#elf

Then the cow asked: "What is a mirror?" "It is a hole in the wall," said the cat. "You look in it, and there you see the picture, and it is so dainty and charming and ethereal and inspiring in its unimaginable beauty that your head turns round and round, and you almost swoon with ecstasy. ↗

— Mark Twain

#self-image #vanity #beauty

Throughout human history beauty has been seen as a gift from God, but Mom had another notion; she thought that beauty could be earned through self-knowledge. It may be a revolutionary idea, but it has offered me great comfort. ↗

— Ruth Reichl

#self-knowledge #beauty

What about you and me, Adina?” Duff said, sidling up to her by the railing. “I know I screwed up. But do you think we could start over?” Adina thought about everything that had happened. Part of her wanted to kiss Duff McAvoy, the tortured British trust-fund-runaway-turned-pirate-of-necessity who loved rock ‘n’ roll and mouthy-but-vulnerable bass-playing girls from New Hampshire. But he didn’t exist. Not really. He was a creature of TV and her imagination, a guy she’d invented as much as he’d invented himself. And this was what she suddenly understood about her mother: how with each man, each husband, she was really trying to fill in the sketchy parts of herself and become somebody she could finally love. It was hard to live in the messiness and easier to believe in the dream. And in that moment, Adina knew she was not her mother after all. She would make mistakes, but they wouldn’t be the same mistakes. Starting now. “Sorry,” she said, heading for the bow, where a spot of sun looked inviting. ”Oh, also, about that blog? Just so you know, my dads know a lot of gay lawyers. Bitches will take your ass down if you try to publish that. Peace out. ↗

— Libba Bray

#love #self #beauty

Haven't we all, as time continues, found that we must be kind to ourselves and listen to our thoughts, because fewer and fewer of those remain who know what is most real to us? ↗

— Lan Samantha Chang

#change

There is something beautiful in you seeking freedom. ↗

— Bryant McGill

#freedom #hard-work #love-yourself #patience #beauty

Why live in fear that he might find me disgusting someday, when I could make it happen right now? ↗

— Rachel Hartman

#fear #self-esteem-or-lack-thereof #beauty

It's very easy when you have someone in front of you that you can chase. You want to be No. 1 but now I feel like I have to play well because everybody looks at you as a best golfer. So that's why I put more pressure on myself. ↗

— Yani Tseng

#best #chase #easy #everybody #feel

All the beautiful waitresses existed like eternal responsibilities. ↗

— Spalding Gray

#desire #despair #diary #longing #monologue

I played in Europe and it was a great experience, not just because of my team-mates and the coaches we had, but from the fans and the city itself - I played in Gothenburg and I played in Lyon and soccer was everywhere. ↗

— Hope Solo

#city #coaches #europe #everywhere #experience

The worst thing I could be accused of is that I'm a one-way dude, only out for myself. But the worst thing a woman can do is not to say anything. Especially when you're starting a relationship. ↗

— Matt Dillon

#anything #could #dude #especially #i