1989 Taylor Alison Swift is born in Pennsylvania, on December 13. She grows up on a Christmas tree farm. Absurdly on brand, right from the start.


“We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known, and when we honor the spiritual connection that grows from that offering with trust, respect, kindness and affection.
Love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow, a connection that can only be cultivated between two people when it exists within each one of them – we can only love others as much as we love ourselves.
Shame, blame, disrespect, betrayal, and the withholding of affection damage the roots from which love grows. Love can only survive these injuries if they are acknowledged, healed and rare.”
― The Gifts of Imperfection
Love is not something we give or get; it is something that we nurture and grow, a connection that can only be cultivated between two people when it exists within each one of them – we can only love others as much as we love ourselves.
Shame, blame, disrespect, betrayal, and the withholding of affection damage the roots from which love grows. Love can only survive these injuries if they are acknowledged, healed and rare.”
― The Gifts of Imperfection

“We cannot selectively numb emotions, when we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions.”
― The Gifts of Imperfection
― The Gifts of Imperfection

“Perfectionism is a self destructive and addictive belief system that fuels this primary thought: If I look perfect, and do everything perfectly, I can avoid or minimize the painful feelings of shame, judgment, and blame.”
― The Gifts of Imperfection
― The Gifts of Imperfection

“Understanding the difference between healthy striving and perfectionism is critical to laying down the shield and picking up your life. Research shows that perfectionism hampers success. In fact, it's often the path to depression, anxiety, addiction, and life paralysis.”
― The Gifts of Imperfection
― The Gifts of Imperfection

“Authenticity is a collection of choices that we have to make every day. It's about the choice to show up and be real. The choice to be honest. The choice to let our true selves be seen.”
― The Gifts of Imperfection
― The Gifts of Imperfection

A group to discuss books that are about education policy

Join members of Team Torlakson in sharing books and enjoying a summer of reading!
Craig Cheslog’s 2024 Year in Books
Take a look at Craig Cheslog’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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