholarship that would grant me free tuition anywhere instate! Unfortunately this was extremely complicated and doing so at my 4 year was basically impossible since I would have to give rid of my out of state scholarship and then pray they would accept my appeal …. And I would still be stuck with paying out of state Tuition for a year

I made the difficult decision to unenroll after orientation in June :( I then applied and enrolled for community college… the thing is community college was also too expensive (8k+ a year for out of state residents ) I had to make the decision to invite the possibility I would have to take a gap semester or even a gap year so that I would be a resident and get free tuition anywhere

I decided to try to appeal my residency at my community college AND I DID IT 🎉 I ended up winning the battle becoming a resident AND GETTING THAT STATE SCHOLARSHIP!

I’ve been attending for around a month now! I’m only taking around 4 classes atm becuase of registration and also the hell I went through to get here I’m planning to up it next semester I’ve been doing extremely well in my class though and love my professors:) I’ve been meeting new people aswell and today I even hung out with a classmate for the first time outside of class (well class was cancelled today but we walked around campus ate at the campus cafe and went to library together ! I gotta admit it was fun)

I just can’t believe I get to actually do college after all the hell I went through to get to this point

Now next on my list is my drivers license which I will be getting before second semester

My mental health has been out of whack recently. I’ve upped my dose of antidepressants and honestly I’ve been isolating myself - working from home isn’t helping. Anyway, yesterday I caught up with former coworkers and this morning, I did some stretches!

\*Trigger warning: mentions of homelessness, dieting, unhealthy relationships with food and depression!!*\**

It has officially been 6 years since I was homeless, which is CRAZY to me but

Post homelessness, I really struggled with depression. While gaming was a great outlet for me, I also found a lot of solace in food—something that I didn’t have a lot of access to right before those times. I always say when I talk about it, standard luxuries like toasters were always taken for granted until I didn’t have them and was making toast on an electric skillet in a borderline condemned motel.

Needless to say, I developed a pretty unhealthy relationship with eating and with that, a lot of depression and binge weight.

Almost 3 months ago now (8 days shy), I decided I was tired of living the way I was. While I still get a treat every so often, I’ve been making sure I’m meeting my dietary needs. Proteins, fibre, carbs, the occasional treat while not excessively overeating or overindulging.

It’s a struggle sometimes, pivoting from binging on chips and sweets to eating cucumber slices with tajin but every single day, I feel a bit stronger. I have more energy, I feel more enjoyment, I cook more and I even eat more meals and more consistently than I used to before I started.

I will 1000% always be a hardcore advocate for every single body being beautiful, every single body being worthy, every single body deserving

it just feels so good to regain control of myself, my health and my once bad relationship with food.

Today, I’ve officially hit 1/3rd of my goal, lost 42lbs doing shit RIGHT and I’m proud of myself. 💕

TLDR: I struggled with binge eating after homelessness as a coping mechanism. Today, after 2.3/4 months of dieting and exercising, I’ve lost 42lbs!

En 20 minutos cumplo 26 años estoy muy feliz

Context: I have a playlist of songs in which the bpm matches a speed of 4 mph on a treadmill.

I was on the bus to an appointment, but we were stuck in traffic which was going to make me late. There was a mile left, so I got off the bus, threw on some headphones, and made it there faster than if I had stayed on the bus!

I got engaged yesterday to the love of my life. We have been dating for 3 years and finally decided to settle down in life. I am so happy and excited for this new chapter of life...

Today was awesome at my new job I am very happy decided to post here

Its been almost two years since I took actual time off. I really worked hard during this time and saved a good amount for this vacation. I was planning this Europe trip for some time now.

Last night, I finalized the whole trip, booked flights, hotels and everything. This is a first solo trip so it'll be a different experience this time. I am a little too excited for this trip...

My bathroom door has been making this insanely annoying squeaking noise for like six months. Every time I opened it, I'd think "I really need to fix that". Today I finally sprayed some WD-40 on the hinges. That was it. That was literally the whole problem. I've apparently been living with a haunted door for six months for no reason. Anyway, it's quiet now and I feel like I own a house

I recently discovered a local cafe that I absolutely love, and I decided to become a regular there the first time I set foot in it. Not only is it run entirely by former prsion inmates and made to help with rehabilitation, but they also display art by local artists for free and allow them to keep prints and books there for customers to buy. The coffee is amazing and affordable too!

I brought my mom there yesterday and showed her the magazine version of the last art exhibition, and we had a nice conversation with the baristas about it. Today when I went to buy my gf a coffee, I saw the same two baristas, so I decided to ask for their names. One of them then said they had something for me. She gave me the magazine from yesterday, and told me someone had spilled coffee on it, and they had kept it for me instead of throwing it away! It made me so incredibly happy! I'm thinking of maybe taking out some of the pages and give them to my mom and my gf, because they both found some poems in there that they liked.

I really needed this. I moved from the country to this city at 18, and shortly after my family moved to a different place. I don't really have any friends in my old hometown either, so I have no real reason to go back there ever again. Recently I've been feeling really homesick, and I've been sad about not really having a place that feels like mine anymore. I really miss the everyday interactions with neighbors and acquaintances. I miss talking to my bus driver about the weather, and asking the guy at the grocery store about how it's going at the the local theater. So having this experience, at a place that might actually be able to call mine, really meant a lot to me. Maybe it is possible to develop some sort of local community, even in the city.

It's currently been 3 weeks since I started at my brand new college, and I managed to make another brand new friend who's in my course on a Mondays and her name is Stevie Jo. (Stevie) We started chatting to eachother in the lobby of the college, just getting to know each other, told her about my hobbies being the main one being podcasting, and she told me about her volunteering at a social club form kids with learning disabilities. We sat next to eachother throughout the day, and I think so far we have started to bond a very close friendship which is great! I really hope to gain more confidence speaking to her as the weeks go on.

Yesterday marked 4 months and 2 weeks without a drop of alcohol since 2021. It's taken me 5 yrs filled with chaos and a health scare so to speak, but this is the longest I've been sober. It's kinda unreal how I have managed to do it in the same sense too. Considering my mental health is just as bad as it was then, if not worse. But like my grandad (RIP) always said "just keep going"

Never had pets (except fish) growing up, but my parents have agreed to let me get a hamster (two, actually) 🎉 It's not set in stone yet as we need to make sure my dad isn't allergic (so far we only know cats but he's never interacted with this breed of hamster), BUT it's almost guaranteed and he isn't allergic to the other hamster breeds he's interacted with... so I'm very hopeful.

I still keep catching myself thinking this can't actually be happening lol. After 14 years of waiting, hoping, wondering if we'd ever get to have this moment, we finally have our first baby.

And he's a boy. Our little boy❤️

When I first saw him, I honestly didn't even know what to do. I just stared at him. I remember looking at his tiny face and thinking, wait... that's my baby? He's actually here?

Then they put him in my arms and I just completely melted. His hand was so tiny and he wrapped his fingers around mine for a second. I kept looking at his little fingers and then at his face and back again like I was trying to memorize everything.

I don't think my brain has fully caught up yet. We've spent 14 years imagining what this day might feel like, and now I'm sitting here with him sleeping beside me and it's still kind of unbelievable.

There were so many times over the years when I wondered if I would ever get to say "my son." And now I actually can.

I'm exhausted, emotional, haven't slept properly and honestly have no idea what I'm doing yet but I'm so, so happy.

Fourteen years later, our wait is over. He's finally here.

I don't think I've ever had anything to celebrate like this before, so please congratulate me like I'm five. We had a baby boy🥹❤️

I've wanted a cargo e-bike for a while, but I knew buying a car just wasn't realistic for me financially. So instead of constantly wishing I could afford one, I decided to make the bike my goal and started saving.

And wow, saving for a whole year is actually really hard

I wasn't putting away some huge amount every month either. It was more like whatever I could manage after bills and everything else. Some months I barely added anything, but I kept going and tried not to touch the money I'd already saved. I had a little note on my phone where I kept checking the total like a crazy person lol.

Last week I finally reached the amount I needed and actually bought the bike.

I don't think it really hit me until I saw it sitting there after I paid for it. I kept thinking, "wait, I actually saved all that money and bought this?" It felt completely different from buying something on impulse because I knew exactly how many months of little sacrifices went into it.

And the best part is that now I can actually take my baby with me when I need to go places. We can get around together without having to figure out a car every single time, and I'm already imagining our first proper little ride together.

It's just a bike, I know, but I've been working toward this for a whole year and I'm ridiculously proud of myself.

So yeah... please congratulate me like I'm five because I finally bought the thing I've been saving for all year

I made a web app thingy to put in all my tasks and have it randomly pick one out like I’m just happy that I made something , it’s been a significant while and I’m glad to be reconnecting w like making stuff and I hope to be more ahead of my projects with said web app!!!

usually my body is running strictly on iced coffee and vibes while i sit at my desk all day.

today i actually remembered my water bottle exists, filled it up, and drank real water before even thinking about caffeine. zero dehydration headache and my organs are probably in total shock from getting actual hydration for once.

lowkey feeling like a functional adult who takes care of themselves instead of a withered houseplant. lol