Friday, September 26, 2008

The Day You Read This

On this day, you read something that moved you and made you realise there were no more fears to fear. No tears to cry. No head to hang in shame. That every time you thought you’d offended someone, it was all just in your head and really, they love you with all their heart and nothing will ever change that. That everyone and everything lives on inside you. That that doesn’t make any of it any less real.


That soft touches will change you and stay with you longer than hard ones.


That being alone means you’re free. That old lovers miss you and new lovers want you and the one you’re with is the one you’re meant to be with. That the tingles running down your arms are angel feathers and they whisper in your ear, constantly, if you choose to hear them. That everything you want to happen, will happen, if you decide you want it enough. That every time you think a sad thought, you can think a happy one instead.


That you control that completely.


That the people who make you laugh are more beautiful than beautiful people. That you laugh more than you cry. That crying is good for you. That the people you hate wish you would stop and you do too.


That your friends are reflections of the best parts of you. That you are more than the sum total of the things you know and how you react to them. That dancing is sometimes more important than listening to the music.


That the most embarrassing, awkward moments of your life are only remembered by you and no one else. That no one judges you when you walk into a room and all they really want to know, is if you’re judging them. That what you make and what you do with your time is more important than you’ll ever fathom and should be treated as such. That the difference between a job and art is passion. That neither defines who you are. That talking to strangers is how you make friends.


That bad days end but a smile can go around the world. That life contradicts itself, constantly. That that’s why it’s worth living.


That the difference between pain and love is time. That love is only as real as you want it to be. That if you feel good, you look good but it doesn’t always work the other way around.


That the sun will rise each day and it’s up to you each day if you match it. That nothing matters up until this point. That what you decide now, in this moment, will change the future. Forever. That rain is beautiful.


And so are you.


PS. Thank you for reading 500 things I’ve written for you. Whether you post it on your tumblr, myspace, facebook, vox, livejournal, blogspot, e-mail it or write it down on paper so you can find it again, words and pictures cannot express how grateful Jon and I are that you read this.



73 comments:

Monsieur Rien said...

I'll have to meditate some more on this one. I've been awake for 5 minutes, and I'm not sure I can be awakened a second time this morning.

Thank you for writing this, I needed it.

Anonymous said...

I have been reading this for some time, but have never left a comment. Not that i can't be bothered to. But, often, i find the words and photos so powerful, i don't know if any response i have is 'good enough'.

There are some posts, sentences, words that i found particularly endearing. And i wrote them for her. I wrote them so she would realise how i feel sometimes. But i wrote them mostly because i can't convey what i want to express to her now. But one day, when i am ready, when she is ready. The words could make up for all the lost time.

With love from Hong Kong,
KT

Anonymous said...

Thank you. This was exactly what I needed to remember that the world is still beautiful no matter how ugly we make it to be.

Anonymous said...

this is just beautiful.

Me said...

Thank you. Everything you do is good enough, I promise.

Anonymous said...

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

my goodness. . . just, thank you. I think we're all supposed to know this, it's just so hard to remember...
Thank you for helping us to, in such a beautiful way

Robyn said...

GUNTFACT: I'm so proud of you two for creating this.

Redox Nodal said...

The saddest thing on earth is that your work is required.

You've "saved" me many a day.

Anonymous said...

I love this. I feel like it describes how I want to be perfectly. I'm going to write this down and keep it with me as a reminder. Thanks for everything you write. It means a lot to me and to many other people. :)

Freckles said...

Thank you.

It's the simplest words that mean so much most times.

I mean, just tonight, I felt a "thank you" reverberate in my soul.

<3

debtink said...

thank you Iain
<3
thank you Jon
<3

Fabs. said...

beautiful, I'm going to read this every morning, or at least try to do so.
Thank you for these words.

skinnygirl said...

your blog is just amazing...
it gives me so much hope in every day...

Anonymous said...

it is simply amazing how words string together mends you completely..

Unknown said...

I have no words other than thank you. Thank you for understanding, thank you for caring, thank you for being human and telling me that I am too.

Anonymous said...

when i read this:
i sat and cried and loved and hurt and needed and remembered and felt and dreamt and felt like running for no reason and for every reason.

thank you.

Unknown said...

This makes me cry. I'm going to bookmark this page for when I need to hear it again.

Thank you so much.

Michele said...

this is so beautiful. its like everything i needed to hear in this very moment. your blog has touched me. thank you

Anonymous said...

It is, as many have commented, very beautifully written. Thanks for sharing this.


Best wishes from India,
M

loveology said...

How can it be on you to be thankful?
It should be me who has to be thankful.

These words you write down every day for us, are more than breathtaking.
There are no words for your words.

May there be love and light for you, always.

Mila.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this beautifully written entry. While it might just be words to you, it has touched me and perhaps many other people out there. It's a perfect reminder that that ARE people out there who love us no matter how terrible we think we are. And that the world is still beautiful.

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

i also have been reading your blog for a while now, and i just read all of this out loud. as i read the comment which said "with love from hong kong" - i felt this strange feeling. i'm from hong kong too. knowing someone i will pass by tomorrow or in a week may have read this is weird, in a good way.

- c.

Anna said...

you're writing is truly remarkable. its as if you know the words which my heart yearns to say-- but can never seem to compile.
i am blessed to have found your words. & i can imagine many others would agree.
xo

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this.

I couldn't help shedding some tears as I read. You express how I feel a hundred times better than I can ever convey it.

You are beautiful.

Anonymous said...

Oh my goodness. This gave me chills. I've read that before. Someone e-mailed it to me and I fell in love with it. I put it on my wall. But I had no idea where it came from. Then I randomly found this site and there it was.
Thank you for this.

Anonymous said...

*thank you for touching the unbearable lightness of my being... surprisingly mysteriously totally completely!

i'm burning inside for more, even though my cup is overflowing with the never ending search for something real.

"I picked up my pieces so I could help you pick up yours." ty*

Anonymous said...

Wow. I should have read this the day it was posted. It would have spared me, or at least alleviated, a 10-months-struggle of coming to terms with things.

Mia said...

It's 10:33 pm in this part of my world but these words made me sat right up and read it oh so carefully. I felt constrictin in my chest, my eyes misting a little less more and the only illumination my being is searching are these searing words you evoked so ethereally beautiful. thank u both. with love from Dubai.

Anonymous said...

It's like you knew exactly what I needed to hear, exactly when I needed to hear it... Thank you for giving me hope!

Anonymous said...

this made me cry for hours. i don't know what i would do without you. please don't ever leave me. your writing helps me more than you can imagine.

Anonymous said...

any news coming ?

Mike BT said...

wow, just... wow

Dazza said...

Thank you. This is too amazing.

Anonymous said...

I just found the copy of this that I printed out a while back under a stack of papers and I don't think I could have found it at a better time in my life. Everything that I have been thinking about and feeling was all there. Thank you, again.

Anonymous said...

This is insane, Shelby! You're a celebrity.

Nadia said...

I figured I would read this blog all the way up to the latest post and just leave a comment there, but this post made me realise I shouldn't.
I read. I cried. It is all there. Truth, beauty, a lesson to learn. It takes times like these to realise they are all the same and it is all a miracle.
Thank you both for the truth, the beauty and the lessons you shared. I am sure the memories will change my life for the better.

Anonymous said...

I planned to kill myself the day I read this. But these words saved me. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I never knew the beauty that is this world until I read this.

delayne said...

I only just discovered these words. I only just heard them read aloud by you. We've never met, we never will, but we don't need to, do we? Through this powerful medium you're able to touch hearts everywhere like you've touched mine. And it's because of you that I've turned within and become friends with my own self, and for that reason (and many more!) I love you without question, my friend. Thank you for all that you do.

Mae said...

Thank you for posting this again. I really LOVE this. It's a good reminder. Ok if I post it again, too? :-)

Me said...

Go for it <3

R! said...

I have never read anything so magical ever. I will embrace this and love it always.
You were meant to write this :)

Anonymous said...

Beautiful. I am so overwhelmed. Nothing has touched me in such a long time as your beautiful words.

Anonymous said...

Your best piece ever. My very favorite.
<3

Ra said...

Thank you. Very huge much.

That's all i can say.
U're always inspire me...

Anonymous said...

all it took was a faulty razor.

and i'm still here.

i found this after realizing some things are just not meant to be.

i'll keep reading. and start writing again.

lea said...

this just changed my life. thank you.

Anonymous said...

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU::tear::<--Just one. I don't have to cry anymore! I love you guys so much. You have no idea...oh..no wait. YOU DO!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!
LOVE
LA
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/LAINLALALAND

LollZ said...

I just thought I should let you know, that this specific post is among the best things I've ever had the pleasure of reading, reflecting upon, & sharing(over & over again).
This entry never fails to make me smile, & every time I read it I can't stop myself from sharing it with friends, & they never seem to mind the redundancy. ;)
So thank you, for this healthy dose of inspiration.
Love your blog.

Anonymous said...

beautiful-and-inspiring.ty-so-much.x--nannyally

Anonymous said...

I have followed your posts since almost the beginning of "Please Find This", and since then, you have been nothing short of an inspiration for my every days.

This post was one of those with the bigger impacts.

Thank you <3

Dinah. said...

That brought tears into my eyes, i CRIED THAT HARD.
because I have lived every single fact of what you have aforementioned but words never seemed to pearl my thoughts the way you just put them.
Thank YOU. Thank YOU. Thank YOU .

Love!!

Anonymous said...

Inspiring, Thank you.

http://nostalgicsoulfacesreality.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

I know, I don't fear anyone or anything anymore. I have you to count on. I will take on the entire world alone for you if I have to. I've turned myself into something more beautiful than I ever thought possible. I did it for us. I'm able to be me which is all I ever wished to be. I've felt the angels feathers running down my arms and heard the whispers. Lately I cry a lot and you know. Thinking of you makes me smile. You are always on my mind. Me.

Anonymous said...

The first time I read this I was so amazed (I posted the link to this on my tumblr), that I had to read it again for the second time. The second time made me tear up a little.

Honestly, these words make me calmer, my breathing easier, because all these things are exactly all the things that go through my head. All these things I think about every day. I feel like someone understands me.

sarah said...

This is the most beautiful thing I have ever read. I follow your blog but I found this off Tumblr. Either way I'm glad I found it, it's so beautiful.

Any said...

I loved it. It's so perfect, and so right. I'll post it in my blog, if you wanna see it, this is the link:

http://saber-sonhar.blogspot.com/2011/03/i-wrote-this-for-japan.html

Anonymous said...

Any day I don't feel 100% sure of myself, I take a few minutes and read this post. I have it written in various places so no matter what I'm doing, it's always within reaching distance.

Thank you, you are the reason I am able to stay sane on a daily basis.

zulaikha said...

i found this thru a friend's blog. your words are so sweet and piercing straight to my heart. i hope you allow me to share this in my blog. thanks for sharing =)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this, from the bottom of my heart.
This was everything I needed to read right now and your words have truly touched me.

JSH said...

one of my all times. love to love this <3

Nariman said...

You just wrote a lifetime worth of quotes for me, It made me cry. You must be a beautiful person..I'm sure you are, to be able to write this, is amazing. THANK YOU :)

Ryan said...

I want to thank you for all the words you've ever written. I'm grateful for all the sentences I have ever read on here, and they've helped me go on. I couldn't describe how much your words have helped me, and how often they've saved me.
Please keep writing,
-Ryan

Tia said...

I have never read such a piece where I literally had chills running down my spine from each word. So powerful and so.. just amazing.
I thank the author and the photographer for both had a role to play in this, and both created images that are more beautiful then anything I've ever seen.

Taylor said...

This had me in tears.

Thank you.

Anonymous said...

I needed to read this. I needed to relearn how to breathe.

Anonymous said...

This is the most beautiful thing on this entire earth.

Anonymous said...

So beautiful. Divine blessings to you for all your words x

Unknown said...

Thank you for writing. People will never really know the real power that words have in changing a person's life, but they have such great strength and your blog, your book, your words, have helped a tremendous lot of people.

Just to keep living. To keep loving. Life is amazing. Thank you for your words for reminding us of this.

Peace.

Anonymous said...

In all honesty there's always that 1 person that u want to share this with...unfortunatly its not that easy but to the ones I love with no all my heart I pass this amazing message on.
Luv u all lots
A.V

K. said...

As much as I'd like to leave a long paragraph on what this poem means. My best firend wrote down this one poem and folded it up and handed it to me. I first read this poem today.

A simple "Thank you" is all I can say.

So thank you...

Phoenix said...

A friend just sharef this .. she said they were reading poetry by the river😊 a very nice read for Christmas

M said...

I still come back to this entry every single time Im going through something hard in my life. And time and time again it has reminded me that life goes on. And that I control that completely.
From 2008-2020.