"A Century Of Gradual Reforestation Across The American East And Southeast Has Kept The Region Cooler

So many intrusive thoughts.

But I have to say this about Elsa because I feel like people really don't realize this, but her lack of control was COMPLETELY a mindset thing. It was COMPLETELY an anxiety thing.

I understand a lot of people see her powers as metaphor for autism/being queer/mental illness and all sorts of things. ALL VALID.

Buuuuuuut I have a special connection with her magic because the way her magic functioned when she couldn't control it was incredibly similar to the way my mental illness functioned. I had really chronic intrusive thoughts as a kid that were so bad, I had to get on medication for them. Still on those meds to this day.

I am going to talk about the cycle of fear with her magic.

The way the intrusive thoughts worked for me was a cycle.

Intrusive thought -> Fear I am dangerous -> Push thought down -> Thought grows more intense -> Combined Fear/Resistance creates push for impulse/compulsion -> Fear of being dangerous grows -> Thought grows more intense and harder to control -> Fear turns to anxiety -> Self-loathing -> Growing belief that I am a monster

For those who aren't educated on this, I never hurt anybody or myself. This isn't sadism, psychopathy, or anything that could turn into a violent disorder. This is a form of OCD called harm-OCD and the reason this particular form of OCD is so intense is because the compulsion to release the anxiety/fear/intensity of the intrusive thought is to act on it. Which people with this disorder FLAT OUT REFUSE to do. But if you have OCD, you know how hard it is to resist the urge for the compulsion... but with this version, YOU HAVE TO. On average, people with this disorder are harmless and are in pain because they just want to be a good person.

It's also a very good metaphor for how Elsa's powers function when she was afraid. Because the key here is that the more you resist, the more powerful it becomes.

Elsa has magic -> Elsa accidentally hurts Anna -> Anna almost dies -> Fear will be your enemy -> Elsa fears fear itself -> trauma-induced symptoms develop from her sister almost dying/parent's panic/hurting somebody else sets in -> Anxiety forms around the fear of hurting others -> Mental illness impacts her way of thinking -> Self-belief she cannot control herself becomes a complex -> Magic "misbehaves" -> Elsa gets scared/represses as a form of control -> Magic intensifies -> Elsa grows more scared -> Magic intensifies

There is a difference in the development of my own problem vs Elsa's problem, but the point is we both have this "dangerous" force inside of us we cannot control, that is only worsened by fear.

The comparison continues on, also, in how to handle these "dangerous forces" (outside of medication). The way to handle them is both with love. In Elsa's case, she had to let in love in, Period. Isolation was the worst possible strategy for her when she was a kid. She needed people to believe in her, not fear her. This I can attest to because my parents didn't understand what was going on with me either, and one parent in particular was afraid of me.

In Elsa's case, it was about trusting herself. Love brings trust. And it functioned the same as intrusive thoughts because just like her magic, trusting yourself is key for the thought to pass.

In my case, one thing you can do is sit with the thought. Give it the space it needs. Do not resist. Because I am not violent and just because my thoughts are violent does not mean I am. It is that innate trust that can be built if you apply this strategy to intrusive thoughts because it is resistance that gives it it's power.

Self-trust and external love and support is a big part of what can help both of these examples to go in a positive direction. As a result, Elsa's magic - or my thoughts - can finally flow easily without any fear of hurting anyone.

“she’s surviving thunderbolts!” me and the four other antonia dreykov fans scream as we are dragged away to the padded room

rip 2012-2014 tumblr, you would have LOVED thunderbolts*

this is actually incredibly sweet

New Fanfiction Edits

Good morning, afternoon, or evening.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my post.

As a warning, this is a long post.

Earlier, I posted that while my new Black Widow fanfiction is 4 years in the making, it still needed some edits. I have made those edits, but I promise I did not make many changes.

It is still a crossover between Earth-616 and Earth-730834. As in, Alexei Shostakov in my new fanfiction is Alexei Shostakov in Earth-730834.

Marvel Database

Alexi Shostakov (Earth-730834)

1 appearance(s) of Alexi Shostakov (Earth-730834) 1 image(s) of Alexi Shostakov (Earth-730834)

In addition, I have adapted Earth-616 characters, to my interpretations that are appropriate for the story.

The protagonist is still Alexei's illegitimate daughter olga. Olga is my adaptation of Earth-616 Black Widow comics character Oleg Mihalovich.

In addition, the protagonists daughter is still ava. Ava in my fanfiction is still my adaptation of Ava Orlova aka the red widow, a well-known Earth-616 character.

*FYI I have not listed Olga and Avas last names. The reason is because Olga's last name changes in different stories based on her family situation and marital status, and on Avas last name, I will explain that in a further post in which I discuss adaptations of other characters. Thank you for understanding.

In addition, Olga is still an emergency medicine resident then physician, and the story is still set in a rural area in the northern great plains.

In total, I have not made many changes in the process of editing my new fanfiction.

In future posts, I will explain what changes I do make, and once I clear those out, start posting about the story, in the form of concise rough drafts. So please stay tuned for upcoming posts!

Thank you for taking the time out of your day or night to read my post, and thank you for reading it to the end. Have a good day or night.

Hello,

I hope you’re all doing well. 🌿

I need your help to share my family's story and raise awareness about our struggle. Every voice counts, and your support means the world. 🙏

💬 Please reblog my pinned post or, if you're able, consider donating just $5—it could be life-changing for those facing unimaginable hardship.

Your kindness and solidarity make a real difference. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! 🤍✨

@aboodfmly

Thank you for reaching out. I hope you and your family are able to find safety.

James Rogers

Good morning, afternoon, or evening to anyone reading this.

I have came up with a backstory for James Rogers, the canon son of Steve Rogers/Captain America and Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow:

First, we assume that the first Descendants movie takes place in the spring of 2015, and Descendants 2 takes place the following fall. Descendants 3 takes place 2 years after Descendants, and The Royal Wedding takes place the subsequent fall, 2 years after Descendants 2 and on the 22nd anniversary of Auradon(I will evaluate on that later).

Captain America and Black Widow met in the spring of 2012.

Steve and Natasha started dating soon after Captain America: The Winter Soldier(Which takes place in the spring of 2014).

Soon after Steve and Natasha started dating, Natasha experienced an unplanned pregnancy. As she wanted to keep it, the couple went through with a shotgun wedding in the fall of 2014.

James Rogers was born on March 12, 2015.

James eventually attends Auradon Prep in the new '30s.

Okay Elsamaren is my otp but I also love Elsabela as the ship that got me passionate about lesbian Elsa (before that I thought she was aroace). I think Frozen 3/4 should make Elsamaren canon and there should also be a season 8 of ouat that incorporates Encanto and involves Elsa and Isabela getting together 🤭

so true

that coffee kid from encanto and tweek 🙏

🎀 how to exude quiet confidence 💖✨

the best, most permanent way to exude quiet confidence, or any vibe, is to possess it, own it at your very core. i'm not going to lie to you, it takes work to build and maintain, however that's just all the more reason to start right away! the good news is that because there is no final stage where all your efforts suddenly bear fruit, you can already witness your life, relationships, and confidence improve with every incremental step. hope these ideas help you in your journeys, lovelies 💛

what is quiet confidence? 🌸

personally, i'm referring to the confidence that comes from being so secure and at home with yourself. it's not about being unshakable, but about being able to regain your balance with increasing grace over time. a person with quiet confidence doesn't feel the need to be the center of attention for everyone all the time, because they know their worth independent of anyone else.

so, how does one become this person?

know yourself 😌

everything else flows from this, so it's important to build a strong foundation. journaling and meditation can help, but a person is much more than just their thoughts and words. it is in their actions that their personalities really shine through. it's not just about what you do, it's about how you do it.

when you enjoy something, do you try to play it “cool and unaffected,” or are you able to move past ego and share that enjoyment with others?

when you don't enjoy something but it's truly necessary, do you whine and mope, or are you able to tap into your grit and optimism?

when you are in a social gathering, are you making eye-contact, viewing each person without judgement, encouraging those who aren't talking much when a topic of their interest arises?

when there is a lull in the conversation, are you able to simply sit with it, maybe even bask in the energy of your company?

to become a person who exudes quiet confidence, you need to practice putting thoughts and words into conscious actions 😌 as the saying goes, “you are what you do.”

stop projecting 🎥

confident people don't project their insecurities onto others. it doesn't mean that they don't have insecurities or qualities they'd like to improve, but they have the self-awareness to work on themselves and work with others' strengths and weaknesses independently of their own.

👀 some signs of projecting to recognize:

emotional opinions about others

inability to give specific examples to support those opinions

quickly finding fault in others

victim mentality

🛑 how to stop:

if you've gone as far as to wrong someone because of your projecting, sincerely apologize — no excuses — and do what you can to make things right

start checking for the above signs of projection early and often

practice empathy — put yourself in the other person's shoes and try see things from their perspective. of course, no one expects you to be a mind-reader. this is more of an exercise in imagination to demonstrate to yourself that the first narrative that pops into your head (usually the most familiar one, a.k.a. your own) is not necessarily the truth

take pride in yourself 💕

finally, make time daily for the little things that help or remind you to take pride in yourself ☺️ you don't need to take a lot of time out of your day. the more impactful approach is small, consistent routines that can be maintained long-term. more on being consistent here!

for example:

affirmations some examples here!

personal hygiene and grooming

exercising more on that here!

developing a skill

building a portfolio

more ideas here!

it's also important to respect your own limits, whether it's time, energy, even money. don't let others shame you for not working unpaid overtime or not going out every weekend or not spending as much money. more on maintaining healthy boundaries here!

💌: have i missed anything? 🤔 what is something that gives you an instant confidence boost? 💝