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I wish I knew how to be myself without acting so tough all the time.

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And so, I cry. The tears forming chasms down my cheeks, as they etch out the stones of my clenched jaws and loosen the tension held day after day. 

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Constant self-reflection requires constant discipline and the ability to curb one’s ego.

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Make a good story of it when you finally heal. Leave behind all that negativity, but take your lessons with you when you go.

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Don’t put so much pressure on yourself.

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Socializing is good. But socializing as a default — out of some Fear Of Missing Out — is not good.

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Went for a petty route instead of being honest about my feelings. 

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My expertise sets me apart from you, much like yours from me. Find your niche.

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She woke up on a late November morning and couldn’t decide which was colder; her lover or the chilly air.

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You don’t give people a chance. On your 28th birthday, on the way to dinner with you and your friend Dave, she read you like a book. She said you give up on people too easily, and that’s why you were chronically single. Dave agreed.