2. We are speedometers; usually cruising along at 20 miles per hour. A surprise birthday party bumps you up to 30. A car accident, maybe 40. Being shot at: 200. Most of us live our lives between o and 6o. What do you think a thousand tastes like? - REACH

Life will rough you up. Throw you to the shore like a wave crashing-sand in your hair, blood in your teeth. When grief sits with you, hand dipped with rage, let it linger. Hold its pulse in your hands. FOR MY DAUGHTER ON A BAD DAY

the production of love from karmic garbage dumps. Turn yourself into the real you you can only discover by being other. Voila! You're free. Learn to love the awkward silence you are going to be. - You Don't Have to be Everything

A boy told me if he roller-skated fast enough his loneliness couldn't catch up to him, the best reason I ever heard for trying to be a champion. THE RIDER Naomi Shihab Nye

You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves. - Wild Geese - Mary Oliver

If you cannot believe that things will soften trust that I believe for you. - You Don't Have to be Everything

I wake up & it breaks my heart...The flight of doves, the city of tents beneath the underpass, the huddled mass, old women hawking roses, & children all of them, break my heart. MEDITATIONS IN AN EMERGENCY Cameron Awkward-Rich

A dream I have in which I love the world. I run from end to end like fingers through her hair. There are no borders, only wind. Like you, I was born. Like you, I was raised in the institution of dreaming. Hand on my heart. Hand on my stupid heart. MEDITATIONS IN AN EMERGENCY Cameron Awkward-Rich

The feminist politic part is that women Know how to let things go, How to let a dying thing leave the body, How to become new, How to regenerate, How to wax and wane not unlike the moon and tides, Both of which influence how YOU behave. I digress. THE PERIOD POEM -Dominique Christina

What is this air, this space in which nobody rewards me for conformity, or punishes me, or keeps track of my time, what I wear, how I see myself, or tries to tell me what my name should be? - FINAL EXAM STEPHANIE

We have allowed billionaires to geoengineer our water planet into a steam engine. 🫠 *this message brought to you by robots & datacenters.

My children are not worker bee serfs for your corporate billionaires, sorry. #NeoFuedalism

Transitioning to a cleaner, more electrified grid—adding EV chargers, heat pumps, and induction stoves—homes are working harder than ever. But this shift, combined with increasing climate-driven weather volatility + over-strained grids, brings risks like power surges, brownouts, and micro-arcs.

My children are not worker bee serfs for your corporate billionaires, sorry. #NeoFuedalism

Now I see that we were seeking-looking for meaning in ourselves and in the world. Seeking is a state of questioning, never an easy existence. It contains doubt and discomfort, anxiety and confusion, insecurity and indecision. And it doesn't magically end in adulthood

If you're going to storm, I said, do it harder. Pummel nests from limbs and drown the furred things in their dens. Swell creek to flood, unhome the fish. Everything's gone too cozy. - Harder - Melissa Stein

No friction: no flame No struggle: no progress, no sweat How many times do we have to win before you realize we are not lost yet? - Matches

It's in the reach of my arms, The span of my hips, The stride of my step... Now you understand Just why my head's not bowed. I don't shout or jump about Or have to talk real loud. Phenomenal Woman - Maya Angelou

Start small: Feel the feels. sleep. drink water. eat. shower.  Move up to: speak kindly to self and treat you well.  Eventually: notice what little things you enjoy and love...do more of that.  Rinse and repeat: until deliriously happy.

"Fish all you want. They are doomed anyway" - NBC News headline on emptying dams.

"Unlike the Titanic, the Colorado River has too little water rather than too much. Many solutions proposed to address the river’s worst crisis in recent human history are tantamount to deck-chair rearrangement. None address long-term, underlying issues as we ask too much of a dwindling resource."

Recovery is a long process that requires time and space to re-evaluate beliefs and rebuild identity. A therapist who specializes in deprogrammed recovery can provide a safe space to process experiences and heal from manipulation endured. (ICSA / DECULT)

Leaving a high-control group can leave a person without a social network, job, or even a place to live. Offer help with things like finding a new job, housing, or educational qualifications. Be patient with their recovery. (ICSA / DECULT)

When and if your loved one decides to leave, they will need immense support. Prepare a safe exit plan. Cults often try to pull former members back in. Have a plan that addresses their housing, finances, and emotional needs. Provide practical support. (ICSA / DECULT)

Encourage them to think for themselves. Ask open-ended questions in a curious, non-confrontational tone. "How's the group helped you, have there been any downsides?""I heard a prediction that didn't come true, what're your thoughts""What do you love most?" Point out inconsistencies. (ICSA / DECULT)

Show that you are genuinely listening by repeating what they've said back to them. Allow for silence and give them room to think and respond on their own time. Helping them transition out.

Avoid using loaded terms. Words like "cult," "brainwashed," or "mind control" are red flags that will make your loved one defensive. Instead, use "I feel" statements to share your perceptions without judgment.Ask gentle, thought-provoking questions. (ICSA / DECULT)

Seeking offers a brave open-endedness, the practice of becoming "comfortable with uncertainty," - Buddhist teacher Pema Chödrön

Prepare for the possibility that your loved one may never leave and decide what boundaries you need to set for yourself. Seek professional help and groups for support. (ICSA / DECULT)

Learn about the specific group. Research the group's history and potential abuses. Learning about similar groups and their manipulative tactics can be a gentle way to encourage critical thinking later on. Formulate a plan. Determine your goals and how you will approach conversations. (ICSA / DECULT)