"What will matter is the good we did, not the good we expected others to do." Elizabeth Lesser

Ariane by Sofia Bonati

“How strange that the nature of life is change, yet the nature of human beings is to resist change. And how ironic that the difficult times we fear might ruin us are the very ones that can break us open and help us blossom into who we were meant to be.” ― Elizabeth Lesser

This is the secret I try to keep from you, and you from me, and in doing so, we do each other a grave disservice."

"The irony of hiding the dark side of our humanness is that our secret is not really a secret at all. How can it be when we're all safeguarding the very same story? That's why Rumi calls it an Open Secret. It's almost a joke - a laughable admission that each one of us has a shadow self - a bumbling, bad-tempered twin. Big surprise! Just like you, I can be a jerk sometimes. I do unkind, cowardly things, harbor unmerciful thoughts, and mope around when I should be doing something constructive. Just like you, I wonder if life has meaning; I worry and fret over things I can't control; and I often feel overcome with a longing for something that I cannot even name. For all of my strengths and gifts, I am also a vulnerable and insecure person, in need of connection and reassurance. This is the secret I try to keep from you, and you from me, and in doing so, we do each other a grave disservice."

— Elizabeth Lesser, from "Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow" (Villard, October 27, 2008) (via Whiskey River)

When there is nothing left to lose, we find the true self ...

Elizabeth Lesser

“May you listen to the voice within the beat, even when you are tired. When you feel yourself breaking down, may you break open instead. May every experience in life be a door that opens your heart, expands your understanding, and leads you to freedom. 

If you are weary, may you be aroused by passion and purpose. If you are blameful and bitter, may you be sweetened by hope and humor. If you are frightened, may you be emboldened by a big consciousness far wiser than your fear. 

If you are lonely, may you find love, may you find friendship. If you are lost, may you understand that we are all lost, and still we are guided — by Strange Angels and Sleeping Giants, by our better and kinder natures, by the vibrant voice within the beat. 

May you follow that voice, for this is the way — the heroines  journey, the life worth living, the reason we are here.”

  -Elizabeth Lesser-

The Unlit Cavern Behind Your Eyes, the One Behind Mine

Elizabeth Lesser, Kelly Link, Chuang Tzu, and a Maxim for Nostalgists: 'The Unlit Cavern Behind Your Eyes, the One Behind Mine'

[Image: “Forever on the Outside, Looking In” by John E. Simpson. (Photo shared here under a Creative Commons License; for more information, see this page at RAMH.)] From whiskey river: The irony of hiding the dark side of our humanness is that our secret is not really a secret at all. How can it be when we’re all safeguarding the very same story? That’s why Rumi calls it an Open Secret. It’s…

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The Power of the Feminine by Elizabeth Lesser

Carl Jung Depth Psychology Facebook Group     The Power of the Feminine by Elizabeth Lesser We’ve invented the wheel, cracked the code of DNA—so what’s next for humankind? Marion Woodman, the pioneering Jungian analyst and author, believes the next stage of growth for individuals and society is to integrate the feminine principle. Share Share on FacebookShare on Twitter By Elizabeth…

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Que hable Casandra - Elizabeth Lesser (2022)

Rompiendo mitos acerca del papel de las mujeres en la historia Un libro escrito desde un punto de vista diferente La autora revisa historias, mitos y relatos de todas las épocas, desde la Biblia hasta los clásicos modernos, para señalar que transmiten una imagen negativa de la mujer que marca nuestra cultura desde hace miles de años. Después cuenta esas historias desde otro punto de vista y…

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The BBC lady blowing my mind by pointing out the parallels between the endings of North and South and Jane Eyre (man brought low after losing his fortune, woman has gained wealth and comes to his rescue so they're now on equal footing).

She also pointed out that North and South is a continuation of issues Bronte explored in Shirley (to the point that Helstone is named after a character there), so I guess I may have to read that book one day.

Fun thing about William's wife and Evan/Elizabeth's mother.... She was a little homophobic...

No one tells her that her husband is pansexual... She already has a hard enough time reconciling the fact that he definitely slept with a lot more women before her...

“I accept that life is uncertain - that the goal is not to become more certain about anything but to relax more into the mystery of not knowing what will come next. And then, miracle of miracles, out there in the deep and uncertain water, I come into a peaceful knowing - a faithful wisdom that surpasses control and certainty.” —Elizabeth Lesser

painting by Mao Hamaguchi

How strange that the nature of life is change, yet the nature of human beings is to resist change. And how ironic that the difficult times we fear might ruin us are the very ones that can break us open and help us blossom into who we were meant to be.” ― Elizabeth Lesser,

Love your own tender self. Forgive yourself for being a flawed, imperfect, bumbling human.

It is no accident or plagiarism that the common idea running through every religion or spiritual philosophy is the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” I don’t find that language helpful, though—Do unto others as you would have them do to you. It feels like a “should” or like a sweet idea, but highly impractical in the harsh world. And even if you accept the Golden Rule as a personal operating principle, there are questions embedded in it, like: “Well, what about THEM? Why don’t they do unto me first?” Or “People shouldn’t be allowed to get away with their bullshit.” Or “If I do unto them first, they will take advantage of me like they always have.” Our minds cook up all sorts of retorts to the Golden Rule. So, I have adopted my own language. My rule is this: Love your own tender self. Forgive yourself for being a flawed, imperfect, bumbling human. Shower yourself with warmth. And then extend that tenderness, and forgiveness, and warmth toward every flawed, imperfect, bumbling human who crosses your path today. Every day, increase the warmth toward self and others. See past your annoyance and your pride and your fear into the warm heart of the other. Warmth to warmth. And then watch what enfolds. It will blow your mind with its simplicity and its power. Will it magically make assholes into saints? No! But most people aren’t assholes. Some people are, but most are just hurt and struggling and waiting to be loved, seen, valued. Your warmth can be an invitation that unlocks their own warmth.

~ Elizabeth Lesser (FB, April 19, 2022) (via Make Believe Boutique)

Meri Emily-Afton/Circus Baby Voice Claim

The voice sounds younger, and whether its through editing or not that makes it perfect for Meri

Undecided on whether the animatronic she haunts will still be called Circus Baby or if Ill change it hmmm

Which wars of the roses figure were you interested in first?

Elizabeth of York and Margaret of York! I knew very little about the WotR by itself at that time: my connection to both of them was through the pop culture-esque 2010s Tudor media.

Elizabeth was, of course, best known as the first Tudor queen and mother of Henry VIII; Margaret was less referenced, but when she was, was often depicted as an archetypal avenging villainous with an eternal grudge against the Tudors (a product of Henry VII's rather overlooked propaganda against her). When I did become interested in the WotR, they were naturally the ones I was initially drawn towards.

funniest part of people going "carina is a wannabe elizabeth clone" is the same people trying to enforce that she should've been more outwardly divergent in her clothes and general presentation. sooo mad she's a girl's girl fr