Phew. All day I’ve been tired, sad. And whereas I could blame lack of sleep and a number of other things, the fact is I’ve already begun to grieve the loss of this blog. Including tonight, I only have three more posts to go. I don’t know. It’s weird. Just like when a person dies you go through all those stages–denial, anger, grief, acceptance, bargaining–I’m going through those with this. Denial because, has it really been three years? Anger because of what hasn’t happened, hopes and expectations that haven’t been met. Ugh. All the feelings. The good news being that, so much more than three years ago, I’m open to all the feelings and what they have to teach me. Sweetheart, letting go is never easy.
At times throughout this process I’ve imagined that I’d, I guess, somehow be perfectly healed, or just perfect, on the other side of this thing. And that one of my final posts would be like, here’s how I did it. And how you can too for three easy payments of $127. Alas, if anyone ever pitches you such a deal, run don’t walk away. Because the fact is that no matter what a person learns, they are always and forever still growing. Still a work in progress. As much as people like me may hate it, there is no perfect to get to. If it does exist, perfection is like the casserole I made for dinner tonight. A little bit of everything. One big delicious mess.
With cheese.
This being said, I would like to take this blog as an opportunity to “sum up” what I’ve learned or how I’ve grown as a direct result of this project. My idea being that, although I despise numbered lists and bulleted sub-headings, I’ll go through my blog “categories” one by one and write a few sentences or paragraphs about each one. As these categories became self-evident early on and new ones haven’t been added in maybe a year and a half, I’ve come to see them as themes, or what this time in my life has been all about. The lessons I’ve been learning and doing my best to embody.
So here we go. I’m just going to shoot from the hip. And I’ll try to be brief. (Yeah right, Marcus.)
1. Abundance
Ugh. Does this have to be the first one? This has been a toughy for me, since, as a result of my traumas, I grew up believing that if you love something, just wait, it’ll be taken away from you. And yet my therapist, who has a real hard on for abundance, has shoved it down my throat. Yes, things leave, but other things come around. Thankfully, I have made progress. For one thing, money isn’t terrifying to me anymore. Even though I don’t have much of it. Although now I imagine if I did I wouldn’t be scared of it. It’s just paper. The most important thing being, however, that I really do believe deep down that I’ve been given an abundance of talent, love, help, knowledge, wisdom, and resources (both internal and external) with which to make my way through life. Creatively, I’ve been given an abundance of ideas. This is what counts. I know it’s rough when your bank account is strapped, but don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
2. Affirmations
A lot of self-help books are huge on affirmations, looking in the mirror and saying, “I’m beautiful, rich, and forgiving.” Or whatever. And whereas I’ve tried this shit more times than I care to admit, it hasn’t been what’s worked for me. Instead, the affirmations that have turned my life around, rather than being forced into me, have come out of me. That’s what this blog has been about. Sweetheart, be patient. I’m here for you. So if you like the idea of affirmations, go for it. But don’t open a book to find them. Open your heart.
3. Archetypes and Personalities
More and more I see the world through the lenses of “we’re all different” and “we’re all the same.” And whereas I don’t subscribe to one particular personality system, it’s helped me to be able to label people with archetypes (diva, drama queen, addict, pimp), since it allows me to get impersonal about their behavior. Or even mine. (Of course I’m worried about my outfit; I’m an artist!) Additionally, the more personality systems I study, the more I realize that every archetype and personality type is not only neutral (although it can be animated positively or negatively), but also necessary. God knows we don’t need everyone to an anal-retentive control freak. But God also knows the world would be a much sloppier place without those of us who are. (Wash your damn hands.)
4. Authenticity
This is a buzz word these days, and one my therapist actually dislikes because it’s so “hip.” To me it equates to being honest, even and especially if that honesty looks like anger, sadness, or confusion. You know, the emotions we hide behind our masks. Alas, it doesn’t seem to be something we can achieve every minute of every day (certain niceties are required in a polite society), but it is something we can strive toward. Being real. Being ourselves. My only other thought about it is that I’ve often been as surprised as anyone else when I’ve been able to be assertive or–here’s another word my therapist hates–vulnerable. Like when I cry in public or admit my faults (which, I agree with my therapist, isn’t being vulnerable, it’s being honest). Meaning we often don’t know what our authentic selves look like until they reveal themselves to us.
5. Balance
Is required and looks different for everyone. How do you know you’re out of balance in any area of your life? Your body will tell you. Learn to listen to its subtle and not-so-subtle messages. Additionally, pay attention to your relationships. If they’re full of drama, contention, or anything but an underlying peace, something is out of whack. Chances are you’ll never be able to hold the center point forever, so just keep your eyes on the middle. The rest will take care of itself.
6. Boundaries
My therapist calls boundaries the Holy Grail of personal growth. And whereas I used to think I had them, I realized I didn’t. Pro tip: if you can’t say no or if you tell the most personal details of your life to complete strangers (or vice versa), you don’t either. So get some. Learn to not only say no, but hell no. Figure out what you’re worth and don’t settle for less. Get in touch with your soul, do whatever it says, and never, under any circumstances, sell it. For one thing, it’s not yours to sell. For another, you’ll always regret it. How do you do these things? By learning to say no, hell no. And don’t worry if you “mess up.” Life will, without a doubt, give you another opportunity to excel. As with all things, having good boundaries is a process.
7. Coco’s Favorites
These blogs are my personal favorites. Many are already tagged as such, but I’ll be adding others as I work my way through reading all my old posts.
8. Creativity
People say they’re not creative, but I’m convinced we all are, even if it’s just in the way we make up a story about how we’re not creative, or what someone did that ruined our lives, or how awful things are (when they’re really not). Of course, creativity is better expressed through writing, dancing, knitting, planting, decorating, or whatever, and I’m certain our souls MUST, somehow, expand themselves through creating. So first stop and notice WHAT you’re creating (dinner, drama, dissent), then think about what you’d LIKE to be creating (an encouraging environment, a business, a hilarious blog). Then CHOOSE something different.
9. Dancing
Is good for a hundred reasons. Do it. Even if you don’t like it, consider that you were made to move. Some way, somehow. Your very heart BEATS. Tune into the rhythm of your life. If you ARE willing to give dancing a try, remember what my mentor Maggie tells her students. “Let dancing love you.” If not dancing, then let something, someone. Please, open your heart.
10. Dream Interpretation
I wish I were a master at this or had some of the experiences the people who write all those books about dreams do. Lucid dreaming, predicting the future, and whatnot. I don’t know, my therapist says I have the “most auspicious dreams,” so maybe it’s just easy to think someone else’s life is better or more fabulous than yours. Regardless, I do believe our subconscious/inner wisdom speaks to us a thousand different ways. Through dreams, synchronicities, hunches, bodily sensations, feelings, emotions, and even thoughts. So it’s whatever floats your boat, whatever you’re willing to listen to. Just know that it’s not all as random as it seems. Know that you can trust yourself. You’re wiser than you realize.
11. Emotions
Are not something you primarily think about. They’re something you primarily feel. Also, I hate to break it to you, they’re not something that go away when you shove them down. Like, they just hang out in the shadows. In your shadow. And whereas I wish I had a surefire way for coaxing them out, I’ve learned they come up when they’re ready. The best thing we can do is to listen. Be curious. Love, or at least make space for, whatever arises. Including frustration, anger, grief, sadness, and anything else that gives you snot bubbles. Because that’s your inner wisdom talking. For example, anger often means “get some damn boundaries.” (See above.)
12. Encouragement
Whatever you’re going through, I promise you’re not alone. Yes, your situation is unique to you and is your cross to bear, but it’s not the first time it’s ever happened. In Alcoholics Anonymous they say, “You’re only as sick as you are isolated.” Meaning that a burden is automatically lifted when you stop trying to carry it yourself. So please know that people love you and are rooting for you. Granted, they don’t always know what to say, but I guarantee there are people who would take a bullet for you in a heartbeat. People who will cry at your funeral and feel that something important, something they liked, is missing from their lives when you’re gone.
13. Facebook Live
This is where I’ve put the few live videos I’ve done and where I’ve read, out loud, other stories I’ve written. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll do at least one more when this is over.
14. Gratitude
Is often something those self-help books try to force. Don’t worry, be happy. Alas, I’ve found that gratitude, like an affirmation, works best when it springs naturally from the heart. A humbling voice, it says, “Sweetheart, you have everything you could ever need and more.” What’s more, I’m convinced this voice is always there, available even when we are most down. It says, “Life sucks, but we’ve been given this breath, and with this breath we will make it to our next. Or make it home.” So again, listen to your heart. (Not your head.)
15. Growing Up
Involves letting go of the need to blame, being your own parent most of the time, taking responsibility for your life and choices, and sucks. But is absolutely necessary. Also, it’s natural. Stop fighting it.
16. Hope
As stated in The Shawshank Redemption, “is a good thing, maybe the best of things.” So please, please, please allow as much room as is humanly or even divinely possible that even your most challenging circumstance can turn around for the better. On a dime if heaven so sees fit. Along these lines, pray for miracles and expect them to show up.
17. Improv Comedy
Is worth trying or at least taking note of. Because, like life, it requires that you think on your feet, play well with others, and not look back. Audiences may not be forgiving, but improv teaches you to be. So what if the show didn’t go well? It’s over. (Everything in your life is over.) Why is this a good thing? Because now we can play another game.
18. Letting Go
Is one of the hardest things you’ll ever do. Because we like what we like and we want it last. Our relationships, our stuff, our identities, our stories and judgments about ourselves and others. Our blogs. But nothing lasts. We don’t get to keep a thing. So work on enjoying whatever it is while it’s here, then letting it go. The way the sun sets, the way a storm ceases. With grace.
19. Myths and Fairy Tales
Aren’t just cute little stories. Rather, within them are embedded the mysteries of life, our personalities, and our struggles. Best thing I ever heard on this topic was that your three favorite movies reveal the path your life is on, and I believe this more and more. Recently through EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) I realized one of my favorite movie characters (for almost twenty years now) was not only hung up on integrity (like I am) but was also embarrassed by his station in life (like I used to be). The idea being that you’re drawn to these characters and their stories for a reason. Your inner wisdom is nudging you forward, giving you a template for what’s possible. Be willing to take the trip.
20. Patience
Is almost harder than letting go. But is one of the most useful traits you could ever hope to develop. Because although the universe is capable of turning on a dime, it rarely does. What’s more, it rarely does what you want it to, when you want it to. Pro tip: the less you insist on having everything your way, the more patient you’ll be. So, in the words of Nancy Byrd Turner, “learn to labor and to wait.” Give yourself the gift of time. To grow. To heal. Nature does not proceed in leaps, and neither do we.
21. Perspective
If I could give everyone one gift, it would be the gift of perspective, the gift of being able to perceive whatever it is thats bothering you (including yourself) in a different way. Alas, since I can’t, go see a therapist. This is what they get paid for. But seriously, what if you could put on a pair of mystical glasses that allowed you to see everything in your life, even the rotten stuff, as heaven’s gift to you? What if you could turn your viewpoint upside down and really see that there’s nothing in your life by accident and that–if it’s there–it’s there for a reason? To challenge you, to grow you, to change you, and maybe even the world, for the better? What if you could look at the mountain you’re facing and, rather than asking God to remove it, absolutely know you were meant to climb it? And then put your boots on. This is my encouragement. Pick up a book, go to church, or bang your head against the wall, not until your circumstances shift, but until your perspective does. Because that’s when you will.
22. Relationships
Seems to be the medium through which everything happens. The bullshit, the learning, and the healing. So look alive. Like or not, no one is alone. We’re all in this together.
23. Self-Acceptance
Means coming to love yourself warts and all, not putting up such a damn front, and being gentle with yourself and others. It means accepting every part of you–even the ugly, angry, and sad parts. The weird thing? The more you accept yourself exactly as you are, the more you accept others and the world exactly as they are. And vice versa. This is why Jesus said don’t judge. Because that which you hold against someone else, sooner or later, you’ll hold against yourself. But as you accept That Which Is Unacceptable in yourself or another, That Which Is Unacceptable becomes your teacher. All parts come bearing gifts. Hold out your hands.
24. Spiritual Practice
Looks different for everyone but is something I’m convinced we all long for and participate in somehow. Maybe one person does it in the kitchen, the way they lovingly prepare the perfect meal to feed their family. Maybe another does it in a chapel. I grew up as a Christian. Last night I prayed the rosary. Now I don’t know what to call myself. More and more, the labels are unimportant. It’s the experience I’m after, the inner knowing that I’m part of something bigger than myself. The conviction that every time I take a breath, God breathes with me. I’m after what the mystics know, the truth that every life, every rock, and every molecule is both sacred and holy.
25. The Physical Body
This could be an entire series of posts. And has been. Suffice it to say that every experience we have on this planet is granted to us through our physical organism. And whereas my personal temptation has been to ignore my body’s signals (information, guidance, wisdom) or be mad it at for hurting or being sick (not good enough), I’ve learned that it is the master and I am its pupil. I am in its classroom, and I must play by its rules. So more and more I’m learning to love, honor, and take care of my body, this gift I’ve been given. Granted, it’s easy to compare yourself to others and find fault with your body, but then you miss The Mystery. Then you miss the wonder that is you.
26. Therapy and Healing
Is actually a thing. And whereas I could go on and on about different therapies and modalities I’ve tried and succeeded with, really, it all started the day I picked up the phone and called my therapist. One little choice that was really a big choice. “I think I need help,” I said. Thankfully, my therapist was a good fit for me, and her office became a safe place, a sacred place, where I could begin to put myself back together. And whereas I’ve done a lot of work on my own, I think this is a huge part of the process. Having a witness. Not someone that does the work for you, but someone who sees you and believes in you. Maybe more than you do. Someone who is willing to stick with you through it all. Another big part being what my therapist told me that first session. “For this hour we’re going to do two things: sit in truth and not judge ourselves.” So whatever path you choose, I suggest taking these two gems with you. The truth (it will set you free) and non-judgment. I promise, you’ll get further faster if you do.
27. Transformation
Is not only possible, but necessary. Just like a caterpillar can’t stay a caterpillar forever, we as humans can’t stay our old selves forever. Indeed, we’ve been designed to grow, change, transform, evolve. To forget that which is behind and press forward toward the mark. To be burned in the ashes and rise again. To die on the cross and ascend three days (or three years) later. This is written in our stories, and this is written in our cells. So just find a way to accept it. Then get on with the process. Set your foot upon The Path. Entertain the idea that you are more (insert positive adjective here) than you ever thought possible.
28. Travel Writing
Hasn’t been a huge part of my journey or this blog but is still worth mentioning. One lesson from traveling being that, just like that, the universe can take you on a trip, put someone on your path, or put you on someone else’s. Just like that, you can be in a whole new world. With a whole new perspective. JRR Tolkein said, “Still round the corner there may wait, a new road or secret gate.” Believe in this magic. Trust that as one journey ends, another is beginning.
29. Writing
Isn’t for everyone, but is for everyone. At least, words are for everyone. Personally, these words, these hundreds of thousands of words, have changed my life. Once a writer friend pointed out that I was literally writing into existence the life I wanted to live. Sweetheart, hang on for one more day. Things will get better. Lately I’ve been hashtagging all my posts #healing. And whereas I’ve thought of these statements and labels as simply my way of hoping or just description, well, in the beginning was the word. Seriously. Think of the world you create when you say something is “possible” versus the world you create when you say something is “impossible.” Notice how your thoughts, feelings, emotions, attitude, and actions change depending on which world you decide to inhabit. Crazy, I know. And that’s just one little word. Now, have the words I’ve written these last three years MADE my life change? I could never prove that. But my life has changed, and surely it’s at least partly due to the fact that at some point I started telling myself a different story. A story I wanted to hear. One of healing, forgiveness, self-acceptance, hope, transformation, and transcendence. A story in which I was the hero and there was a happy ending.
And surely anyone can do this.
Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Growth and getting far in life have nothing to do with where you’re physically standing.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"No one comes into this life knowing how to dance, always moving with grace."
Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not true.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"That love inside that shows up as joy or enthusiasm is your authentic self."
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In this moment, we are all okay.
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Freedom lies on the other side of everything you're afraid of.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"The truth is right in front of you."
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As taught in the story of the phoenix, a new life doesn't come without the old one first being burned away.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Just as there’s day and night literally, there’s also day and night emotionally. Like the sun, one minute we’re up, the next minute we’re down. Our perspectives change constantly. There’s nothing wrong with this. The constellations get turned around once a day, so why can’t you and I? Under heaven, there’s room enough for everything–the sun, the moon and stars, and all our emotions. Yes, the universe–our home–is large enough to hold every bit of us.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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You can’t pick and choose what you receive from life, and you can’t always accurately label something as bad.
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What are you really running away from?
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"Beating yourself up is a far cry from self-respect."
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All the while, we imagine things should be different than they are, but life persists the way it is.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"There are a lot of benefits to being right here, right now."
Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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There’s nothing wrong with taking a damn nap.
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It's enough to sit in, and sometimes drag ass through, the mystery.
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Boundaries are about starting small, enjoying initial successes, and practicing until you get your relationships like you want them.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"We were made to love without conditions. That's the packaging we were sent with."
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Each season has something to offer.
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We can hang on and put everything safely in its place, and then at some point, we’re forced to let go.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"Sickness and health come and go, just like everything else. It's just the way life is."
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You can’t change what happened, but you can change the story you tell yourself about it.
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Your emotions are tired of being ignored.
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Abundance is a lot like gravity--it's everywhere.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"Not knowing what's going to happen next is part of the adventure."
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No good story ever ends.
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I believe that God is moving small universes to communicate with me and with all of us, answering prayers and sending signs in unplanned moments, the touch of a friend's hand, and the very air we breathe.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"It's never a minor thing to take better care of yourself."
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Things are only important because we think they are.
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Just because your face is nice to look at doesn’t mean you don’t have a heart that’s capable of being broken. These things happen to humans, and there isn’t a one of us who isn’t human.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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We all need to feel alive.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"You can't change your age, but you can change what your age means to you."
Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Sometimes the best you can do is metaphorically sit you ego down, look it square in the eye, and say, “Would you shut the fuck up already?”
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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There is a force, a momentum that dances with all of us, sometimes lifting us up in the air, sometimes bringing us back down in a great mystery of starts and stops.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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None of us is ever really lost. At least we're never really alone. For always there is someone to help point your ship in the right direction, someone who sees you when you can't see yourself.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Our world is magical, a mysterious place where everything somehow works together, where nothing and no one is without influence, where all things great and small make a difference.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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If life can create a problem, it can also provide an answer.
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Patting yourself on the back is better than beating yourself over the head.
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Of all the broken things in your life, you’re not one of them–and you never have been.
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if you're content with yourself and you're always with yourself, then what's the problem?
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It’s enough just to be here.
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Give yourself an abundance of grace.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"Why should anyone be embarrassed about the truth?"
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If you’re making yourself up to get someone else’s approval–stop it–because you can’t manipulate anyone into loving you. People either embrace you for who and what you are–or they don’t.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"We all have inner wisdom. We all have true north."
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You’re exactly where you need to be.
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It's never a small thing to open your home or heart to another person.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"It's really good news to find out that the world isn't as scary as you thought it was."
Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"When you’re authentic, your authenticity is enough. You don’t need to compare."
Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Sometimes life can really kick you in the balls and make you drop to your knees.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Our shoulders weren’t meant to carry the weight of the world.
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You can’t play small forever.
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All emotions are useful.
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You've got to believe that things can turn around, that even difficult situations--perhaps only difficult situations--can turn you into something magnificent.
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Whereas I've always pictured patience as a sweet, smiling, long-haired lady in a white dress, I'm coming to see her as a frumpy, worn-out old broad with three chins. You know--sturdy--someone who's been through the ringer and lived to tell about it.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Suddenly the sun breaks through the clouds. A dove appears--the storm is over.
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Along the way you’ll find yourself, and that’s the main thing, the only thing there really is to find.
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Some things simply take time and often more than one trip to the hardware store.
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Whatever needs to happen, happens.
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"Miracles happen."
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Nothing is set in stone here.
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When the universe speaks—listen.
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We don’t get to boss life around.
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Even a twisted tree grows tall and strong.
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No one dances completely alone.
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Life is never just so. Honestly, it’s a big damn mess most of the time.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Confidence takes what you have and amplifies it. Confidence makes anyone sexy.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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We’re all made of the same stuff.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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It takes forty years in the desert for seas to part.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Help is always on the way.
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The truth doesn’t suck.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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You've really got to believe in yourself and what you're doing. Again, it comes down to integrity and making something solid of yourself, something that's so well-built on the inside that it can handle any storm.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Healing is never a straight line.
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Your life is a mystery. But you can relax. It’s not your job to solve it.
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We are surrounded by the light.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"The heart sings for its own reasons."
Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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For me, it's important to hang on to this idea that no matter how bad they are, your circumstances can turn around, to believe that if an elephant can show up in your life, it can also disappear, to believe that just as the universe full of big problems, it is also full of big answers.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Perhaps this is what bravery really is--simply having run out of better options, being so totally frustrated by the outside world that all you can do is go within.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Rejecting yourself is what really hurts.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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If you want to become who you were meant to be, it's absolutely necessary to shed your old skin. Sure it might be sad to say goodbye--to your old phone, to your old beliefs, anything that helped get you this far--but you've got to let go in order to make room for something new.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Sure, we forget it plenty of times, but on the inside we’re all shining. This is what gives me hope, knowing that we are all radiant.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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There’s a power that comes when you meet life’s challenges head-on. Those are the times you breathe the deepest. Those are the times the waters come forth and your heart beats every bit as loud as the thunder claps. Those are the times you know more than ever—no matter what happens next—in this moment, you’re alive.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Answers come built-in. There are no "just problems."
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Life is better when we're not in control. When we mentally leave room for anything to happen, anything can.
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No one is immune from life’s challenges.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Nothing was made to last forever.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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For all of the things life takes away, it gives so much more in return. Whether we realize it or not, there’s always grace available.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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You can’t stuff down the truth—it always comes up.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Our struggles unearth our strengths.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Some days, most days, are a mixed bag. We cry, we laugh, we quit, we start again. That's life. In the process, we find out we're stronger than we thought we were, and perhaps this is healing.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Your story isn’t about your physical challenges.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Even if you can't be anything you want to be, you can absolutely be who you were meant to be. Don't let anyone else tell you differently.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"Obviously, God's capable of a lot. Just look around."
Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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A break is no small thing to give yourself.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Beautiful isn’t something that comes in a particular package. Beautiful is simply being yourself.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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The clearer you see what's going on inside of you, the clearer you see what's going on outside of you. It's that simple.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Give yourself a break.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"Sure, people change, but love doesn't."
Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Sometimes you have to give up wanting something before you can have it.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Everything is all right and okay.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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When we expect great things, we see great things.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"No one's story should end on the ground."
Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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In other words, there's always SOMETHING else to improve or work on. Therefore, striving for perfection is not only frustrating, it's also technically impossible.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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There’s nothing you can do to change the seasons or hurry them along.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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I don't think anyone came to this planet in order to get it right the first time. What would be the point?
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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It’s not where you are, it’s whom you are there with.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Perfection is ever-elusive.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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As the ocean of life changes, we must too.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Storms don’t define us, they refine us.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Getting comfortable in your own skin takes time.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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There’s a lot of magic around you.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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If another's perspective, another's story about you is kinder than the one you're telling yourself, surely that's a story worth listening to.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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So perhaps perfection has little to do with that which changes and everything to do with that which doesn't. For surely there is a still, small something inside each of us that never changes, something that is timeless and untouchable, something inherently valuable and lovable--something perfect.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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You can rise above. You can walk on water.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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All things become ripe when they’re ready.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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There’s no such thing as a small action. There’s no such thing as small progress.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Everything is progressing as it should.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Allowing someone else to put you down or discourage your dreams is, quite frankly, anything but self-care.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Pressure, it seems, is necessary to positive internal change. After all, lumps of coal don't shine on their own.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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We're allowed to relabel and remake ourselves.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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We think of hope as something pristine, but hope is haggard like we are.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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If you're not living a fully authentic life, a part of you will never be satisfied.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Any mundane thing–an elevator ride!–can be turned into something joyous.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Bodies are so mysterious, much more complicated than car doors. They take more patience to understand and work with. They require more than a couple hours to repair.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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The symbols that fascinate us are meant to transform us.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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We may never be done, but that doesn't mean we'll never be complete. And surely we are complete right here, right now, and surely there is space enough for the full moon, for you and for me, and all our possibilities.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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It’s okay to ask for help.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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All great heroes, at some point, surrender to the unknown.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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You absolutely have to be vulnerable and state what you want.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Healing is like the internet at my parents’ house—it takes time.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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We always have more support than we realize.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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We are all connected in a great mystery and made of the same strong stuff.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Solid help and solid hope are quite the same thing.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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More often than not, the truth is a monster. It gets in your face and makes you get honest. Sometimes the truth separates you from people you care about, if for no other reason than to bring you closer to yourself.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Go easier on yourself.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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One thing finishes, another starts. Things happen when they happen.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"Kindness is never a small thing."
Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Love stands at the front door and says, “You don’t have to change a thing about yourself to come inside.”
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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A mantra: Not an asshole, not a doormat.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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And God knows you don't make everyone else happy. But this is no reason to quit or be discouraged, since doing what you love and feel called to do is never--never--about gaining acceptance from others.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Anything and everything is possible.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Healing requires letting go of that thing you can’t let go of.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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You have everything you need.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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If you want to find a problem, you will.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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It’s never too late to be your own friend.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Being scared isn’t always an invitation to run away. More often than not, it’s an invitation to grow a pair and run toward.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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For I am a universe–large–like you are, and there is room here for all that we contain. An ego, of course, is small, and it is disgusted and humiliated by the smallest of things. But a universe is bigger than that, much too big to judge itself or another, much too big to ever question how bright it is shining.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Ultimately, we all have to get our validation from inside, not outside, ourselves.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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The more honest you are about what's actually happening inside of you, the happier you are.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Life proceeds at its own pace.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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If anything is ever going to change for the better, the truth has to come first.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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It's the holes or the spaces in our lives that give us room to breathe and room to rest in, room to contain both good and bad days, and--when the time is right--room for something else to come along.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Every stress and trauma in your life is written somewhere in your body.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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When you hide your hurt, you can’t help but pass it on. It ends up seeping, sometimes exploding out.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Life doesn’t need us to boss it around.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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All things are moving as they should.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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There's a wisdom underneath everything that moves us and even the planets at its own infallible pace. We forget that we too are like the planets, part of a larger universe that is always proceeding one step at time, never in the wrong place, everything always right where it belongs.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Who’s to say that one experience is better than another?
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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It’s hard to say where a kindness begins or ends.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Take your challenges and turn them into the source of your strengths.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Abundance comes in many forms.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Boundaries aren’t something you knock out of the park every time.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"Authenticity is worth all the hard work. Being real is its own reward."
Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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You can be more discriminating.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Nothing physical was ever meant to stay the same.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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You can be weird here. You can be yourself.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"Things that shine do better when they're scattered about."
Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Better that you're true to yourself and the whole world be disappointed than to change who you are and the whole world be satisfied.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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All your scattered pieces want to come back home.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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If you think only girls cry or that crying is inappropriate for some reason, fuck you. Some things are too damn heavy to hold on to forever.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Aren’t you perfect just the way you are?
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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One day a change will come.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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The deepest waters are the only ones capable of carrying you home.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Love is all around us.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Rest gives us time to dream. One day, for certain, you’ll wake up. And you’ll be grateful for the time you rested, and you’ll be just as grateful that you’re different, far from the person who fell asleep.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Damn if good news doesn't travel the slowest.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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You can't build a house, much less a life, from the outside-in. Rather, if you want something that's going to last, you have to start on the inside and work your way out, no matter how long it takes and how difficult it is.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Since one life touches another, we can never really say how far our influence goes. Truly, our story goes on and on in both directions. Truly, we are infinite.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Our burdens are lighter when we share them.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Transformation doesn’t have a drive thru window. It takes time to be born again.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
"I believe we're all courageous, and I believe that no one is alone."
Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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No emotion is ever truly buried.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Both sunshine and rain are required for growth.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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We can rewrite our stories if we want to.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Sometimes you have to go back before you can go forward.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. And whereas it's just a single step, it's a really important one.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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A storm can leave your life just as quickly as it enters it.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Sometimes we move with grace and sometimes we move with struggle. But at some point, standing still is no longer good enough.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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A friend’s laughter takes us backward and carries us forward simultaneously.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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You really do belong here.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Normal people don’t walk on water.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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We follow the mystery, never knowing what’s next.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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You know when someone crosses a line. You may not want to admit it, but you know.
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Quotes from CoCo (Marcus)
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Stop buying your own bullshit.
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