“My personal mantra is a simple one: ‘Survive, and when possible, thrive.’ To me, that just means taking care of myself. My success comes from honoring how I feel, and recognizing when it’s time to thrive, and when it’s time to just survive.”— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com
“You warrior with a purple heart. You lover with a Grand Canyon of possibility. There is so much space in you. That’s a good thing. That’s beautiful”— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com
“That is not weakness. Experiencing pain because someone you love(d) is no longer a person you can call at 2 AM when you can’t sleep is not weakness. Crying when you come across old photographs and the memories hit you like a slap in the face is not weakness. Missing someone who you cared for is not…”— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com
“Self-love is necessary because it gives you the tools to survive in this lifetime. And it’s something you can do on your own. You don’t need to depend on anyone else to give you your worth or value. You hold all the power, and in a world that you can’t control, that’s an empowering feeling.”— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com
“I was not made to love quietly. I have never known how to do it. I shout my emotions without thinking twice. I unzip myself for the entire world to see.”— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com
“But if you want something magic, you have to be open to looking for it. You have to be ready with outstretched arms when it finally arrives. You need to know that magic, as all things do, still requires work. Your Great Love is going to be so, so great. Don’t wait around passively for it. Go look. G…”— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com
“If he is afraid of your strength, do not let your muscles atrophy. Do not ask him what you can do to be weaker. If you soften your voice, will it make him stay? Can you shape-shift into something that doesn’t threaten his masculinity? If he cannot handle you as the powerhouse you are, you need to le…”— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com
“You owe it to yourself to have the kind of love that sticks around. Something mutual, something that feels safe and taken care of. The kind of feeling that only increases with strength the longer you’re together.”— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com
“You’re single because you know what you deserve and you haven’t found it yet. And you know that being with the wrong someone is often worse than being alone. You’re single because you just are. And frankly, you don’t owe anyone an explanation. You don’t ever owe the world an answer.”— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com
“It never crossed my mind how much happier I’d be once you were gone. That’s the thing with toxic people, we can’t see how much damage they were doing until we’ve put the needed distance between. For all the times you made me laugh, I conveniently blocked out the tears and emotional punches. I painte…”— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com
“When he tells you he wants you only to soften the blow of what will come next, do not allow your heart to believe she is safe. Send her on a rocket ship to the moon, or sun, or anywhere far enough that his words won’t reach. Let lack of gravity do its job.”— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com
“I love men. But I’m still a feminist. Because the two things aren’t mutually exclusive. Just like I’d love my daughter and son the same amount. I want them to have the same opportunities. I want them to be respected for who they are, not their gender.”— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com
“If I care about you, you’ll know it with every word I use. You’ll see it in every action I perform. I don’t want you to question how I feel. I’m not interested in pretending to be someone I’m not. I’m not afraid to text you first.”— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com
“When your voice carries too much strength, they will ask you to lower your volume. You’ll see your (very often) male counterpart speak at the same decibel and wonder why he is congratulated and you are shushed. When you speak your mind, they will find flaws in every word you say. There will days whe…”— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com
“I keep loving loudly. I keep trying, giving myself and my heart and everything else I have to give. And I’m not sorry for it. I’m not sorry for being this way, for not holding back. I’m not sorry for wanting to take a chance that could leave me bruised and embarrassed than to not say I tried at all.…”— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com
“I am sorry they mistook your kindness for weakness, Don’t they know? It takes a strong heart to pump all this blood, all this trying, all this willingness to be open when everyone around is trying to force you closed. You warrior with a purple heart. You lover with a Grand Canyon of possibility. The…”— Ari Eastman, thoughtcatalog.com