Magical pathways / ig: faunajaye 🌲🦌

one thing i need to start living by is “become the thing that you want” if i want friends who throw themed parties maybe i should start throwing those parties. if i want someone who writes me love letters maybe i should start writing letters for the people i love. if i want to hang out at museums and pretty cafes maybe i should invite my friends to these places. and maybe even then i won’t find the kind of people i want to be around. but then i would have become the exact person i want to be around. and maybe that’s good enough.

if you have to force connection with someone. let it go.

man. remember early in the pandemic, shortly into the telework phase, when a lot of women started vocalizing “wow, i didnt realize just how much time, energy, and even money i was wasting on dolling myself up for work every damn morning, until i didn’t have to do it anymore. i don’t think i’ll go back to doing that when we return to the office? i won’t be a slob or anything, of course, i’m just not going to go out of my way to look pretty at work"  and then,

so many people proceeded to lose every last crumb of their shit about it, writing the most asinine crybaby articles ever where they were just. utterly horrified by the possibility that more and more women might become comfortable looking natural/plain and completely opting out of the expectation to look as appealing as possible at all times, even when all they’re doing is spending all day in a cubicle. that was bonkers. lmao.

some ladies were like “during lockdown, i saw myself in the mirror without makeup much more often, and got used to it, so now i don’t feel as anxious for others to see me without makeup on either. i’m comfortable with the face i have, it’s fine just the way it is”

and some absolute dork ass losers heard this and went “truly, this is the death of femininity”

TERFS who think they’re welcome on my posts: you’re not. the freedom to reject conventional beauty standards should apply to and be shared with trans women as well, moreso, in fact, because trans women are literally held to an even harsher, stricter standard when it comes to rando third parties feeling entitled to meticulous over-performance from them - demanding they put every last possible ounce of resource and effort into altering their appearance just to be seen as acceptable, demanding they “prove” their validity through excessive glamour, to ensure they are not “faking” - and the consequences for a trans woman if she does not flawlessly comply with these demands can be so dire as to be lethal for her.

That should not be the reality these women have to endure! That is a horrifying injustice, and anybody who not only lacks compassion for that, but promotes the ideologies that enable it, is not welcome here. I will not debate with you on the matter. Get lost.

so this post is making the rounds again, but only the version without this very important addition on it, so, as a reminder,

drink your coffee. read your books. it's chaos out there.

Millennials...we're still trying. A lot of us are still trying because we were kids who were scared shitless after Columbine, who stood in line at midnight movies and wondered if we would be next after Aurora, who related to the kids who died at Virginia Tech because they were our peers, who had friends in the military for the Navy Yard shooting and Fort Worth, and whose own children were of the age to die in Sandy Hook. We knew gay bars as safe spaces (very different from our elders, I know) when Pulse happened. So with all this violence, a lot of us want to rise up to be the adults we didn't have in our own lives when we were scared kids trying to process Columbine, begging for somebody to do something, anything, to make sure it didn't happen again.

But we're caught in this capitalist hellscape, too, with rising costs and stagnant wages and college debt we were promised we could pay off with a great job...that would have actually done it before the 2008 crash, but here we are.

We're tired and stretched far too thin and burned out, but please, if even just Millennials turned out, we could change the course of elections. I know this system is a piece of shit, but we can at least elect judges and prosecutors and sheriffs who won't make things worse and who aren't going to be the ones who get promoted to SCOTUS so they can strip away humanity of minorities. Your local prosecutor will be who determines if your jail is full or not and who is in it. Your county commission will decide if your community mental health agency gets funded or if people in crisis just get cops at their door. Your county commission will determine if your public health department encourages vaccination and STI testing and if they will actually support closing a school if kids are dying from polio (which is making a resurgence, get your kids vaccinated). Your local school boards will determine if books get banned and queer kids are safe in school. Your city commission will determine if your city celebrates Pride, if they take their poorest citizens into consideration for planning, and if they will gentrify. Your city commission can determine which roads get resurfaced and who can access grocery stores and if public transit exists or not.

You can vote people in on local levels that can change EVERYTHING about your community. And you can run. We can run. And we can support each other.

If a young person sees their school board is failing them, they can look at what it takes to hold that office and run for it.

So many of us want to make big changes, and we absolutely have the critical mass to do so. But we're going to have to work together, to coordinate and support one another (including unusual and unconventional candidates, like an 18 year old who graduates and immediately runs for school board with the full support of their entire graduating class). Is it a lot of work? Yeah. But many hands make light work and this is within our reach.

So...from one burned out and stressed Millennial to all the rest of y'all...let's build a new way forward.

beep beep sometimes when you have been in survival mode for a long time the parts of you dedicated to Wanting Things atrophy and you forget how to envision a future that feels rewarding because you are busy with the business of staying alive, and it can seem like your life must be pointless because you can’t imagine any long term goals. sometimes even when you leave survival mode you can’t remember how to Want Things. that doesn’t mean you need to give up on having a good and fulfilling life, it just means that Wanting Things is a muscle you need to gradually strengthen. the part of you that has dreams and aspirations is still there, it just fell asleep, but if you wiggle it enough it can and will regain feeling. it’s okay to start small

So your parents suck?

Okay, so you’re starting from scratch, you can’t cook, you don’t know what career you’re interested in, you lack skills that your parents should have taught you, and your finances aren’t in order. Worst of all, you don’t know where to begin 👀. Well, I got a list of books for you.

( most of the books listed have visuals)

These are 10 must-have books that’ll help you maneuver through life!

1. “The Self Care prescription” by Robyn L. Gobin, Ph.D ⭐️ MUST HAVE ⭐️  (Amazon)

Self-care is important. If you don’t know where to start this book was made for you. It will clear up any confusion you may have about self-care, and how it looks. It also addresses mental health and teaches you skills on how to deal with real-life issues. The author also has a journal you can purchase alongside this book. (Amazon link)

2. “Infographic guide to Personal Finance” by Elisabeth Lariviere and Michele Cavan, CPA (Amazon)

All the financial advice you need in one book. It has a range of topics from debt to investing, buying property, and budgeting. This book is easy to understand and has lovely graphics.

3. “How to be a person” by Catherine Newman (Amazon)

All the skills you need to be a functioning human being are in this book. I recommend this book for people who didn’t have a lot of guidance growing up. “How to be a person” will fill you in on the basics. It tells you how to tip people, do laundry, send mail, and make your bed. It also has some easy recipes and a lot more. It’s a great starter book for those who genuinely don’t know where to begin!

4. “Atomic Habits” by James Clear (Amazon)

If you are looking to break a habit or start a new one this book is a bestseller and highly recommended. It can also be helpful for those who struggle with motivation, making changes, etc. Before reading this book, I had difficulty getting back on track after a break. Since reading Atomic Habits, I’ve been able to stay consistent with my goals and overcome moments of doubt. Once you’ve read Atomic Habits I would suggest purchasing @2pretty 12-month dream girl guide. It can help you keep track of the habits you want to master and the steps you plan on taking to accomplish your goal. It’s also a cute journal 🥰.

5. “Budgeting 101” by Michele Cavan, CPA  (Amazon)

A very detailed book explaining everything you need to know about budgeting, saving, and investing. It also has a couple of tips.

6. “Home EC for everyone” by Sharon & David Bowers (Amazon)

All the life skills you need are in this book. It covers cooking, laundry, sewing, and other domestic skills. Home EC has recipes, a list of supplies, and how-to’s on cleaning, setting tables &, etc. This book is amazing. It’s been my favorite purchase this year. It starts with the easy stuff like boiling water 😭 and cracking an egg, but it gets into other info like getting gum out of carpet, how to hem a skirt, reading laundry symbols, making beef stew, and brining meat, just to mention a few.

7. “Getting from college to career” by Lindsey Pollak (Amazon)

If you need advice on preparing for interviews, working on your resume, getting real-world experiences, and finding job opportunities. I couldn’t suggest a better book. It has other topics and is great for anyone who needs advice while they’re looking for a job, but it is catered to college graduates.

8. “Adulting made easy” by Amanda Morin  (Amazon)

Budgeting, insurance, getting a job, KEEPING a job, safe social media usage, living situations, and a few other life skills are all mentioned in “adulting made easy”. I love this book and started including it in my gift package for friends and family members going to college or moving out, it’s such a great resource.

9. “The driving book” by Karen Gravelle (Amazon)

This book is geared towards new drivers, but I believe it has some great information for everyone. It tells you what to keep in your car, how to take care of it, and how to drive in different areas. Such as the freeway, the countryside, etc. 

10. “Careers the ultimate guide to planning your future” (Amazon)

This book has a range of careers, some requiring just trade school or associates, others needing a doctorate. With such a range, you’ll be sure to get an idea of what career you might be interested in. It also has a rank on the salary you’ll be making from each opportunity listed.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Now I am all for reading and gathering information but please be sure to put the tips you learn to use. 

I’ll try to make a version of this that has online readings or links. I know some people don’t like books or don’t have space for books so if I find any articles I’ll make a post 🤍

♡ xoxo Mrs.Degree ❣️

p.s just cuz you didn’t learn these skills as a kid doesn’t mean your parents suck I just picked that as a header.

*learns basic social skills well into my 20s that most people know by the time theyre like 11*

having strict parents will do that to you

Having autism will do that

Having ADHD will do that to you

Being LGBT will do that to you

Trauma

no, i don’t care about your mbti type or astronomical sign. tell me if you would be a hobbit, elf, dwarf or man, if you lived in middle earth.

Sorry I didn’t message you back, I’m literally constantly overstimulated and overloaded by late-stage capitalism and the stifling nature of a for-profit system taking away our lives in small ways every single day and knowing this system will kill me with a lack of regard for human life and health, and after I die everyone will emotionally move on two days later because they have to - why wouldn’t they? This system only cares about people who make a profit or provide others with a profit and I do neither, so I do not matter here and I grow more and more aware of my fading existence from the lives of able-bodied and healthy friends who are surviving capitalism just fine. Haha anyway let me distract you with a meme or something

crying tears of blood all by yourself, handsome?

Every time I rewatch The Lord of the Rings I oscillate violently between “it’s important to show men having close, supportive friendships and I’m so glad Peter Jackson chose to show all the male characters being loving and physically affectionate with one another in a healthy, platonic way” and “damn, these bitches gay. good for them, good for them”

So within two days of each other, Fox News writes an article comparing aromanticism and asexuality to pedophilia, and then Matt Walsh releases a video saying asexuality is a mental illness and asexuals are tricking teenagers into having depression.

Not sure what’s going on right now over in Conservative World, but it’s a hell of wild U-turn for them to suddenly switch from “Oh no! The left is sexualizing our children!” to “Oh no! The left is asexualizing our children!”

It’s a reminder, I guess, that they’re coming for all of us. The fash and the white supremacists will not make nice distinctions between the queers when they put us up against the wall. There is no gatekeeping, no label-policing, no purity-purging and no assimilation that any of us can do that will save us. They want us dead, and while they’ll start with whoever is most vulnerable at any given time, they’ll get around to all of us eventually.

Queer solidarity means all of us because the fash are coming for all of us.

All Dividers are Feds. Stand united or die separately.

Art by u/reachling

The worst invention of late stage capitalism is the screen on the gas pump that plays video ads at you. The best invention of late stage capitalism is the coke freestyle machine.