"I’m beginning to understand that mortality can teach the opposite lesson from the one fear has taught me for so long. Fear says, 'Because I could lose this, I need to constantly brace myself.' But another voice is becoming stronger: 'Because I could lose this, I want to fully appreciate it while I can.'” ~Myra Goodman What One Great Loss Is Teaching Me About How to Live: buff.ly/ElBJ0Im

The older you get, the more you realize how little of life is actually worth stressing over...

"I am deeply uninterested in spending the second half of my life proving how much I can endure.” ~Unknown

“Maybe the question isn’t how we can make life safe enough that nothing terrible will ever happen. Maybe it’s more like focusing on the kind of person we want to be while we are here—the choices we make, the way we love, and the way we respond when life doesn’t go the way we had hoped.” ~Daniel H. Shapiro When Life Shows You That Nothing Is Guaranteed: buff.ly/LL6z2vl

"I hope something eases up for you soon. The bills. The pressure. The fear. The grief. Something.” @WetheUrban

"Intellectual compatibility doesn’t get enough credit. Being able to talk for hours, challenge each other, share what you know, and keep evolving together is one of the best parts of a real connection.” @TafariDean

"My anxiety was a nervous system that had learned a long time ago that danger could show up without warning. It built a whole set of reactions to keep me safe. Reactions that fired on their own long before my conscious thoughts ever got a vote.” ~Rebecca Wells How to Stop Letting Anxiety Control Your Reactions: buff.ly/qLeBtnd

“I hope you heal so hard you can enjoy music, decorate your home, and have hobbies again.”

"Try not to judge someone’s choices when you don’t know their options.” ~Unknown

"Sometimes people don't see the harm in their behavior because their circle normalizes it. That's the power of our environment; it shapes our perception of 'normal.'"

"One day you’ll realize that some of the greatest loves of your life were never romantic. They were the friends who answered the phone. Who sat beside you when everything fell apart. Who watched you become five different versions of yourself and loved every one of them. Some friendships are love stories too.” ~Sheleana Aiyana

"I know you're doing your best and that's all that matters. Take a rest and be kind to yourself.” ~Unknown

"I can see clients or do chores around the house. I can spend time with my family or work on my book. I can go to dinner with friends or watch my weight. I can keep up with my professional reading or read mysteries to relax. The one thing I can’t do is everything.” ~Steve Hauptman When You Can’t Get Everything Right at Once: buff.ly/u1AaBjS

You don’t have to change the world. You just have to be intentional about how you show up. Because kindness compounds. And the energy you bring has a way of echoing long after you have gone. So make it a habit to leave places better than you found them.

"It has always been hard, but you have always been brave, and that’s why you’ve gotten this far.” ~Unknown

"And for my next trick I will live my life with my grief in one hand and my joy in the other.” ~Unknown

"You arrive with nothing and leave with nothing. Somewhere in between, we're convinced the point is to collect as much as possible. Maybe the real wealth was always in how deeply we loved, how freely we gave, and how fully we lived.” @VexKing

Imagine if we measured success by how loved people feel around us.

"Be the kind of person who makes cashiers smile, makes waiters laugh, and who makes lonely people feel seen. In a world so obsessed with being important, being kind, present, and wonderfully human is its own kind of extraordinary.” @scrawledtweet

Sometimes I wonder how many versions of myself I've outgrown without even noticing. I look back at old photos and remember the thoughts I used to carry, the dreams I thought would save me. It's strange how you can live inside yourself every day and still not realize you're evolving. It's only when you look back that you realize how far you've come, how many lives you've already lived in the same skin.