Ria Chia

“When I realized my pain came from wanting to be liked, I started to love myself.

When I realized my pain came from wanting to be acknowledged, I began to see the woman I really was.

When I realized my pain came from hoping to be special, I set out to explore the depths of my normality.

When I realized my pain came from wanting to be held, I let myself feel the sensations of my body.

When I realized my pain came from craving to belong, I took the first steps to nourish my authentic self.

When I realized my pain originated from the actions of others, I began to accept responsibility for my own story.

When I realized my pain came from chasing those who didn’t want me, I set myself free.”
― Tanya Markul, The She Book

“Living, naturally, is never easy. You continue making the gestures commanded by existence for many reasons, the first of which is habit. Dying voluntarily implies that you have recognized, even instinctively, the ridiculous character of that habit, the absence of any profound reason for living, the insane character of that daily agitation and the uselessness of suffering.”
― Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus

“Sometimes you're going to have to let one person go a thousand different times, a thousand different ways, and there's nothing pathetic or abnormal about that. You are human.”
― Heidi Priebe, This Is Me Letting You Go

“I’ve discovered something beautiful; the loneliest steps are the ones between the city walls and the heart of the wilderness, where safety is in the rearview mirror, new territory remains to be seen, and the path out to the unknown seems empty. But put one foot in front of the other enough times, stay the course long enough to actually tunnel into the wilderness, and you’ll be shocked how many people already live out there—thriving, dancing, creating, celebrating, belonging. It is not a barren wasteland. It is not unprotected territory. It is not void of human flourishing. The wilderness is where all the creatives and prophets and system-buckers and risk-takers have always lived, and it is stunningly vibrant. The walk out there is hard, but the authenticity out there is life.”
― Brené Brown