From the blog of Mrs. Spit, a profoundly moving post about just how much things can change.

I lay in bed last night, thinking of the words of a co-worker about a meeting today. You will dazzle them, she said. I thought about that, and I thought about 14 year old me, and I thought about all of the me’s I have been in-between those times and now.

I will do my level best to dazzle them today.

A thing I would not have thought possible at 14. And mostly I wish there was me now to reach back to me then, to hold her by the shoulders, resting my arms around her neck. To whisper into her ear, softly:

One day you will have a life which you could not even imagine now. You will do things, meet people and go places that you don’t even know exist now. You will do this. Get through this. It isn’t easy, it is hard. This is a crucible for you. The teasing, the mocking and the confusion; the drugs, the sorrow and the pain. All of this it is making you stronger, tougher and more resilient. It isn’t fair and isn’t right that it is happening, but it is, and you will do things with this.

Please go read the entire post. You won’t regret it.

{image via pinterest}

There is no shame in what you are feeling, Harry,” said Dumbledore’s voice. “On the contrary…the fact that you can feel pain like this is your greatest strength.”

“My greatest strength, is it?” said Harry. “You haven’t got a clue… You don’t know…”

“What don’t I know?” asked Dumbledore calmly.

“I don’t want to talk about how I feel, all right?”

“Harry, suffering like this proves you are still a man! This pain is part of being human-”

“THEN – I – DON’T – WANT -TO – BE – HUMAN!”

“I DON’T CARE!” Harry yelled. “I’VE HAD ENOUGH, I’VE SEEN ENOUGH, I WANT OUT, I WANT IT TO END, I DON’T CARE ANYMORE -”

“You do care,” said Dumbledore. “You care so much you feel as though you will bleed to death with the pain of it.

- J. K. Rowling,  Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003)

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I came upon this affirmation recently and find it beautiful and incredibly powerful…

I am whole
I am perfect
I am strong

I am happy
I am healthy
and harmonious

I am beautiful
powerful
lovable

I am
that I am
that I am

Brene Brown tells us that if we’re going to find our way back to each other, it’s going to be through vulnerability…

She’s totally right.

Watch her in action in her latest TED talk here .