"During my transition, I discovered packing boxers. I loved the idea and knew they would provide me with immense gender euphoria. However, every reputable brand was located overseas. This lack of access to gender-affirming products in the UK encouraged me to launch Casual Reign early in 2023." 🏳️⚧️
“I don’t think we as trans people, particularly trans people of colour, get spaces where we can simply look good and where it doesn’t go deeper than that.” – Sabah with photo credit to @hollyrevellphotography
(Accessibility: Picture of Sabah in pink-lensed sunglasses a a cool floral shirt behind a colourful flower display.)
Someone I recently met who studied under Buddhist monks put it this way:
"The only thing we can really control is how we relate to everything else."
When you choose to relate to everything around you in conflict, when you choose to relate to the world as its victim, you inevitably become a void. You accept a station that was not given to you, but that you've given to yourself. You accept a mindset of eternal war: war with yourself, war with others, war with community, war with society.
I find myself less and less on here, because this once positive space of learning and shared ideas has, for some reason, devolved into voids. Voids of self-appointed victimhood, of constant warring with everything, everyone. I find myself more and more particular about the people I allow into my space, because even some people I find very dear are voids, and I am very sensitive to it, and because I am still learning how to create the appropriate psychic boundaries. Because I am, also, prone to becoming a void, and because if I spend too much time in others' I tend to then create one myself, and I want to choose not to allow myself this.
It's harder for many of us to choose the alternative: to relate to the world as its beneficiary, as a responsible steward of it, as a crucial moving part of it, even when it sometimes wrongs us; to relate to others with compassion and empathy and appropriate boundaries rather than constant conflict. It's easy to choose neural feedback loops of cortisol and adrenaline -- it feels good for a moment (and then it feels bad long term as it impacts our health negatively), our society provides plenty of opportunities to do so, and many of us learned to seek these feedback loops in our environments growing up. But what feels better, long term, that is harder to cultivate, are the feedback loops of dopamine through appropriate action and fulfilling achievement, oxytocin through true connection and existence among and with others, and so on.
It's easy and even rewarded in our society to tell me I'm wrong: "I don't get to choose how I feel about anything. If it's bad, it's bad, and it has to be bad." It takes work to relate to hardships with resilience, to accept that "trauma", the way that our lives shape us, is not always negative.
Pain is real, suffering is a choice. This I've learned. This I continue to learn, the hard way, each and every day as I engage with this journey I've been tasked with.
“Maintain yourself, find your community who loves you for you and who wants to celebrate you. Being yourself as you navigate the world in a way that’s safe and authentic and good to you is going to help in the long run. Know that you’re loved and supported, that time goes on and more people will see us for who we are as we continue to advocate for ourselves.” Aaron Philip
(Accessibility : A Photo of Aaron Phillip with the above text used)
Today is Leap Day, a fake day is you will. Let's celebrate by sharing something positive that has happened and/or a win you've had recently. #LeapDay#Positivity
As a sober individual living with clinical depression, I find immense peace amidst the natural world. Walking in sunshine, like at Waitt’s Mount in Malden, invigorates both my mind and body. 🌳
Remember, physical activity comes in many forms—find what works for you!👟🚴♀️🧘🏽♂️☯️
🎯Swap your screen for sunshine! Walk, stroll, or ride—just get moving! Your body and mind will thank you. ☀️
1/3 Ok, a lot of us seem to have had a tough week, #FediFam. One of the reasons I do 3GT is that it is, in a small way, meditation. It's a way to force yourself to stop. Breathe. Clear out your intrusive thoughts. Realize this moment is for you; just for you. Now. Keep breathing. Think of something good about today. Maybe that's a struggle. Maybe it feels small and banal. Maybe it's just that you didn't get hit by that bus, or your milk didn't spoil. But that's still A Good Thing!
3/3 And now that I've led you down this path with me for today, #FediFam, that means it's time once again for THREE GOOD THINGS™️!
🐓 Homemade chicken pot pie for supper with my family.
🏋️♂️ Good arm day despite the crappy gym in this town.
👴 Dad's recovery is going great!
I get this isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if you enjoy #Positivity and #Gratitude from other people, try it for yourself. You don't have to post anything. Just stop, breathe, and think of #ThreeGoodThings. @3goodthings
Today's cosmic shift from Leo to Virgo invites precision and self-improvement, while Ezekiel's call for righteousness mirrors Matthew's plea for heartfelt reconciliation. Citrine, promoting positivity & clarity, becomes today's beacon. To harness its power: wear it or place near your workspace.
The last hiur of the day is slipping by, #FediFam. While we wait for the 11:00 news to show the weather, let's take a moment to feel #gratitude and think of THREE GOOD THINGS™️!
Going to be spending most of the day in the car, leisurely wandering toward home, so here's a rare, collector's edition, morning version of THREE GOOD THINGS™️!
Hope you have a great Saturday, Masto friends, and get to take a moment to think about how many awesome things there are to be #thankful for every day.
"Through my own identity as a trans man, and one of a race other than white, I really wanted to share my own experiences to show that everyone's on a different path. It's not an easy journey and I don't think it's ever really over. It can be emotionally draining, but it can also be really rewarding." Leo Sheng
Still public domain, still a free wizard! If you want a version with trannsparent-bg just use the one I posted yesterday, it actually is pretty when not upscaled by Mastodon :3.
Another day, another #3goodthings to keep me looking on the bright side:
-I had a great brainstorming session with a client yesterday to help her discover a plot for her next book.
-My electric car is working out well for me and my family. I love not going to the gas station or adding pollution to our streets.
-I have created a number of paintings this winter that cheer up my office.
“My trans siblings are the bravest and most determined, compassionate people I have ever met, and I honestly believe that together we can do anything.” – Lex
(Accessibility: Pink background, varied hands forming a shape with the above text)
“I have learned to live my life one step, one breath, and one moment at a time, but it was a long road. I set out on a journey of love, seeking truth, peace, and understanding. I am still learning.”
~ Muhammad Ali
Hopefully as the journey progress and we improve ourselves, everything gets better!