25 Things To Do Besides Worrying About The Election Results

Worried about the election results? You are not alone.

The 2016 election and now the 2020 election have both been ones for the books. Ariel wrote this four years ago and the advice rings true today.

And while everyone else is staring at their TV screens tonight waiting for the fate of our nation to be announced, I’ve got some other ideas on how to fill my time:

1. Play with animals: go to your local shelter and spend some quality time with those lovable souls who need your attention more than these results

2. Read a book, magazine, whatever doesn’t involve you being by a TV or on social media.

3. Binge watch new movies or participate in Netflix roulette

4. Bake a cake

5. Grab a drink or a few with friends

6. Play those NSFW games with your current hookup or boo

7. Or just stay in bed with them all day

8. Go to Sephora get as many makeup samples as you possibly can. New America, new you

9. Obnoxiously sing karaoke in your car while driving around the town – possibly with your windows down. You’ll be helping others get annoyed about something rather than this election

10. Watch conspiracy theory Youtube videos and secretly hope your death in the future becomes as mysterious as those can be

11. Binge watch an entire season of a TV show

12. Lay in bed while wearing yesterday’s makeup and clothes and refuse to get out until the next election

13. Cuddle your cat or dog or hamster or someone else’s pet

14. Try to make a list of positives that came from this election season

15. If that’s not possible, make a list of pros about joining a dating site built solely to help Americans get out of the country

16. Listen to overly happy music

17. Deep clean your house. I mean every nook and cranny

18. Google yourself until you find yourself pages deep in the search

19. Browse google earth until you find something out of the ordinary

20. Have a nerf gun war with unsuspecting strangers (or friends) Socially distanced if post 2020

21. Prank call telemarketers

22. Try to find the strangest thing to buy on Ebay

23. Try a challenge that is popular on Youtube: cinnamon, saltine cracker, bean boozled…etc.

24. Throw a party…on a Tuesday because why not?

25. Literally anything else besides being glued to a TV watching the poll numbers slowly come rolling in

Happy Election Day!

For more of Ariel’s work, “like” her Facebook fan page.

5 Signs You’re a Unicorn Person Who Everybody Loves

Ok, so not everyone in the world is actually going to like you, we all know that. But there are people out there whose luminous hearts attract others like magnets.

We don’t try to, it just happens. And if you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’re one of us and:

1. You don’t have a mean bone in your body, honestly.

If people have a problem with you, it’s probably because of a mistake you made rather than you being a terrible person.

2. You try to dislike those who aren’t on good terms with your besties, but you can’t get past the fact that “they haven’t done me wrong.”

3. You’re not acting nice because you’re afraid people won’t like you otherwise.

This is just who you are.

4. You’re constantly being told you’re easy to talk to.

Sometimes people are thrown off by how easily they let you in. You listen well and are incredibly trustworthy, and it shows.

5. People tell you that you’re different from most people they’ve met but they can’t quite figure out why.

6. You can make friends anywhere!

In an elevator, a bar bathroom, a grocery store, you name it.

7. You feel humbled by your ability to accept people for who they are and not their past.

8. Your intuitive instinct helps you uncover the real person behind the masks people tend to put on.

9. You have high emotional intelligence.

You watch and listen intently and are able to detect a person’s emotional state fairly easily. If you really know someone, you can tell when something is off and you know how to use that information appropriately.

10. You know how to fake your way through small talk like the pro you are.

11. Others constantly confuse your kindness with a romantic interest.

“No, I don’t want to go home with you – I was just being nice. I know that’s hard to find these days but c’mon.”

12. When someone gets close enough to open up to you but doesn’t stick around long enough to create any sort of friendship, you feel hurt and used.

13. When heavy stuff is dropped on you, you take a while to process it.

14. You can be a little naive about others and their motives.

15. No matter what, you love who you are.

You love being open, letting people in, and making an impact on their lives because you know they won’t forget about you.

Why Honesty Will Always Be The Best Policy

When it come to things you don’t want to hear, the truth is going to hurt. It may even bring you to your knees. But you will heal faster than being confused and finding yourself crying on a cold floor at 3 am.

As an adult, I’ve realized just how much I appreciate honesty. This could be because my past was riddled with life-changing lies or because I’ve become so frustrated with being confused when all I need is the truth.

This is especially true when it comes to relationships or potential ones. Starting a relationship with a lie is not healthy and not being honest with your feelings isn’t healthy either.

I know the truth is hard. Sometimes it really sucks. I know that it is easier to “ghost” someone then tell them “hey, I think you’re great but I’m not really feeling the romantic connection.” I get it. You don’t ever want to intentionally hurt someone.

But think of it this way.

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Being Single With a Monogamous Mind

You’ve got that old-school way of thinking when it comes to dating. You believe in one person at a time and that chivalry isn’t dead. You want marriage and children and a happy home.

You want the one person on your mind to be the only person you want to cuddle with and take care of you when you are feeling down and out. But being single today and trying to find someone who’s thinking aligns with yours, is nearly impossible.

Which can bring along a lot of loneliness and heartbreak.

You want to believe that he is only talking to you. That you have his full attention. That while trying to figure out if this relationship is going to advance any further, there isn’t another girl trying to figure out the same thing.

And because of that thinking, you are still shocked when all of a sudden he has a girlfriend. Normally without telling you.

This may lead to over thinking everything that went on between you two; “was I too nervous on that date?”, “did I not open up quick enough?”, “what made him pick her over me?”

You wonder if you should text them, but it’s not like you’d know what to say anyways. Or maybe if you just wait they will text you. But that never happens.

Then things get a little uncomfortable whenever you are out and bump into them. He tries to act like nothing happened or nothing is wrong when all you need is a little space.

In the end, your friends convince you he wasn’t right for you, you find a way to move on and sometimes you find a way to be their friend.

After a situation like this, you may think about changing your ways. Trying the multiple-guys-at-one-time way of dating and talking. But let’s be real, that sounds like an awful lot of work.

Texting one guy has you questioning what to say, and the thought of going on multiple dates with different people sounds like too much for you to handle.

And for anything beyond that, you don’t even understand the appeal of one night stands and those apps that tend to promote such actions.

You appreciate them for people who just want that type of relationship right now and you can see why they could be fun, but most likely you will not be found on one; unless “monogamy” works well as a bio.

You’ll stick with fate and hope that it brings someone to you. Or trust your family and friends, again, to set you up with that guy they know. Even though you’ve told them a million times to knock it off with the matchmaking.

Honestly, you’ve already succumbed to the idea of becoming a cat lady. You’ve even started picking out names for your future furbabies.

And while some may have a backup potential marriage candidate for when they are 35, you’ve come to an agreement with your best friend that instead you two would just buy a house together, adopt a lot of cats and drink a glass (or two) of wine every night without judgment.

Maybe then you will join one of those hookup apps to fulfill other desires. Which would practically be the only thing missing from this arrangement.

Maybe then you’d stop feeling like Charlie from that movie Good Luck Chuck. “One date with me and two weeks later you’ll have a girlfriend!” Is essentially the slogan about your dating life. Not exactly what you would like it to be.

Despite it all, you know deep down you will find the one who you are meant to be with.

Changing what you believe in and what you want will not make you happier or help you find that special someone quicker. It takes time, but it will most definitely pay off in the end.

For more of Ariel’s work, “like” her Facebook fan page.

37 Kids’ Movie Quotes That Are Sure to Melt Your Adult Heart

Sometimes those children’s movies just know how to inspire the heart and tell it like it is.

1. “The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it.” — Rafiki, The Lion King (1994 version)

2. “Remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine.” — Snow White, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

3. “The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.” — The Emperor, Mulan

4. “You don’t have time to be timid. You must be bold and daring.” — Lumière, Beauty and the Beast

5. “Even miracles take a little time.” — Fairy Godmother, Cinderella

6. “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” — Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh

7. “If watching is all you’re gonna do, then you’re gonna watch your life go by without ya.” — Laverne, The Hunchback of Notre Dame

8. “Our fate lives within us; you only have to be brave enough to see it.” — Merida, Brave

9. “Sometimes the right path is not the easiest one.” — Grandmother Willow, Pocahontas

10. “A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart.” — Zeus, Hercules

11. “Ohana means family, family means nobody gets left behind. Or forgotten.” – Lilo, Lilo and Stitch

12. “It would be so nice if something would make sense for a change!” – Alice, Alice in Wonderland

13. “I never look back darling. It distracts from the now.” – Edna Mode, The Incredibles

14. “Thanks for the adventure. Now go have a new one. ” – Ellie, Up

15. “This is not about going back. This is about life being ahead of you and you run at it! Because you never know how far you can run unless you run.” – Penny Chenery, Secretariat

16. “If you act like someone you’re not, then pretty soon that’s who you become.” – Gabriella, High School Musical

17. “If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you’ll learn things you never knew you never knew.” — Pocahontas, Pocahontas

18. “Beauty is found within.” — Narrator, Beauty and the Beast

19. “Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved.” — Pooh, Winnie the Pooh

20. “If you focus on what you left behind, you will never see what lies ahead.” — Gusteau, Ratatouille

21. “It’s up to you how far you’ll go. If you don’t try, you’ll never know.” — Merlin, The Sword in the Stone

22. “All it takes is faith and trust.” — Peter Pan, Peter Pan

23. “Sometimes we only see how people are different from us. But if you look hard enough, you can see how much we’re all alike.” — Jasmine, Aladdin

24. “If you weren’t you, then we’d all be a bit less we.” — Piglet, Winnie and the Pooh

25. “You’re never too old to be young.” — Happy, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

26. “Love is putting someone else’s needs before yours.” – Olaf, Frozen

27. “Today’s special moments are tomorrow’s memories.” — Genie, The Return of Jafar

28. “Venture outside your comfort zone. The rewards are worth it.” — Rapunzel, Tangled

29. “Don’t just fly, soar.” — Dumbo, Dumbo

30. “There is a saying: Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” – Master Oogway, Kung Fu Panda

31. “I don’t want to survive. I want to live!” – Captain, Wall-e

32. “A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.” – Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh

33. “If you don’t know where you want to go, then it doesn’t matter which path you take.” — The Cheshire Cat, Alice in Wonderland

34. “Your identity is your most valuable possession. Protect it.” – Elastigirl, The Incredibles

35. “Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgment that something is more important than fear; The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all.” – Eduard Christoff Philippe GÈrard Renaldi, Prince of Genovia, The Princess Diaries

36. “Real life is messy.” – Judy Hopps, Zootopia

37. “When something is too hard… There is always another way.” – Charlie (Dory’s Dad), Finding Dory

For more of Ariel’s work, “like” her Facebook fan page.

You Are A Phoenix And You Will Rise From These Ashes

“Often it’s the deepest pain which empowers you to grow into your highest self.”

You are strong and brave and resilient. Whatever life is handing you right now, you will get through it – don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Anyone. This world is constantly going to test you, push you to your limits and place you on the verge of breaking down. I can almost guarantee that. But you have got to keep your head high even when you are shattering piece by piece on the inside.

I know you have wanted to just let go and let the world win. You’ve hurt in ways you never thought you could hurt before. You’ve felt broken beyond repair and imprisoned in your own mind.

Your heart has been broken and you’ve cried enough tears to fill the oceans five times over. The pain you’ve felt is nauseating.

“But once all the tears dried and the pain washed away and the laughter started again, that’s when you were reborn” – stronger and wiser.

That’s when you can take a deep breath as your soul quietly prepares you for the next battle.

Because you are going to absolutely fall apart in this world again. Maybe even more than once.

Your heart is going to be broken many times by lovers who carelessly handle your heart. Your friends are going to let you down and betray you even when they swore they wouldn’t. And people are going to talk shit behind your back.

You are going to lose people through death and through circumstance. You are going to carry weights too heavy for your soul to bear. You are going to watch dreams fade away while you try to chase after them.

You will be scared and traumatized and broken.

You are going to scream “why” more times than you will be able to count while sobbing on your bathroom floor.

But in the end, how beautiful will it be to stand up proud and say, “I survived.”

I let them betray me, burn me, defeat me, insult me, injure me and abandon me. I let them tear me limb from limb, flesh from bone until I wasn’t recognizable even to myself. But I am here now. I overcame.

I let the world drag me through its chamber of excruciating sadness, but I woke up alive and burning bright.

That’s when you will become a brilliant Phoenix and the world will see your light.

For more of Ariel’s work, like her on Facebook!

63 Quotes For When You’re Beyond Over People’s Bullshit

We’ve all dealt with it. Finding yourself sucked into the most pointless of all pointless drama and you’re finally fed up. You can’t just sit there any longer listening to them bitch and complain and gossip – instead of being the bigger people and resolving it or moving on.

You’re tired of the negativity and being associated with it all.

1. “Weak people revenge. Strong people forgive. Intelligent people ignore.”

2. “I’m not distant. I’m just consistent at minding my own business.”

3. “I refuse to entertain negativity. Life is too big and time is too short to get caught up in empty drama.”

4. “I’ll have a big slice of life, but hold the drama please.”

5. “People who have no life always start drama in yours.”

6. “If you bring nothing but drama to the table, don’t be surprised if everyone gets up and leaves.”

7. “Life becomes so much better when you decide not to care. Just live for the moment,” keep a journal and use essay writing sites like buyessayclub to help express yourself.

8. “Drama does not just walk into your life. Either you create if, invite it or associate with it.”

9. “Don’t let anyone drain you of your happiness today. Be drama free. Rise above the petty stuff.”

10. “Sometimes ‘I’m single’ means ‘I’m drama free, less stressed and I refuse to settle for less.’”

11. “Sometimes you have to unfollow people in real life.”

12. “Negative people need drama like oxygen. Stay positive – it will literally take their breath away.”

13. “You can’t keep a clean reputation hanging out with messy people.”

14. “I love the ones who are in my life and make it amazing. And I thank the ones who left my life and made it even more fantastic.”

15. “There comes a time in life when you have to let go of all the pointless drama and the people who create it and surround yourself with people who make you laugh so hard that you forget the bad and focus solely on the good. After all, life is too short to be anything but happy.”

16. “Just because some people are fueled by drama doesn’t mean you have to attend the performance.”

17. “A private life is a happy life.”

18. “I distance myself from bullshit.”

19. “Be wise enough to walk away from all the nonsense around you.”

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When You Wholeheartedly Choose Yourself, Everything Else Falls Into Place

Self-worth by definition is the sense of one’s own value or worth as a person. It’s about loving yourself and respecting what you need – mind, body, and soul. Which is something I struggled with my entire life.

I naively let any guy walk in and out of my life willy-nilly. Accepting their attention and allowing my heart to fall for some who never had the intention of catching me – setting myself up for the pain of trying to get over them and my broken heart. I’ve let people walk all over me because I never knew how to stick up for myself. I just hid behind my insecurities and blamed it all on those. Scared that people might find my struggles to be something they could use against me.

Knowing I held so much strength but never knew how to use it.

Learning to be vulnerable has been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done – but its results have been immediate. Because once I accepted who I was, every “flaw” and every insecurity, I realized no one could talk down to me or try to make me feel bad about something that may not be “perfect.”

I’ve accepted every bruise and bump and scar that covers my heart and body. I’ve learned that everything I’ve been through is not a reflection of the confident, kind energy that runs through my soul. The things I can’t change about myself does not determine someone’s ability to love me or care about me. How they choose to react is a reflection of themselves – not me.

And I will absolutely fight anyone who tries to tell me otherwise. I am no longer afraid to stick up for myself. Or be the voice for someone who has experienced similar things to me.

I knew I used to be very lost, but I never realized just how lost I was. Once the fog lifted, everything changed. I have new goals and aspirations that make me beyond excited about life.

Never once have I been able to answer a question about five-year-plans, until now. I’ve let go of the toxicness that ran through my life like an uncontrollable river. The people in my life have changed, and that’s okay. I’ve learned that I don’t need a whole bunch of close friends to feel valuable. The close few I unquestionably trust right now is enough. My heart still open to finding, even more, close ones and having many who I can still call on for a good time.

I now take myself on dates – to concerts and sporting events, anywhere and everywhere. Because wanting to go somewhere shouldn’t be determined by whether or not someone can and wants to go with me. I say no to plans when I feel the situation and those involved will bring me nothing but a bad mood. My morals are stronger than ever, and I’ve recognized that not everyone is going to share the same ones as me – and that’s okay.

For more of Ariel’s work, like her on Facebook!

Missing Him Doesn't Mean You Want Him Back, You Just Have a Big Heart

The truth is, I still I miss him. I miss him when something exciting happens, and he’s the first person I want to tell. When I want to show him what an impact he had on my life. I miss his mind and his energy, our commonalities and life coincidences. I miss him when I close my eyes, and he uncontrollably shows up in my dreams. Reminding me of how I feel when I’m around him and our small conversations every now and again.

Honestly, I thought that once I grew to love myself wholeheartedly and be comfortable being by myself and on my own, I would no longer miss him the way I do. But that was not the case. It was not what life and my heart had planned.

No matter what changed, one thing remained the same – him. If anything, it made everything stronger. Because while he was out there learning to be on his own, I was unknowingly doing the same. And I did. I found myself and so much more.

Missing him does not mean I want him back, it just means that I loved him with my whole heart. It’s not a reflection on not valuing myself and my time and who deserves to be in my life, is nothing short of a lie.

I’ve accepted every bruise and bump and scar that covers my heart. I’ve learned that everything I’ve been through is not a reflection of the confident, kind energy that runs through my soul. The things I can’t change about myself does not determine someone’s ability to love me or care about me. How they choose to react is a reflection of themselves – not me.

Telling me he only deserves to be in my past and that I shouldn't waste any more time on him, just means you don't know the full situation or have never witnessed the undeniable tension between us that even strangers have pointed out. He never treated me poorly and trust me when I say the timing couldn't have been worse – even if you don't believe in bad timing.

No one should be able to use what they know about my personal experience to dictate what I should do and how I should feel. I now know the type of people to keep in my life and which ones to keep at arm's length.

I just seemed to have found someone whose importance to me and how he fits in my life is unknown. Life has just sent me a puzzle I'm still trying figure out.

And while I don’t know what any of this means, I do know it has nothing to do with me needing someone in order to feel worthy and loved. I am loved by myself, and that’s the most important thing.

For more of Ariel's work, like her on Facebook!

This Is What It Feels Like When You Finally, Truly Accept Yourself

I can name you the three exact instances in my life that changed me forever. I’m not talking about a boy breaking my heart or losing a friend or anything menial like that. I’m talking about the uncontrollable, the unexpected, the soul-crushing experiences that stayed with me all these years. Words that echo in my head to this day, never allowing me to forget the moment I changed.

The first one made me strong. The second one made me lose myself. And the third one made me unbreakably confident in who I am and all of my “flaws.”

I’ve grown up in a way I wouldn’t wish on anyone – my heart being in a constant state of shattered for most of my life.

I’ve been taken advantaged of and stripped of the things most important to me, which left me feeling disconnected from life and everything I thought I believed in. No one should grow up not knowing what it’s like to belong somewhere, to not have a safe haven or place to call home.

I hid away a part of me in fear of being stigmatized and degraded because all of a sudden, a part of me was not “okay” to society. I didn’t know if I was strong enough to defend myself against their jokes.

There were so many days where I couldn’t understand why life was just piling on hurt after hurt. It was quite literally breaking me and forcing me to change my mindset in order to direct me to a path I was completely blind to.

I never realized just how much a heart had to break in order for it to start healing.

But what happened next made it all worth it. The second I accepted that I was who I was and there were things about myself I could not change, I never felt more like myself. All of a sudden it was as if the fog had cleared and every beautifully hidden part of myself was free.

It feels like this invisible weight I didn’t even know was on me, finally lifted. It feels like you could quite literally float away on happiness. It feels like crying in the car and blasting music, but this time with a huge smile on my face. Not the usual crying in pain while my heart keeps breaking.

It doesn’t mean life is perfect. It doesn’t mean that my heart is done longing for the one it wants or I’ve found myself exactly where I want to be. It doesn’t mean I understand every roadblock I faced.

It just means I’ve fully accepted who I am and from this day forward, I will face every hurdle life throw at me knowing I’m capable of handling it. And I will fight anyone who tries to tell me otherwise.

No shame. No guilt. No regrets. I am 100% authentically me. My heart full of love and kindness just ready to be given out to those around me, but only the ones who are worth it.

I am no longer ashamed of the things about myself I cannot change. I am no longer awkward about the past that once haunted me and the unclear future. They have made me a bit smarter and wiser, and now I can use them as tools to help and educate others.

It was the longest journey I’ve ever traveled, but I came back to the person I lost between the battles and the person who I’m still becoming. I still have so much to learn. I still have a lot of growing to do. But for right now, I’m proud of the person I’ve grown into and I can’t wait to see all that I will overcome in the future.

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