u/Novel_Business_4101

Got this message about trying Instagram Plus for free and one of the features they highlighted was seeing how many times someone has watched your story. Out of all the features, this was the only thing they mentioned (which is kinda weird, considering plus supposedly has more features).

To see how many times someone has watched my story? Yeah suree Instagram

Instagram’s features are getting weirder day by day.

But honestly, I’m pretty sure we’ll all end up using it anyway. Same thing happened with Instagram Notes/Instants I was like, “what the hell is this?” and then I ended up using it a couple of times for absolutely no reason… but I still did.

Not to mention those weird AI answers you get when you search for someone. Like yeah, sure, Google 😭. What do you think, Instagram? I’d rather search my doubts on Instagram than Google? Sure.

I have realized that in cricket, whenever somebody is retiring or it’s their last game, fans from both countries playing & even fans who aren’t from either country, give a standing ovation or at least clap at the end. Even the players on the ground give the retiring person warmth and a proper send-off with true respect.

But this last match between Norway and Brazil really took me by surprise. I was expecting the players to do something on the ground for Neymar, or in general in any match where it’s publicly known that it’s a player’s last game. Only the Brazilian crowd cheered for Neymar, while the other side was just happy they qualified. And honestly, the players were disrespectful the goalkeeper had no reason to push him when they had already won. At that point, the match is over, just come back to sportsmanship.

It was honestly extremelyyyyyy underwhelming.
Someone who is such a great player was ending his international career and this is what happened.

And this is why I love cricket (eventhough I don't watch it as much as I do football) the respect players get from fellow players and fans, no matter which country they’re from. It feels like it’s done for the love of the sport.

Makes me wonder if football is actually more about the love for your club or country rather than the sport itself.

Talking about jewellery or traditional outfit

I saw a haul today of gold jewellery and there was this very unique-looking, very, very mystical piece. It was a teal green, big chunky rectangular ring with a diamond in the centre and then two gold sides. And the woman was saying, “I would pass it down to my children or grandkids” and I suddenly had this urge to also have something very mystical that I would pass down. Or some weird ass outfit that I absolutely hate but is so different that when passed down, the hereditary just enough becomes a treasure LOL.

Ain't no way I am passing down my dainty gold rings or dainty sleek necklaces 😂😭😭

This also made me think how minimalistic our design has become. Like, what happened to those weird ass chunky jewellery pieces that honestly came from India, and now we see women all over the world wearing these chunky bracelets..like wdym. You must have seen those posts about how designs are becoming so minimal of buildings and homes and taps and poles and benches in the park and everything.

I hate the word aesthetic. Like people be saying, “I have an aesthetic Pinterest coded house,” like wdym aesthetic?? Who decided what is aesthetic? Minimal is aesthetic? could be, but not always. Aesthetic is so personal. And our houses were built for maximalism. I hope Indians understand and come back to our maximalism (not in weddings please 😂), but in other stuff.

I'm sorry I started out with jewellery and came to something else, I was just thinking out loud lol.

Thanks for reading this though.

I overthink everything, make simple situations more complicated than they need to be, and stress over the smallest things.

I've noticed that people who don't take themselves too seriously often seem happier and more at ease. But how do you actually become like that?

I see these female friendships built on trust, mutual support, no jealousy and it genuinely makes me so happy to see. I had some amazing female friendships growing up but we all kinda drifted apart after moving to different cities and countries (except for two of my best friends, we've been friends since 3rd grade and are still super close).

In college, I talked to a lot of people but never really found that kind of female friendship again. A lot of the friendships I had would eventually turn into passive-aggressive comments or weird jealous energy and I somehow just can't deal with that. I'm not trying to act like I'm above anyone, I'm just not a jealous person by nature. And even when I do feel jealous, I consciously try not to let it affect how I treat people. So when I start sensing that vibe from someone else, I naturally pull away.

I had plenty of friends in college but the people I'm still in touch with now are mostly guys. And tbh, I don't think I'll find that kind of friendship in my work environment either.

The thing I've noticed is that the strongest female friendships seem to thrive on vulnerability. People are open about how they're feeling, they let each other see the messy parts and that's what creates that closeness. It got me thinking... maybe part of the reason I haven't built those kinds of friendships is because I'm not vulnerable myself?

I'm the type of person who keeps everything to herself. I hate showing people when I'm struggling. Even when I'm hurting, I act like I'm fine. I rarely ask for help and always try to figure things out on my own. I know this about myself even in romantic relationships, but it has never really caused much of a problem there. It just made me wonder if female friendships rely more on emotional vulnerability and support and maybe that's why I struggle to build that kind of connection.

So now I'm wondering if that's the missing piece. Maybe if I'm never letting people see my vulnerable side, that deeper connection never really gets the chance to happen. Do you guys think that could be it?

It's been discussed a lot on here that so many F1 WAGs don't have real jobs. But when you really think about it, this isn't unique to F1 at all. A lot of the most accomplished athletes in the world who have become so famous that they're almost bigger than their sport itself also have partners who are influencers/models
Neymar Jr.'s partner- Bruna (fashion influencer)
Ronaldo's partner
Lionel Messi's wife (influencer)
Tyson Fury's wife (influencer)
Kobe Bryant's wife (rip Kobe) [which she later took over his multimedia company and venture fund after his death]

And there are so many more examples I could name.
ANd obviously our f1 wags lol😭

{ A little shoutout, though 🫡🫡 to Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic for having partners with their own careers and ambitions. Seems like tennis is an exception in this. Also Virat Kohli whose wife was already a huge celebrity herself, even though she stepped back from acting after marriage }

So I do think there's some psychology behind this pattern of elite athletes often ending up with partners who have flexible careers or aren't as career-driven as they are.

As much as these f1 wags try to portray themselves as having serious careers, I think this pattern exists because a lot of these top 1% athletes keep choosing the same type of partners models, influencers career. it's almost like they prefer this dynamic
kinda like looks like an ego component to it.

I just think it's interesting that, across so many different sports so many of the world's most famous and successful athletes seem to follow the same pattern when it comes to their partners. There are only so many athletes who reach that level of global fame regardless of the sport, so the fact that this pattern keeps repeating has to say something

I've never been the kind of person who thinks "I'm going to prove them wrong". Maybe that's also because for most of my life, I never really faced much criticism. Was academically good, great in sports, all extra-curriculars, confident.

Even when I did start facing criticism recently as an adult my reaction still wasn't "I'll show them" In fact during the first few instances, I did the opposite, I stopped caring. I thought "They already have this opinion of me so why should I even bother trying to prove them wrong?" And because of that, I stopped trying altogether. Looking back I think that's also unhealthy because then you're more likely operating from a place of other people's validation of you and when you know they think something bad of you, you stop trying

I used to think people who were driven by proving others wrong were a little weird. But maybe not. I'm an avid podcast listener and I've heard so many successful people I look up to say that their initial drive came from wanting to prove people wrong.

So I have a genuine question for people who operate with that mindset: when someone criticises you or doubts you and your immediate reaction is, "I'll prove you wrong," what exactly goes on in your head? How does that become fuel instead of discouragement? What's your thought process and internal structure?

I genuinely want to get inside your brain and understand how that mindset works.

thanks in advance

I have seen so many videos of 3-4 year olds (which is such a young age) articulating their feelings, talking about what they're feeling and what they're dealing with, and getting emotional over genuinely emotional things. For example, when their parents gift them something, they understand what that present means. How do they understand the meaning behind presents? I don't think most Indian 3-4 year olds understand that. Maybe in their tweens or teens they start understanding these things and might get emotional over a gift, but a 4-year-old? Never, lol.

The only times I've seen a 3 year old cry in India is when they're throwing tantrums, never out of actual emotions.

I saw a video of a 5 year old boy from Brazil where there's I think a tradition of giving the first slice of your birthday cake to the person you love the most. When asked why he gave it to his sibling, he said, "Because my sibling plays with me, protects me and plays with me when no one else does." To have that kind of understanding at such a young age is crazy to me. I don't remember being 5 years old and even understanding who wanted to play with me and who didn't. I would play with everybody and I think at that age, everyone around me did the same. We all just played with whoever was there.

How are these little 5-year-olds so aware? If somebody didn't want to play with me, I probably would have still enjoyed my time at the playground, made some other friends, played with them for that time, forgotten about it, and then come back the next day with the same attitude of just enjoying myself and not thinking too much about what was going on.

I don't really see this in India. Is it because we coddle our children a little too much? What is it? It's not like children here grow up to be less emotionally intelligent they turn out alright. It's just that the childhood experience seems very very different.

The only kids in India that I do see being extremely emotionally aware are homeless children or kids selling things on the streets. But that's sad because I think they grew up too fast. They shouldn't have had to know all the things they do know at such young ages.

For the upcoming generation, how do you see yourself parenting a child? Or if you don't want kids, what do you think is the biggest difference in parenting that could be made? I'm only 22, but these videos were so contrasting that I had to talk about it. How are these kids from other countries not just in normal conversations, but also when talking about their emotions and feelings (which is honestly much harder able to communicate so well?)

And at the same time, how do you maintain that balance of not overexposing children to every emotion and every problem so that they don't become too mature too early and miss out on living their innocent, childish, carefree years to the fullest?

https://preview.redd.it/61dpb6qgw28h1.png?width=288&format=png&auto=webp&s=67972768b573681d7dae145516cb77f904ba5d6a

The dots show where I've been getting pimples. I've never seen anyone apply tretinoin that far up. I watched a couple of dermatologist videos on how to apply tret or "apply tret like a dermat", and none of them put it in that area. Is it because it's too close to the eyes? If so, how am I supposed to treat acne that develops there?

Recently saw a military training aircraft crash, and it really shook me because it reminded me of another military aviation accident I had read about before where young pilots had also lost their lives.

News like this makes me so, so sad, especially considering how few people seem to care. We're quick to post a story when an actor dies, an influencer dies, or a famous public figure passes away, but not for the people risking their lives to protect others. Sports, celebrities, and internet drama get endless attention. I don't think some of my colleagues even know what has happened recently.

The only thing I hear many of them talking about is the recent injury of their favourite football player, basketball player, or musician. Yes, that's your interest, that's your hobby, talk about it. But to be completely unaware of tragedies like these, especially when you're someone who posts multiple stories or status updates every day, feels wrong to me.

I remember reading about a young service member who was killed during the very first year of his service. His family could never have imagined that something like that would happen so soon. I also remember reading about a widow who had given birth just hours before learning that her husband had died while serving. Imagine that. She had delivered a baby only a few hours earlier and suddenly her husband was gone. Postpartum recovery is already difficult. The trauma, the grief I don't think most of us can even imagine it.

Since the recent crash involved people who were only around 21–22 years old, it makes me even sadder. They were barely beginning their adult lives.

I also saw a case where a young child sat beside his deceased mother's body for hours because relatives could not be reached. When someone finally managed to contact a family member, they were dismissed. I have a nephew around that same age. His birthday is coming up soon and he recently asked me for a bike. He's a baby. He doesn't understand worldly things at all. How can a child that age go through something like that? That story made me cry for days.

I so badly want to do something for people like them. I am not capable enough right now, but I want to be. Especially when it comes to families who have lost a parent, children who have lost their support system, and people who are left completely alone. These stories affect me deeply. They make me cry, and they make my blood boil when people mock them, dismiss them, or act as if their suffering doesn't matter.

How do I take some steps back from all of this? Because these cases run through my head constantly.

I'll see a small child somewhere and immediately remember that boy.

I'll see an elderly person struggling with paperwork or navigating life alone and I'll remember another story. Once, I saw an elderly woman struggling to communicate with staff because of a medical condition that affected her speech. Nobody seemed interested in helping her. Later she explained that she lived alone. Her daughter had died years earlier and her son had died while serving. She told us that her home was full of memories, but now she lived there by herself.

Stories like these don't leave my mind.

While all of us know the names of viral internet personalities and every trending meme, let's also remember people who sacrificed their lives for others. Let's not ignore children who are struggling. If you're capable of helping, donate. Volunteer. Mentor a child. Do something.

I don't have children of my own, but I have nephews and nieces, and I know how little they understand about the world. It's so important to give children guidance and support.

Let's spread a little positivity.

And while we celebrate our celebrities, let's also celebrate ordinary people who made extraordinary sacrifices. Let's support children who haven't even had the chance to experience the world properly. They don't have the protective blanket of parents around them.

I remember when I was in college and felt overwhelmed. I'd call my parents and instantly feel better. Some children don't have that option. Imagine that.

I also think I might be someone who feels these things more deeply than most people. If anyone else is like this, please tell me how you manage it.

I don't want to lose my empathy. I don't want to become indifferent. I just want to stop completely breaking down over stories like these.

Because these stories randomly enter my mind at different moments of the day, and when they do, it feels impossible to stop thinking about them.

So my first ever concern is:

1. Tret and sun sensitivity

This scares me. From what I've read, tretinoin can make your skin more sensitive to the sun.
I live in a demographic where we have enough melanin that our skin already has a decent amount of natural UV protection.
I do use sunscreen, but there are definitely weekends when I'm out having fun and I don't reapply every 2 hours(even if I am out on a sunday hike). Yes I know some people will say sunscreen is necessary whether you're on tret or not. But my point is that before tret, I had a little more freedom about this. If I start tret I will for sure keep reapplying my sunscreen.

What worries me is the idea of changing my skin from something that naturally handles sun exposure reasonably well into something that becomes significantly more sensitive. And before someone says "well everyone should avoid the sun anyway," the main reason people worry about sun damage to the extreme is often skin cancer but in my demographic skin cancer rates are relatively low (less than 1%) compared to lighter-skinned populations. So mentally it's hard for me to get comfortable with the idea of taking something that might make me more prone to sunburn or UV damage than I was before.

Maybe I'm overthinking this, but if you naturally had decent sun tolerance because of your genetics, I don't think you'd be excited about potentially making that worse either.

I'm sorry if I asked too many questions and vented a little. I really want to try tret for my acne after already trying other options. I genuinely want to use it because it seems to have so many benefits, but the two concerns I mentioned above are the things I wouldn't want to deal with.

For those who have been on tret for years, I'd really appreciate hearing your experiences.

thank you soo much for reading till the end 🩷

Recently saw the Jorhat, Assam plane crash incident, and it really shook me because I remembered the other plane crash that also happened in Jorhat in which two fighter pilots had died.
News like this makes me so, so sad especially considering how no one in our country seems to care. We're quick to post a story when an actor dies, a cult leader dies but not for the people protecting our country? Football, cricket, celebrities get multiple stories. I don't think some of my office colleagues even know what has happened recently.

What surprises me even more is that I see women being more vocal about matters like these in my office than men. The only thing I hear many of them talking about is the recent injury of their favourite football player or how he's retiring. Yes, that's your interest, that's your hobby, talk about it. But to be completely ignorant towards matters like these, especially when you're someone who posts at least 7 Instagram stories or WhatsApp statuses a day, is shameful.
And I think the recent Agniveer scheme makes it even worse. What do you mean this person was commissioned for only four years and got martyred in his very first year? His family wouldn't even have imagined that something like this could happen when he was serving for such a short period of time. I remember one incident where for the final rites of a martyr, his 8-hour-old daughter, yess... 8 hours.. was brought there while the wife was still on a stretcher. Imagine the kind of trauma she must be going through. She had delivered a baby just 8 hours before and her husband was dead. Postpartum itself is already difficult. The trauma, the grief I don't think you or I can even imagine it.
Since the recent plane crash involved two people who were just 21–22 years old, it makes me even sadder. And they were Agniveers. Their families will get no pension, no long-term benefits, nothing.
The government introduced this scheme to cut defence expenses and use the money somewhere else. Fine. But where exactly are you using it? Why are we not seeing the actual benefits? These people, without any guarantee for their future and without adequate security for their families, are putting themselves out there every day. For what? For a country that often cannot support them.

I also saw the recent Gonda, Uttar Pradesh case where a 7-year-old boy sat in tears beside his deceased mother's body at a government medical facility for nearly 24 hours because relatives could not be reached to claim her body. And when someone finally called the boy's mother's sister, her son hung up the call.
I have a nephew that same age. His birthday is in a few days and he recently asked me for a bike. He's a baby. He doesn't understand worldly things at all. How can a child that same age bear all of that? This story made me cry for two days straight.

I so badly want to do something for people like them. I am not capable enough right now, but I want to. Especially when it comes to martyrs, their families and small kid. These stories affect me deeply. They make me cry, and they make my blood boil when people mock them, dismiss them, or talk badly about them.

How do I take some steps back from all of this? Because these cases have been running in my head constantly.

I'd see a small boy somewhere and immediately remember that kid.

I'd see widows coming to banks, not having a clue what they're doing, and it reminds me of all these stories again. Once I was with my grandmother at a bank when an elderly aunty came in. I think she had some illness because she couldn't speak properly. She was all alone, trying to communicate with the bank staff and the bank personnel genuinely couldn't care less. I was so angry that I almost screamed at the employee. I told him I would record everything he was doing and complain about it. He started giving excuses saying he hadn't understood her and all that nonsense. Later, when we got talking, the aunty told my grandmother that she lived a little far away. She had only one surviving child. Her daughter had died in an accident and her son had been martyred. She said there were so many fond memories of her son in their village house and now she lives there all alone.

Stories like these don't leave my mind.

While all of us know the Viral Chaiwala's name and every viral meme on the internet let's also know the names of our martyrs. Let's also not neglect a small kid we find struggling in life. If you're capable enough, donate for children in need.

I don't have children of my own, but I have nephews and nieces that young, and I know they don't understand much about the world. It's so important to give children the right direction.

So let us all spread awareness wherever we can. If possible, help guide a child who has no one to guide them, donate to an orphanage, or simply do something kind. Old people struggle without their children; imagine a 3-year-old or 5-year-old living without parents. The world is a very cruel place, even if you have backing and a family it still is hard on people, and now imagine being a 6 year old without your parents, no sibling, no extended family, just you, trying to survive, when you don't even know what surviving means.

Let's spread a little positivity.

And while we celebrate our celebrities, let's also celebrate our martyrs. Let's empower children who haven't even had the chance to experience the world properly. They don't have the protective blanket of parents around them. I remember when I was in college and felt sad or overwhelmed. I'd simply pick up my phone, call my parents, and instantly feel better. They don't have that. Imagine that.

Also, on another note, I think I might be someone who thinks about these things more deeply than most people should. If anyone else feels the same way, please tell me how you manage it. Because honestly, I feel things so deeply that if I could, I would help every small child suffering without parents right now. I would help the children of martyrs and their families where the father was the sole earner. Even when I contribute to a donation, I always want to do more. I am never satisfied. What are the rich people doing, the millionaires, the billionaires and now the trillionairse whose net worth is more than the GDP of roughly 175 to 198 countries worldwide. Imagine that, if he wanted to, he could change soo many lives.

Like I said seeing those photos of that 7-year-old child standing beside his dead mother for an entire day, with no one around him, just looking at her, barely moving (I cried for two days)

How do I stop feeling things so deeply?

I don't want to lose my empathetic side. I don't want to become indifferent. I just want to become someone who doesn't completely break down and end up crying for days over things like this.

Because these stories randomly enter my mind at different moments of the day, and when they do, it feels impossible to stop thinking about them.

Because of my Acne, my dermatologist had prescribed Adapalene and it changed my skin, made my skin glowy, pores were less visible and obviously my acne was gone within just a few weeks. Got the most suple glowy skin of my life.
But then after a year my acne came back, and I started using Adapalene again, this time it didnt quite qork that fast like it did before but eventually slowly I got rid of my acne (not sure was it time that healed the acne or Adapalene) after 2 years got the worst acne of my life, was on Isotretinoine for 6 months, acne treated completely. Now I get acne sometimes, a few flare ups. Not regularly though.
Now after 4-5 years of Adapalene 0.1% on and off (it has never caused any irritation to my skin ever, even in the first use) can I now start using Tretinoine 0.05%. My skin currently is a bit flared up, have like 6 pimples to be precise and a little bit of redness, which made me thinking, instead of Adapalene (which I use these times when I get sudden acne, which honestly isn't working for me these years), can I start using Tretinoine 0.05% pharmacy one which doesn't have soothing or moisturising ingredients mixes to them???

I know sugar is bad, and I’ve known this for a while, but recently something happened and I went down this deep rabbit hole of discovering how bad it is for your brain and not just your physical health. So many people shared their experiences of how, after quitting sugar for 21 days, they felt so much better physically and emotionally. Then when they tried sugar again, their bodies had these weird reactions to it. Someone's fingers started burning, some got swollen palms, and some found sugary foods so sweet that they couldn't even eat them anymore. I mean is it really that bad?

I'm sorry, I went through this whole rabbit hole and now I know too much.

And considering how I'm already dealing with a ton of shit myself, I decided that if something is affecting my brain, I have to get rid of it. I'm already struggling with so many things. So I did it for like 3 days, but I was irritated the whole time. I just couldn't do it. I need my evening chai. Like I "need" it. I'm not addicted to fast food or coffee three times a day or even chai for that matter. I only have one cup a day but I need that one evening cup of chai. During those 3 days, I was constantly thinking about it.

I would say I'm a sweet tooth, but only when the stuff is within my reach. Like I can eat a whole cake on my own if it's right there in front of me and I can also go an entire month without craving cake (which is basically my favorite thing in the whole world) just because it wasn't anywhere near me. But I am struggling a lot. I just couldn't continue not eating sugar. It's so difficult for me. Nothing has been this difficult for me. I could probably quit my non-veg food options but not sugar.

Please give me some practical tips if you've quit sugar or any words of advice. Any words right now. Ahh, I hate it.

I am a firm believer in learning from things that are either:

A) books that were written in the past by actual yogis or people who have practiced yoga and meditation for a long time, starting from the very beginning &explaining the science and philosophy behind it and then gradually taking you into the deeper aspects of the practice

OR

B ) modern books written by genuinely qualified people doctors, neuroscientists, scientists, yogis, Indian gurus or other experts in the field. I tend to trust authors who have a strong educational or professional background rather than people who are entirely self-taught.

I am very, very new to meditation and would love some book recommendations. If you have any recommendations for older traditional books, that would be amazing. If they're modern books, I'd prefer authors who are highly educated and knowledgeable on the topic.

I would especially love Indian recommendations because last year I visited India and attended a retreat. Safe to say, it was the best month of my life. I learned so much there and it was all very practical. Since most Meditation practices and the whole of Yoga traditions originate from India, I've become really intrigued and would love to learn more through books.

thank you soo much in advance!

- From a fellow new meditator

Today I saw some really cute little girl dresses and said that if my sister ever has a baby girl, I would buy so many adorable outfits for her. My mother immediately replied, "No, she should have a baby boy." What bothered me is that she has never said something like this before. I pointed out that I never said my sister should have a girl. I only said that if she does, I'd love to buy her cute clothes. Also, it's not as if my sister gets to decide the baby's gender anyway. I told my mother she could have simply said that any gender is fine, but instead she specifically said the baby should be a boy. When I called her out, she seemed to realize how it sounded and changed it to, "No, I meant at least the first one should be a boy." We ended up arguing. Later in the evening, she told my father that I stretch things too much.

My father, whose take is very neutral almost alwys, said, "It's not in our control. Both are fine. In a family, there should be both a girl and a boy which is better than having two boys or two girls." I immediately asked why there should be both, as if family composition is something people can control. You can't say things like that and then present it as a completely neutral position. I told him that I've seen countless stories of people having two daughters and then going on to engage in female foeticide because they desperately wanted a son. Obviously they didn't harm the daughters they already had, but their thinking often starts with the same idea: that a family is somehow incomplete without a boy. So when someone says a family should ideally have both a boy and a girl, isn't that rooted in a similar mindset? And I asked my father then aren't you the same like those people. After I said all of this, my father got passive-aggressive and replied, "Alright, if you think I'm like that, that's fine."

What makes this harder for me is that women have dealt with so much historically and continue to deal with so much today. Even this month I've come across multiple instances of abandoned baby girls. Because of that reality, I don't feel comfortable treating these comments as harmless or purely theoretical. When one group is still facing the consequences of long-standing discrimination, saying "both are equal" while ignoring that context doesn't feel neutral to me. The thing is, I have anxiety and tend to overthink. Since this happened, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. I keep wondering how can my own parents think this way when they themselves have two daughters? Part of me wants to keep arguing because I have so many things I still want to say, but they're both very non-confrontational. I don't think they'll actually engage with the discussion, they'll just say "okay" and move on.

I know this issue is personal for me because stories about abandoned baby girls genuinely affect me emotionally. and any such case makes me cry a lot So now I'm stuck feeling angry, disappointed, and frustrated.

My question is: am I overreacting? And if not, how do you deal with realizing that people you love may hold beliefs that deeply clash with your values? How do you stop replaying these conversations in your head when you know you're probably not going to change their minds?

I remember when people were speculating about which race Kim K would make her grand F1 paddock entrance at, and half this sub was like, "Obviously Monaco," followed by detailed explanations of why it would be Monaco and then... Monaco happened💀

The second I saw her there, I immediately remembered those comments and my first thought was: "Damn, the snarkies are good"
At this point, either the people on this sub are elite-level celebrity predictors, or these celebrities have become so painfully predictable
Either way, the Monaco predictions deserve their flowers. 😂

Edit: And let's not forget this sub was also weirdly accurate about Alex. People were predicting exactly which races she'd skip, which race she'd come back to after the engagement, when she'd start showing off the ring, the wedding timing, and even the type of dress she'd wear

I hate going to the gym. I've tried all the usual tricks buying cute gym clothes, laying everything out the night before so I can just wake up and go, trying to romanticize the process but none of it seems to work for my lazy ass. The funny thing is, my gym is literally in my building, so I don't even have the "it's too far away" excuse.

For the longest time, I assumed that maybe the gym just wasn't for me. I thought people who went consistently genuinely enjoyed it and looked forward to it.

But recently, I spoke to a few people who have been working out consistently for years, and I was surprised to find that many of them still don't actually enjoy going to the gym. They don't wake up excited to work out. They go because it has become a part of who they are. It's a habit, a commitment, and something they value being consistent with.

That realization kind of changed my perspective. Maybe I don't need to love it. Maybe I just need to do it.

I work on my laptop for close to 12 hours a day and, yes you guessed it right, my back hurts like crazy. I'm still in my early twenties, but I'm pretty sure my back pain is worse than what some 40-year-olds experience. I recently developed lower back pain, and honestly, that was the final straw because I'd never heard of someone my age dealing with it.

So this question is mainly for women who have been consistently working out for close to 10 years or more:

• What kind of workouts do you do, and how often?
• What physical changes have you noticed over the years, beyond just weight or appearance? ---If you have before-and-after pictures and are comfortable sharing them, please do. that would give me and others in the same boat a lot of motivation
• What mental or emotional changes have you noticed?
• Did it affect your energy levels throughout the day? I often feel low on energy, and I've had my deficiencies checked, but my doctor says everything is fine
• Has it changed your confidence, self-image, or the way you carry yourself?
• Did you discover a side of yourself that didn't exist before you became consistent?
• Have you reversed or improved any health issues, chronic pain, injuries, hormonal issues, PCOS, etc.?
• Has it changed the way you age or recover from stress?
• Do you think your life today would look significantly different if you had never started working out?
• Was there a specific year or milestone when you finally thought, "Okay, this was absolutely worth it"?
• What has been the most unexpected benefit of sticking with it for so long?
• If you could go back and talk to your younger self who hated exercising, what would you tell her?

Would love to hear both the obvious and the less obvious changes that only become noticeable after years of consistency|

thank you soo much in advance
& I hope all of us stay healthy