We were dating for almost four years and I found out he brought a girl down to our state to cheat with. I didn't realize how bad our relationship was until that. He gave me a black eye, talked to me like I was nothing and blamed me when things went wrong. I had finally had enough. He cussed me his whole way out, but I know its for the best. I feel so relieved.

Everyone is alive. I still have a job.

Please congratulate me like I'm 5. 🎉

I've finally gone to the dentist and got my chipped tooth filled, been chipped for the last 6 years and I'm relieved it's finally done.

Some of you might remember my earlier posts about building a device for my mom's chronic pain. Quick version for anyone new: she has arthritis, doctors said surgery was the only option left, I was 19 with zero engineering experience and decided to build something anyway. Six years, 8 prototypes, and $90,400 later, it's real and going through regulatory clearance. She hasn't worn her knee brace in over two years.

This post is not about that. This is the update.

Here's the thing nobody knows about me. I am terrified of public speaking. Not nervous. Terrified. It's the reason I almost didn't do any of this. You can build something in a dorm room in private. Nobody watches you fail there. But at some point the thing you built needs a voice, and the only person who can speak for it is you.

Last week I got selected as a finalist in a live pitch competition. Top 6 out of over 100 companies. In-person audience plus a livestream that put the total crowd in the tens of thousands. My mom came with me and helped me set up our booth. The same mom I built the thing for, carrying boxes down a half-mile walk in August heat.

I practiced my opening line in a stairwell like a crazy person. "What's one thing we all share in common?" Over and over. My hands were shaking during the sound check.

Then they called my name, and the host reminded the whole audience that last year I stood on that same stage and told everyone I was there for my mom. He asked her to raise her hand. She was in the crowd.

And something about that flipped a switch. I wasn't pitching to thousands of people anymore. I was telling one person's story, and she was sitting right there.

Nine minutes later it was over. We won $3,000.

I recorded the entire day through camera glasses so you can literally see what I saw, the shaking hands and the stairwell rehearsal and the moment they announced it, through my own eyes. It's linked in my profile if you want to watch a person with genuine stage fright walk onto a stage anyway.

My mom hugged me after. That was the real prize. But the $3,000 doesn't hurt either.

I’m in this community, and there are a couple girls who can’t really defend themselves from all the creeps because they don’t always understand when someone is being a creep to them. I hate being confrontational, and honestly, sometimes I struggle to defend myself too.

But today, I had enough. These creeps weren’t listening to the girls when they were literally telling them to stop, so I stepped in and confronted them. I definitely said some things I probably shouldn’t have and cussed them out a little, but honestly? I don’t really regret standing up for them.

They actually backed off from the girls afterward, and that’s what matters to me. I’m genuinely proud of myself for speaking up, especially when I usually hate confrontation.

If someone tells you to stop, fucking stop. It’s not complicated.

Hopefully these girls won’t have to deal with those creeps anymore.

Went from being 228, avoiding mirrors and hating all photos last September to 199 at the doctor today. It’s the first time since college that my weight doesn’t start with a 2.

I’ve had a crappy year where little has gone right, but I’m happy to finally be making some progress and learning to love the person I see in the mirror a little bit more each day.

I'm 25F. I never had a serious gambling addiction/problem. It was more of a dopamine hit, I have ADHD so this is important to me.

Anyway, I opened up to my boyfriend and now I'm nearly 2 months sober. I am super proud

Yeah so turns out when you have medical debt, they bill the hospital and the doctors separately. Anyway I finally got to the point in my life that I was finally able to pay it off. Feels good :)

I know I’ve needed it, and being on meds that make me tired also make it hard. But I can do hard things. And I made myself do the workout for an hour. I did it! I made that choice!

I woke up in the middle of the night feeling something in my ear. I thought it was earwax, because sometimes I have buildup, but I didn't have an earwax removal kit. When I woke up in the morning, I bought an earwax removal kit and tried to get it out. A black thing came out, and it turned out... it was a dead bug! But my hearing was still muffled. I went to the walk-in clinic and found out that I still had earwax in my ear canal, and the doctor said that earwax removal kits won't get it out. So he cleaned up my ear and my hearing is back!

I got promotion at work today.

And instead of thinking about what I need to do next, I actually stopped for a moment and let myself feel proud.

A few years ago, I was just trying to figure out what I was doing with my career. I had so many doubts about whether I was good enough or whether I'd ever get to a point where my hard work actually paid off.

Today, my manager told me that they are promoting me.

And honestly, the biggest part wasn't even the promotion itself. It was realizing that the person who was once so unsure of herself somehow made it here.

I've worked very hard, messed up quite few times. But I've learned and started over. I kept going even when I wasn't sure where it would lead.

But for this one time, I'm not brushing it off with “it was just luck”. I actually earned this. I have spent nights working on my last project and finally my hard work is getting recognized.

Hello everyone, I don't know how supportive this place actually is, but I'm a trans man. High school hasn't started here yet and this would be my first year out of the closet, and has someone who has been battling with depression for quite some time this has only heightened it.

However, recently I've been feeling better than ever. I'm still insanely worried about school, since I have a transphobic friend (I'm trying to pull away from her) and I'm not out to her yet, but I have a good support team (other friends and school members), so I'm trying to forget about that for now.

I've always liked working out but never managed to maintain a routine. But today I feel so good! I'm trying to start running and it was wonderful, I've been out for thirty minutes half-running half-walking but I feel way better. Also, I have also managed to maintain a workout routine for four days now, I feel like I'm really going to be able to stick to it. It makes me so happy!

Another thing I've been struggling with is hygiene... This is kinda embarrassing for me to say, but I've been brushing my teeth for four days straight too! And washing my face for two! This might sound gross, but I'm really proud of it. I've had many complications with acne and dental hygiene throughout my life, so this might be the healthiest I've felt in ages!

I've told my mom and sisters, but I haven't received much from them. I didn't expect much anyways, but a little compliment might have been nice because they know how much I've struggled with this.

Sorry for the long post.

I had a stroke 7 years ago while having a very stressfull life with little to no time to my wife and kids, life basically gave me a lesson and told me to stop the hardest way I could ever imagine. I couldn't talk or move at all, specially one side of my body, I'm 43 atm by the way, even tho I didn't recover 100%, i probably did like 85% which is a big victory for me. This stroke saved my life because it told me to stop and look what's really important - not a big car or house but just having enough to be happy and have time to be with my wife and kids, my priorities have changed and although having a career and money is important it shouldn't destroy your health and most importantly the time you have to spend with your kids, which will never come back and is the most precious thing in life.

For me recovering 85% is a victory, but the biggest victory is actually looking at life in a very different way and prioritizing what really matters.

Stroke survivors - we're together in this, you can do it.

Finally left my small, dead-end hometown, which I've lived in my whole life. 😁

Now, I have universities, social groups, and events near me. The people are friendlier and not so clique-y. The city is more open-minded and less traditional and conservative.

I feel like I've found a place where my values and morals are in sync, and I no longer feel like an imposter.

The majority of people who grow up in my hometown never leave. They are born and retire in the same town. It's ok if that's someone's preference, but I aspired to leave for a while and didn't and I was beginning to believe it would never happen, so for me, this is a dream come true. ✨️

I'm really proud of myself for taking this huge step and doing something scary! 🥳

I managed to stay alive today.

i was always that kid who released silent but deadly farts in class since the school food had my stomach feel a certain kind of way, just felt like sharing this real quick lol

in 6th grade, i was in my seat doing ELA group work with some of my classmates while the teacher was giving us a lesson. all of sudden, i felt the urge to fart and i decided to release the beast and it turned out to be silent but DEADLY. after a few seconds, my classmates started to make disgusted looks wondering where that horrible smell was coming from. the teacher also smelt it and stopped talking in the middle of his lesson, walking over to our table. he said "what is this smell over here?" and asked who the farting vigilante was. my group looked at each other and one of my partners turned to me and said, "did you fart?" i was trying so hard not to laugh and i immediately said no. i guess she believed me and turnt back around to look at the rest of the group. the teacher was STILL questioning about the repulsive smell since it lingered for a while but nobody else said a word and sooner enough, he walked back to the front of the class and continued on with the lesson like nothing ever happened. it felt so relieving to know that they never caught the culprit! 😭💨

hello everyone! over the past 3 months I’ve saved $2,500, and I now how my own small apartment after being homeless for a year! :-)

I've always been scared to go out alone because I think people will stare. Today I went to a cafe in town by myself, ordered coffee and just sat there. No one cared and I actually enjoyed it

I just launched my first project, but a lot of people in my social circle can't understand it. So I am proud to share it with you all!

Been skinny my whole life and everyone jokes about it. Started forcing myself to eat 3 real meals. Today I made shakshuka with grapes on the side and didn't just eat bread. Small win but I'm proud lol

soo my parents know that I have anxiety and they have strictly said no to any medication even though it was recommended by the doc, well I can't really do anything about it

but safe to say ive managed a way to keep it in a little control via other things and i have planned on taking meds when Im in college (1.2 years later)

its a very feeling but could yall congrats like Im five?