“
You couldn’t keep sidling up to death and dipping your toe in. Eventually it grabbed your ankle and tried to pull you under.
”
”
Leigh Bardugo (Ninth House (Alex Stern, #1))
“
Standing there at the stage door to the rest of your life. Time to dip your toe into the deep end. Try things. Say hi already. Laugh a lot. Mess up. Apologize. Mess up again. Hug people. Take chances. Trust yourself. Lose things. Get over it. Hold your friends close. Gather your strength. Gain wisdom and beautiful stories. Be brave, and you'll have the time of your life.
”
”
Taylor Swift
“
Finding a prince might mean kissing a lot of frogs. Or kicking a lot of frogs out of your house. Falling might mean running headfirst into something you always wanted. Or dipping your toe into something you've been scared of your whole life. Happily ever after could be waiting in a field a mile wide. Or a window as narrow as seven minutes.
”
”
Kiera Cass (The Crown (The Selection, #5))
“
There is a terrible beauty to isolation. You don’t have to accept responsibility for others, or live up to their expectations. You could dip your toe into humanity’s maelstrom from time to time, or sit on the river bank and observe.
”
”
Celia Stander (Guardians of the Akasha)
“
Always dip your toe in the past before stepping into the future
”
”
Benny Bellamacina (Philosophical Uplifting Quotes and Poems)
“
Dip your toe in every ocean and try everything and anything.
”
”
Penelope Douglas (Corrupt (Devil's Night, #1))
“
The very fact that you have bought or borrowed this book means that a narcissist has somehow managed to get under your skin. So, perhaps already you have dipped a toe in, and paid a heavy price.
”
”
A.B. Jamieson (Prepare to be tortured: - the price you will pay for dating a narcissist)
“
There's a reason why books are shaped like doors; you open them up, they take you somewhere else. The mind is a strange place and what's inside yours might also be inside someone else's, or may overlap into another place entirely. The only way to know is to read, imagine, and follow the secrets that unfold in Anna Tizard's Deeply Weird fiction.
Dip a toe. Dive in. Don’t look back.
”
”
Anna Tizard
“
IT’S A FUNNY THING TO be the product of a fairy-tale romance. It’s another thing to think you might find one yourself. You can read the stories and watch the movies, and you can think you know how it’s all supposed to unfold.
But the truth is, love is as much fate as it is planning, as much a beauty as it is a disaster.
Finding a prince might mean kissing a lot of frogs. Or kicking a lot of frogs out of your house. Falling might mean running headfirst into something you always wanted. Or dipping your toe into something you’ve been scared of your whole life. Happily ever after could be waiting in a field a mile wide. Or a window as narrow as seven minutes'.
”
”
Kiera Cass
“
It’s a funny thing to be the product of a fairy-tale romance. It’s another thing to think you might find one yourself. You can read the stories and watch the movies, and you can think you know how it’s all supposed to unfold.
But the truth is, love is as much fate as it is planning, as much a beauty as it is a disaster.
Finding a prince might mean kissing a lot of frogs. Or kicking a lot of frogs out of your house. Falling might mean running headfirst into something you always wanted. Or dipping your toe into something you’ve been scared of your whole life. Happily ever after could be waiting in a field a mile wide. Or a window as narrow as seven minutes.
”
”
Kiera Cass (The Crown (The Selection, #5))
“
My worst, Persephone?” His voice gets lower, almost a growl. “You dip one toe into the water and think you’re ready to swim the length of the River Styx. You can’t begin to handle what my worst has to offer.” He finally moves his hand up, only to shove it into my panties and spear me with two fingers. The contact bows my back, but his other hand is there, bracketing my throat and holding me in place. “Can you feel their eyes on you?
”
”
Katee Robert (Neon Gods (Dark Olympus, #1))
“
You dip one toe into the water and think you’re ready to swim the length of the River Styx. You can’t begin to handle what my worst has to offer.
”
”
Katee Robert (Neon Gods (Dark Olympus, #1))
“
If you don't intend to walk her down the aisle, then don't go dipping your toes in her pond.
”
”
Sarah Adams (When in Rome (When in Rome, #1))
“
Dip your toe in every ocean and try everything and anything. Learn, explore, take the world on…
”
”
Penelope Douglas (Corrupt (Devil's Night, #1))
“
You dip your toes in this unbreakable stream of consciousness until creativity gets its teeth in you and pulls you to its depths.
”
”
Curtis Tyrone Jones
“
He knelt before me and spread my thighs. “How can I serve you, Your Highness?” Heat consumed my body as he pulled my underwear down. “Rhys,” I hissed, my pulse racing with a mix of lust and anxiety. “Someone will catch us.” The odds were slim, but they weren’t zero. His wolfish smile caused my toes to curl. “Then we better make it worth it. Hmm, princess?” I didn’t get a chance to respond before he draped my legs over his shoulders, dipped his head between my thighs, and all my protests crumbled into ash.
”
”
Ana Huang (Twisted Games (Twisted, #2))
“
There's a psychological mechanism, I've come to believe, that prevents most of us from imagining the moment of our own death. For if it were possible to imagine fully that instant of passing from consciousness to nonexistence, with all the attendant fear and humiliation of absolute helplessness, it would be very hard to live. It would be unbearably obvious that death is inscribed in everything that constitutes life, that any moment of your existence may be only a breath away from being the last. We would be continuously devastated by the magnitude of that inescapable fact. Still, as we mature into our mortality, we begin to gingerly dip our horror-tingling toes into the void, hoping that our mind will somehow ease itself into dying, that God or some other soothing opiate will remain available as we venture into the darkness of non-being.
”
”
Aleksandar Hemon
“
I was taught to be brave from my father. Dip your toe in every ocean and try everything and anything. Learn, explore, take the world on… And from my mom, I learned self-sufficiency. Of course, she’d taught me by default, but watching her showed me exactly who I didn’t want to be. And from Michael—as well as Damon, Will, and Kai—I learned to breathe fire. I learned to walk as if the path were carved for me and me alone, and to treat the world as if it should know I was coming.
”
”
Penelope Douglas (Corrupt (Devil's Night, #1))
“
IT’S A FUNNY THING TO be the product of a fairy-tale romance. It’s another thing to think you might find one yourself. You can read the stories and watch the movies, and you can think you know how it’s all supposed to unfold.
But the truth is, love is as much fate as it is planning, as much a beauty as it is a disaster.
Finding a prince might mean kissing a lot of frogs. Or kicking a lot of frogs out of your house. Falling might mean running headfirst into something you always wanted. Or dipping your toe into something you’ve been scared of your whole life. Happily ever after could be waiting in a field a mile wide. Or a window as narrow as seven minutes.
”
”
Kiera Cass (The Crown (The Selection, #5))
“
As you can see,” Daisy said, “one glass is filled with soap water, one with clear, and one with blue laundry water. The other, of course, is empty. The glasses will predict what kind of man you will marry.”
They watched as Evie felt carefully for one of the glasses. Dipping her finger into the soap water, Evie
waited for her blindfold to be drawn off, and viewed the results with chagrin, while the other girls erupted with giggles.
“Choosing the soap water means she will marry a poor man,” Daisy explained.
Wiping off her fingers, Evie exclaimed good-naturedly, “I s-suppose the fact that I’m going to be m-married at all is a good thing.”
The next girl in line waited with an expectant smile as she was blindfolded, and the glasses were repositioned. She felt for the vessels, nearly overturning one, and dipped her fingers into the blue water. Upon viewing her choice, she seemed quite pleased. “The blue water means she’s going to marry a noted author,” Daisy told Lillian. “You try next!”
Lillian gaveher a speaking glance. “You don’t really believe in this, do you?”
“Oh, don’t be cynical—have some fun!” Daisy took the blindfold and rose on her toes to tie it firmly around Lillian’s head.
Bereft of sight, Lillian allowed herself to be guided to the table. She grinned at the encouraging cries of the young women around her. There was the sound of the glasses being moved in front of her, and she waited with her hands half raised in the air. “What happens if I pick the empty glass?” she asked.
Evie’s voice came near her ear. “You die a sp-spinster!” she said, and everyone laughed.
“No lifting the glasses to test their weight,” someone warned with a giggle. “You can’t avoid the empty glass, if it’s your fate!”
“At the moment I want the empty glass,” Lillian replied, causing another round of laughter. Finding the smooth surface of a glass, she slid her fingers up the side and dipped them into the cool
liquid. A general round of applause and cheering, and she asked, “Am I marrying an author, too?”
“No, you chose the clear water,” Daisy said. “A rich, handsome husband is coming for you, dear!”
“Oh, what a relief,” Lillian said flippantly, lowering the blindfold to peek over the edge. “Is it your turn
now?”
Her younger sister shook her head. “I was the first to try. I knocked over a glass twice in a row, and made a dreadful mess.”
“What does that mean? That you won’t marry at all?”
“It means that I’m clumsy,” Daisy replied cheerfully. “Other than that, who knows? Perhaps my fate has
yet to be decided. The good news is that your husband seems to be on the way.”
“If so, the bastard is late,” Lillian retorted, causing Daisy and Evie to laugh.
”
”
Lisa Kleypas (It Happened One Autumn (Wallflowers, #2))
“
You have a freckle,” he murmured. “Right” – he leaned down and dropped a light kiss near the inside of her elbow – “here.”
“You’ve seen it before,” she said softly. It wasn’t in an immodest spot; she had plenty of frocks with short sleeves.
He chuckled. “But I’ve never given it it’s proper due.”
“Really.”
“Mmm-hmm.” He lifted her arm, twisting it just a bit so that he could pretend to be studying her freckle.
“It is clearly the most delightful beauty mark in all of England.”
A marvelous sense of warmth and contentment melted through her. Even as her body burned for his, she could not stop herself from encouraging his teasing conversation.
“Only England?”
“Well, I haven’t traveled very extensively abroad…”
“Oh, really?” “And you know…” His voice dropped to a husky growl.
“There may be other freckles right here in this room. You could have one here.” He dipped a finger under the bodice of her nightgown, then moved his other hand to her hip.
“Or here.”
“I might,” she agreed.
“The back of your knee,” he said, the words hot against her ear
. “You could have one there.”
She nodded. She wasn’t sure she was still capable of speech.
“One of your toes,” he suggested.
“Or your back.”
“You should probably check,” she managed to get out.
He took a deep, shuddering breath.
”
”
Julia Quinn (Because of Miss Bridgerton (Rokesbys, #1))
“
Oh yes," said Jana. "You want the birdbath."
She let him down onto the rim of the birdbath, then watched as he dipped his head, lowered his chest into the water, and raised it. Having finished his bath, he did a dance of sheer joy, flapping his wings and shaking off the water in a circle of drops.
"He enjoys life," said a voice. Mr. Powell the optometrist, a closed umbrella in hand, was letting his two dachshunds chase each other around the park.
"As do your dogs," said Jana.
"Yes," said Mr. Powell,"they have fun in a simpler and more joyous way than most humans do. Their pleasures seem more reliable. All you have to do is say the word 'walk' and they're wiggling from head to toe....
”
”
Betsy Woodman (Jana Bibi's Excellent Fortunes (Jana Bibi Adventures #1))
“
But one thing Annie had figured out in her almost sixty-three years of life was that although you could dip your toe in a pond on a summer day and guess how cold it was going to be, you never really knew for sure until you plugged your nose and closed your eyes and jumped all the way in. The unexpected could always be a shock, but sometimes it was the expected, the predictable, the resigned acceptance of whatever bad thing was coming your way that could end up dragging you down.
”
”
Elizabeth Letts (The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America)
“
He did atrocious things, but it was him I wanted. Always, only him.
Troy stopped when we were nose to nose. Toe to toe. I loved watching those eyes from up-close. They were so ocean blue, no wonder they made my head swim.
“I love you, Red. I love you determined, tough, innocent, resilient…” His brows furrowed as he drank me in, stroking the curve of my face with his calloused fingertips. “I love you broken, insecure, scared, furious and pissed off…” He let a small smile loose.
I actually felt it, even though it was on his lips.
“I love every part of you, the good and the bad, the hopeless and the assertive. We don’t just love. We heal each other with every touch and complete each other with ever kiss. And fuck, I know it’s corny as hell, but that’s what I need. You’re what I need.”
My eyes fluttered shut, a lone tear hanging from the tip of my eyelash.
“We don’t have ordinary words between us. You always set my fucking brain on fire when you talk to me. We don’t even have ordinary moments of silence. I always feel like I’m playing with you or being played by you when you’re around. And I refuse to let you walk out on this, on us.”
He cupped my cheeks and I locked his palms in place, tightening my grip. I never wanted him to let go. He dipped his head down, tilting his forehead against mine. I knew he was right. Knew that I’d already forgiven him. Probably before I even knew what he did, when we were still living together. Hell, probably on that dance floor, when I was nine.
My capturer.
My monster.
My savior.
“I’m an asshole, was an asshole, and have every intention of staying an asshole. It’s the makeup of my fucking DNA. But I want to be your asshole. To you, I can be good. Maybe even great. For you, I’ll stop the rain from falling and the thunder from cracking and the wind from fucking blowing. And yes, I sure as hell knew you’d come back. You came straight back into my arms, flew back to your nest, lovebird. Now why would you do that if you didn’t love the shit out of me?”
My eyes roamed his face. His hands felt delicious on my skin. It was like he was pumping life into me with his fingertips. Like he made me whole before I even knew parts of me were missing.
”
”
L.J. Shen (Sparrow (Boston Belles, #0.5))
“
It’s a funny thing to be the product of a fairy-tale romance. It’s another thing to think you might find one yourself. You can read the stories and watch the movies, and you can think you know how it’s all supposed to unfold. But the truth is, love is as much fate as it is planning, as much a beauty as it is a disaster. Finding a prince might mean kissing a lot of frogs. Or kicking a lot of frogs out of your house. Falling might mean running headfirst into something you always wanted. Or dipping your toe into something you’ve been scared of your whole life. Happily ever after could be waiting in a field a mile wide. Or a window as narrow as seven minutes.
”
”
Kiera Cass (The Crown (The Selection, #5))
“
The plane banked, and he pressed his face against the cold window. The ocean tilted up to meet him, its dark surface studded with points of light that looked like constellations, fallen stars. The tourist sitting next to him asked him what they were. Nathan explained that the bright lights marked the boundaries of the ocean cemeteries. The lights that were fainter were memory buoys. They were the equivalent of tombstones on land: they marked the actual graves. While he was talking he noticed scratch-marks on the water, hundreds of white gashes, and suddenly the captain's voice, crackling over the intercom, interrupted him. The ships they could see on the right side of the aircraft were returning from a rehearsal for the service of remembrance that was held on the ocean every year. Towards the end of the week, in case they hadn't realised, a unique festival was due to take place in Moon Beach. It was known as the Day of the Dead...
...When he was young, it had been one of the days he most looked forward to. Yvonne would come and stay, and she'd always bring a fish with her, a huge fish freshly caught on the ocean, and she'd gut it on the kitchen table. Fish should be eaten, she'd said, because fish were the guardians of the soul, and she was so powerful in her belief that nobody dared to disagree. He remembered how the fish lay gaping on its bed of newspaper, the flesh dark-red and subtly ribbed where it was split in half, and Yvonne with her sleeves rolled back and her wrists dipped in blood that smelt of tin.
It was a day that abounded in peculiar traditions. Pass any candy store in the city and there'd be marzipan skulls and sugar fish and little white chocolate bones for 5 cents each. Pass any bakery and you'd see cakes slathered in blue icing, cakes sprinkled with sea-salt.If you made a Day of the Dead cake at home you always hid a coin in it, and the person who found it was supposed to live forever. Once, when she was four, Georgia had swallowed the coin and almost choked. It was still one of her favourite stories about herself. In the afternoon, there'd be costume parties. You dressed up as Lazarus or Frankenstein, or you went as one of your dead relations. Or, if you couldn't think of anything else, you just wore something blue because that was the colour you went when you were buried at the bottom of the ocean. And everywhere there were bowls of candy and slices of special home-made Day of the Dead cake. Nobody's mother ever got it right. You always had to spit it out and shove it down the back of some chair.
Later, when it grew dark, a fleet of ships would set sail for the ocean cemeteries, and the remembrance service would be held. Lying awake in his room, he'd imagine the boats rocking the the priest's voice pushed and pulled by the wind. And then, later still, after the boats had gone, the dead would rise from the ocean bed and walk on the water. They gathered the flowers that had been left as offerings, they blew the floating candles out. Smoke that smelt of churches poured from the wicks, drifted over the slowly heaving ocean, hid their feet. It was a night of strange occurrences. It was the night that everyone was Jesus...
...Thousands drove in for the celebrations. All Friday night the streets would be packed with people dressed head to toe in blue. Sometimes they painted their hands and faces too. Sometimes they dyed their hair. That was what you did in Moon Beach. Turned blue once a year. And then, sooner or later, you turned blue forever.
”
”
Rupert Thomson (The Five Gates of Hell)
“
But the truth is, love is as much fate as it is planning, as much a beauty as it is a disaster.
Finding a prince might mean kissing a lot of frogs. Or kicking a lot of frogs out of your house. Falling might mean running headfirst into something you've always wanted. Or dipping your toe into something you've been scared of your whole life. Happily ever after could be waiting in a field a mile wide. Or a window as narrow as seven minutes.
”
”
Kiera Cass (The Crown (The Selection, #5))
“
There’s a psychological mechanism, I’ve come to believe, that prevents most of us from imagining the moment of our own death. For if it were possible to imagine fully that instant of passing from consciousness to nonexistence, with all the attendant fear and humiliation of absolute helplessness, it would be very hard to live, as it would be unbearably obvious that death is inscribed in everything that constitutes life, that any moment of our existence is a breath away from being the last one. We would be continuously devastated by the magnitude of that inescapable moment, so our minds wisely refuse to consider it. Still, as we mature into mortality, we gingerly dip our horror-tingling toes in the void, hoping that the mind will somehow ease itself into dying, that God or some other soothing opiate will remain available as we venture deeper into the darkness of nonbeing.
But how can you possibly ease yourself into the death of your child? For one thing, it is supposed to happen well after your own dissolution into nothingness. Your children are supposed to outlive you by several decades, in the course of which they’ll live their lives, happily devoid of the burden of your presence, eventually completing the same mortal trajectory as their parents: oblivion, denial, fear, the end. They’re supposed to handle their own mortality, and no help in that regard (other than forcing them to confront death by way of your dying) can come from you—death ain’t a science project. And even if you could imagine your child’s death, why would you?
”
”
Aleksandar Hemon (The Book of My Lives)
“
Everything within him went still. “Segonian courtship rituals?” he repeated softly. “Why would you wish to know more about that?”
She sighed. “Because I couldn’t find anything about it in your informational databases, and I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.” Reaching up, she rested her small hands on his stubbled cheeks, then rose onto her toes and drew him down for a kiss.
His heart stuttered to a halt, then began to slam against his ribs. The first gentle brush of her lips hit him like an electrical current. His breath caught. Hers did, too. She drew back a fraction to stare up at him with wide eyes that acquired an amber glow.
Then Dagon slid his arms around her and locked her against him. Dipping his head, he claimed her lips with greater urgency, letting her feel the heat that had been flaying him inside ever since she had walked onto his bridge, fully recovered from her wounds, and drawn him into a hug.
”
”
Dianne Duvall (The Segonian (Aldebarian Alliance, #2))
“
Try my favourite approach to avoiding small talk. Enter the date in media res. That’s Latin for “in the middle of things.” It’s a literary term that describes a story opening somewhere in the middle of the action, rather than at the beginning. (You can think of it as “coming in hot.”) When you walk into a date, instead of starting with the awkward “So, how’s your day going?” or “Where do you live?” jump right into the middle of things: “You’ll never guess what happened on my way over here!” or “I just got off the phone with my sister and she told me about this battles she’s in with her landlord over the recycling bins.” By skipping the getting-to-know you small talk and diving straight into the type of conversation that friends (or lovers!) might have, you take a shortcut to intimacy. Of course the conversation may reverse—you’ll eventually cover how your day is going, where you live, and so on, but at least you will have dipped your toes into the waters of real conversation.
”
”
Logan Ury (How to Not Die Alone: The Surprising Science That Will Help You Find Love)
“
This has been a long and imperfect journey. It is a journey I am still on. I will always be on. And it is one I would like to share with you. I want company along my road. This is an invitation to question your life and, should you desire, to find the courage to erase the lines that imprison you and to reimagine a better you. And if you do not get it just right (none of us do), you are invited to keep redrawing and redrawing until you feel your outer world matches your inner life. If falling short of our goals is truly what terrifies us, then we should do away with half measures. The notion that dipping a toe in the water somehow protects us is nothing short of fear propagation—and in fact guarantees the hurt we fear. Be bold. Name what you want. Give it voice and then give it action. Success is not guaranteed but commitment and courage are the only insurance we have. This is serious. Every day that passes is another day closer to looking back on your life and seeing whether you have done something meaningful. Don’t let the days pass without doing something great. Be the architect of your dreams.
”
”
Jewel (Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story)
“
What’s insane about this—other than the fact we’ve never talked about it, not even once—is that I’m not nervous in any way. Just excited.
We already feel like a married couple, and I say that in the best, non-boring way possible. He is stability and love. Security and confidence. I’m his tide, and he’s my anchor. Or maybe the sand itself.
“Edie Van Der Zee, I want to dip my toes in the waves you make every single day for the rest of my miserable life. I want to fuck you—just you, only you, no one else—and a lot. Every. Single. Day. I want to live with you. I want to parade that fucked-up thing we have that keeps people raising eyebrows and thinking I’m a cradle-snatching douchebag, because fuck ’em, they’ll never have what we have. Will you marry me? I don’t ask for a lot. Not for kids, not for dinner, not for anything to be done in the house. I don’t ask you for anything other than what you’re willing to give me.”
Luna peeks from the door, smiling. I turn my body to her, smiling. I expect her to sign me something. Something like “aw, gross,” or “Daddy is being silly again”. But she doesn’t. Instead, she arches one eyebrow, opens her lips, and lets the words fall out, awarding her father with the best present he could ever have.
“Say yes.
”
”
L.J. Shen (Scandalous (Sinners of Saint, #3))
“
Seriously, you’re swimming in an ocean of testosterone over there, darling, dip your vadge in that beautiful sea!” I say drily, “I think the saying is ‘Dip your toe.’” He scoffs. “Toe, vadge, whatever. Get it
”
”
J.T. Geissinger (Ache for You (Slow Burn, #3))
“
If you are approaching graduation or have recently finished school, I hope this memoir gives you a little pause and some reassurance—no decision you make now will lock you into sixty years of anything. Take your time. Explore your options. Possibly trace your roots to help create a foundation for your own story. Experience the world responsibly, but don’t be afraid to take a few risks. Talk and learn from others. Then, dip your toe in the water. Eventually, you’ll find your way.
”
”
David A. Kalis (Vodka Shot, Pickle Chaser: A True Story of Risk, Corruption, and Self-Discovery Amid the Collapse of the Soviet Union)
“
Giorno,” says one of the girls working behind the counter. She looks like she’s around my age, maybe a year or two older.
“Giorno.” My reply is timid, slow to dip my toes into the waters of Italian communication.
She smiles brightly. “What can I get you?”
I gape at her. “How did you know--?”
“It is a combination. Camera around your neck? Tourist. Fair skin and lighter hair? Rules out quite a few countries. Accent? Definitely American.”
“I only said one word, and it was Italian.”
She laughs. “I get a lot of practice.”
“Well, your English is perfect.” I’m amazed. And jealous.
“Thank you. My parents made sure that I learned from an early age. And my uncle’s family lives in New York, so I spend much time there. Most every summer.”
I have to force myself not to think about the Mafia.
”
”
Kristin Rae (Wish You Were Italian (If Only . . . #2))
“
But the truth is, love is as much fate as it is planning, as much a beauty as it is a disaster.
"Finding a prince much mean kissing a lot of frogs. Or kicking a lot of frogs out of your house. Falling might mean running headfirst into something you always wanted. Or dipping your toe into something you've been scared of your whole life. Happily ever after could be waiting in a field a mild wide.
”
”
Kiera Cass (The Crown (The Selection, #5))
“
You go on a trip knowing that you’re going to see a certain sight, and then you’re going to come home and most likely never see it again. You know as you stare out across a desert or dip your toes in an ocean that this is the last time for this specific experience, at least for a long time, and that you need to soak it up and treasure it and remember everything about it for later. So you pause and make sure to properly take it in.
”
”
Suzy Krause (Valencia and Valentine)
“
I have a penchant for broken people
I want to see the beautiful entrails of misery inside them
I want to suckle at the teat of your tears
I need to understand you so maybe I can understand me
Dipping my toes into the deep
Maybe one day you can see how it feels
You have the prettiest eyes, even carrying all the weight
of the pain inside
My favourite flawed valentine, never mine.
Imperfectly, you’re perfect.
You’re the shining star in a darkened sky
But they love you more when you’re falling
You’re burning through, you’re coming clean
“I liked you better when you were sad
”
”
Renee Ruin (Wounds Volume 2)
“
In comparing karate and Krav Maga, we notice various differences. In traditional karate, the advance forward has the rear foot sliding forward from a low dip stance into a forward dip. When comparing straight punches in boxing and in Krav Maga, there are two major differences. First, take into account the limitations of reaction time. The punch is lunged into the opponent’s face as the gap is closed, before the front foot has landed. Second, training in Krav Maga separates the retraction of the hand and stresses that the body should never come to a centered position to help with a quick linear motion backwards. Instead, Krav Maga recommends staying in this newly angled stance until students recognize what needs to be done next to end the fight. Fortunately, this also helps finish the punch and ensure the full body weight has shifted to the desired direction before rushing to the next punch. If the speed is kept at its maximum at the time of the blow, this ensures a knockout! Closing the distance to reach an opponent, karate fighters are taught to lunge their rear leg for a kick as their upper bodies remain static. They are taught to contract their abdomen and hip muscles as they send their hands and legs for a blow. The way the foot or hand makes contact with the opponent’s pressure point depends on how it fits the targeted part of the body. For example, the shin or open hand for the groin, the ball of the foot or open hand to the chin, the heel or palm to the sternum, the knife side of the foot, or extended fingers for the throat. Krav Maga fighters close the gap by pushing their toes and shifting their weight forward. They are trained to pivot their torso for greater reach. Lunging forward, they kick with their front foot and land on their rear foot. The momentum of the kick is being generated with gravity as they throw the ball of the foot in their opponent’s groin or torso in an upward motion (depending on the availability). The speed is kept at its peak by swinging the leg to ninety degrees. The contact point of the foot should preferably be the heel or ball of the foot. The ankle should be kept in a neutral position upon contact, so the ligaments are not in an overstretched position. This is a safety feature that will minimize trauma upon contact with the opponent’s bones.
”
”
Boaz Aviram (Krav Maga: Use Your Body as a Weapon)
“
Love is as much fate as it is planning, as much as beauty as it is a disaster. Finding a prince might mean kissing a lot of frogs. Or kicking a lot of frogs out of your house. Falling might mean running headfirst into something you always wanted. Or dipping your toe into something you've been scared of your whole life. Happily ever after could be waiting in a field a mile wide. Or a window as narrow as seven minutes
”
”
Kiera Cass (The Crown (The Selection, #5))
“
Xavier and Catalina sat in the VIP box, waving down at us enthusiastically and I waved back before giving Darius my full attention.
The entire right side of his face was covered in mud, not to mention the rest of him and his torn jersey fell open to reveal the firm cut of his abs and that perfect V which dipped beneath his waistband.
“You’re killing it out there,” I told him truthfully, flashing a sweet smile which instantly had him narrowing his eyes in suspicion.
We hadn’t exactly talked much since the whole three way thing and I was really curious about how he was feeling about that. But I was even more curious as to how he was going to react when he realised I’d been playing with the sack of treasure I stole from him oh so long ago. There were plenty of times when I’d thought about the little stash we’d hidden out in the woods and wondered why he hadn’t asked for it back and there was only one reason that made any sense – he assumed I didn’t have it anymore. I didn’t know if he thought I’d sold it or destroyed it, but I was about to remind him that I still had it and see how nice he was when his temper flared. I was pretty sure there was a guide book or two out there about not poking a Dragon, but I guessed I was just too stupid to care.
“Thanks. Are you looking for me to make some cheesy statement like I’m thinking of you every time I tackle someone?” he teased and I laughed, tossing my hair. He frowned at me and I had to admit that might have been overkill, but whatever.
“Nice to know I’m on your mind every time you have someone pinned beneath you in the mud,” I purred.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Mildred rising to her feet in the stands with a face like an angry Koala which had been hit by a car. I didn’t have long before she came over here to stake her claim on her Dragon, but I didn’t need much time.
“I think I’ve made my desire to pin you beneath me pretty clear,” Darius replied in a low voice which had my toes curling, but I wasn’t here to flirt, I was here to poke a Dragon.
“Good luck for the second half,” I said in a sweet voice, reaching out touch his bicep, making sure that the gold rings pressed against his skin.
Darius looked down the moment he felt his magic stir in response to the gold and his eyes widened in surprise which was quickly followed by a flash of fury as he recognised the jewellery from his stash which I’d stolen.
I whirled away from him with a dark laugh before he could do any more than suck in an angry breath and I jogged out to join my squad just as they started up a chant.
V – E – G – A!
She’ll wipe the floor with you today!
Veeeeega! Veeeeega!
I fell into the moves of the chant, clapping my hands as some of the others rustled pom-poms and Darcy offered me an appreciative smile from the side of the pitch. We had little chants like that for all of the team members, but we often forgot to call out for the Heirs.
The music suddenly dropped and 7 Rings by Ariana Grande burst from speakers around the stadium as we moved into a full routine filled with dance moves and tricks. The song choice turned out to be perfect for taunting a gold obsessed Dragon as well as performing a badass routine to and I couldn’t help but smirk like a psychopath throughout.
Darius stood glaring at me from the side of the pitch even when Seth tried to drag him into the locker rooms and my heart thundered at the pure fury in his eyes.
Remind me again why I thought poking the Dragon was a good idea because he looks ready to shit a brick!
I turned my eyes from him, grinning out at the crowd as I moved between my girls, running forward as I performed a set of hand springs which ended in me throwing a huge blast of multicoloured petals up into the air so that they fell over the crowd.
(Tory)
”
”
Caroline Peckham (Cursed Fates (Zodiac Academy, #5))
“
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”
”
Airowings
“
Bailey sat on the edge of the couch and fed Maddy grapes. The very swollen mommy-to-be initially complained about being fed like a pet. Eventually, she gave in and enjoyed the attention. Not to be outdone, Sawyer turned a fan towards Maddy and was painting her nails. I watched them baby her and wondered about when I would be that big and uncomfortable.
“I’m in no hurry to have a baby,” Tawny said, maybe for the tenth time since arriving. “Not in any hurry at all.”
Farah grinned from where she was cutting carrots into little perfect sticks for dipping. “Coop is obsessed with getting me pregnant. First, his little brother is about to have a baby then his best friend. I swear whenever we’re alone, he’s inside me,” she said then her smile grew. “It’s awesome.”
“Huh,” Tawny muttered. “Judd is in me all the time too and not because he’s trying to plant his flag or lay his seed or whatever.”
“Jealous?” Farah asked and Tawny fake glared at her.
“Sometimes, my sister irritates me too,” I said and they both laughed.
“I’m going to brush the baby’s hair,” Bailey announced to no one in particular. “When she’s old enough, I’m going to put those little barrettes in her hair and make her wear headbands and turn her into a doll. Then when she cries, I’m giving her back to Maddy.”
“Yeah for me,” Maddy whispered with her eyes closed.
“Are you suffering?” Bailey asked. “Like should I do more for you to ease away the horror of how huge you’ve become?”
Opening her eyes a crack, Maddy muttered, “Stop charming me.”
Bailey grinned. “Seriously, you look pretty miserable today.”
“I’ve been having those Braxton Hicks contractions since yesterday.”
“Is that bad?” Sawyer asked, looking up from her meticulous work on Maddy’s toes. “Is it like hemorrhoids?”
When we laughed, Sawyer beamed, even though she likely had no idea what was funny.
“They’re like practice contractions,” Maddy explained. “They don’t hurt much, but they’re uncomfortable.”
Bailey frowned. “How do you know all this stuff?”
“I read a book.”
“Yeah, I did that once. Not a fan.”
“You guys don’t have to hang out here,” Maddy said. “The guys are out having fun and you’re pampering me. You could go to the movies if you want.”
“No,” Bailey said quickly. “I need to be super nice because I had a dream that being nice will lead to a handsome awesome guy who is the fucker. I want that guy. He belongs to me and I’m sick of waiting, so shut up and let me be nice to you.”
“Sure,” Maddy said, sighing. “This is nice, but I’m going to have to pee soon.”
“Do you need me to carry you?” Bailey asked.
“Maybe. Ask me in a few minutes.
”
”
Bijou Hunter (Damaged and the Cobra (Damaged, #3))
“
Come, dear, you must try this game. It’s silly but quite fun.” The girls, all of them unmarried, and ranging in age from their early teens to mid-twenties, moved to make room for the pair of them. While Daisy explained the rules, Evie was blindfolded, and the other girls proceeded to change the positions of the four glasses. “As you can see,” Daisy said, “one glass is filled with soap water, one with clear, and one with blue laundry water. The other, of course, is empty. The glasses will predict what kind of man you will marry.”
They watched as Evie felt carefully for one of the glasses. Dipping her finger into the soap water, Evie waited for her blindfold to be drawn off, and viewed the results with chagrin, while the other girls erupted with giggles.
“Choosing the soap water means she will marry a poor man,” Daisy explained.
Wiping off her fingers, Evie exclaimed good-naturedly, “I s-suppose the fact that I’m going to be m-married at all is a good thing.”
The next girl in line waited with an expectant smile as she was blindfolded, and the glasses were repositioned. She felt for the vessels, nearly overturning one, and dipped her fingers into the blue water. Upon viewing her choice, she seemed quite pleased. “The blue water means she’s going to marry a noted author,” Daisy told Lillian. “You try next!”
Lillian gave her a speaking glance. “You don’t really believe in this, do you?”
“Oh, don’t be cynical—have some fun!” Daisy took the blindfold and rose on her toes to tie it firmly around Lillian’s head.
Bereft of sight, Lillian allowed herself to be guided to the table. She grinned at the encouraging cries of the young women around her. There was the sound of the glasses being moved in front of her, and she waited with her hands half raised in the air. “What happens if I pick the empty glass?” she asked.
Evie’s voice came near her ear. “You die a sp-spinster!” she said, and everyone laughed.
“No lifting the glasses to test their weight,” someone warned with a giggle. “You can’t avoid the empty glass, if it’s your fate!”
“At the moment I want the empty glass,” Lillian replied, causing another round of laughter.
Finding the smooth surface of a glass, she slid her fingers up the side and dipped them into the cool liquid. A general round of applause and cheering, and she asked, “Am I marrying an author, too?”
“No, you chose the clear water,” Daisy said. “A rich, handsome husband is coming for you, dear!”
“Oh, what a relief,” Lillian said flippantly, lowering the blindfold to peek over the edge. “Is it your turn now?”
Her younger sister shook her head. “I was the first to try. I knocked over a glass twice in a row, and made a dreadful mess.”
“What does that mean? That you won’t marry at all?”
“It means that I’m clumsy,” Daisy replied cheerfully. “Other than that, who knows? Perhaps my fate has yet to be decided. The good news is that your husband seems to be on the way.”
“If so, the bastard is late,” Lillian retorted, causing Daisy and Evie to laugh.
”
”
Lisa Kleypas (It Happened One Autumn (Wallflowers, #2))
“
Chocolate makes everything better, in the end,” he announced, and Thayer fully agreed.
Thayer gave him a smile of gratitude and watched Castel lift his spoon from the saucer. He dipped it, gracefully, into his coffee and gave it a light stir.
“Too many people rush to stir such delicate flavours. Take too long and they will clog together to become a lump of bitterness in your coffee. But take your time and be gentle with them,” Castel explained, quietly, “and they will create a symphony of flavours, to melt in your mouth,” he said, leaning down, just until his nose was over his cup, to take a long inhale. He smiled and straightened, extracting the spoon to place it back on his saucer. “Now try it.”
Thayer took a sip and almost felt his toes curl at the luxurious taste.
~ Cinnamon Kiss
”
”
Elaine White (Clef Notes)
“
Fields: " I'm tendin' bar one time down the lower east-side in New York. A tough paloma comes in there by the name of Chicago Molly. I cautioned her: 'none of your peccadilloes in here'. There was some hot lunch on the bar comprising succotach, philadelphia cream cheese and asparagus with mayonaisse. She dips her mitt down into this melange - I'm yawning at the time - and she hits me right in the mug with it. I jumps over the bar and knocks her down...You were there the night I knocked Chicago Molly down weren't you?"
Bartender: " You knocked her down? I was the one that knocked her down".
Fields: "Oh yeah ,yes. That's right. He knocked her down. But I was the one start kicking her! So I starts kicking her in the midriff. D'you ever kick a woman in the midriff that had a pair of corsets on?"
Customer: "No, I just can't recall any such incident".
Fields: "Well I almost broke my great toe. Never had such a painful experience".
Customer: "Did she ever come back?"
Bartender:"I'll say she came back. She came back a week later and beat the both of us up".
Fields: "Yeah but she had another woman with her. Elderly lady with grey hair.
”
”
W.C. Fields
“
I'm fascinated by darkness,' he whispered, so close now that she could smell the fragrance of his breath. There was a black note to it, a scent like coffee or chocolate, and a bite of something heavier coming from his skin--balsamic and pepper. 'Enthralled by the obscene. The macabre. Even the occult, should the mood arise. But I've never found another who might accompany me on these ghastly journeys. Not everyone is worthy of dipping their toes into the void like we are. Fewer still would survive.'
He wet his lips with a dart of his tongue. 'What say you, princess? I'll show you mine if you show me yours . . .
”
”
Lana Hart (The Bejeweled Bottle (The Curious Collectibles Series #3))
“
Meditation is the process of entering into a receptive state and letting the goodness of the universe fill you. It is dipping your toe into a pool of infinite stillness.
”
”
Amy Leigh Mercree (A Little Bit of Meditation: An Introduction to Focus (Little Bit Series) (Volume 7))
“
You’re really beautiful,” I blurt out. I cringe when she stops, turns to face me and smiles at me. My belly clenches and my dick notices how much I like her. “Thank you,” she says as she sits down on the end of the dock. She tugs her shoes and socks from her feet and shoves her socks inside the shoes. Her bare toes peek up at me and she sighs as she dips them in the water. She leans back on her palms and tips her face up to the sky. “Thank you for bringing me here,” she says without even looking at me. She breathes in and out through her nose, slowly. “Did you enjoy the ride?” She smiles and nods. “I want to do it some more. Like, all the time. Every day. All day.” She giggles and I find myself grinning with her. With me? Or does she just mean riding? I am afraid to ask. “Why did you come with me?” I ask instead. She tips her face toward me. “Because you asked me.” She snorts and then giggles. “Even though you only did it because I chased you down in the quad. I nearly tackled you.” She winces. “Sorry about that.” “Best thing that’s happened to me all day,” I say. Shit. Did I say that out loud? I sit beside her on the dock. “Me too,” she says quietly.
”
”
Tammy Falkner (Yes You (The Reed Brothers #9.5))
“
If you dare to dip your toe into the vast, rushing currents of life, you may discover that all you truly ever wanted to do was swim.
”
”
BriAnn Danae (Here With You Forever (Evermore Series Book 2))
“
AMT Market Research Agency in Myanmar stands as a pivotal player in the dynamic landscape of market research within the country. With a commitment to delivering unparalleled insights and strategic solutions, AMT Market Research has established itself as a trusted partner for businesses seeking to thrive in Myanmar's evolving market. This article delves into the core aspects of AMT Market Research, exploring its services, methodologies, and the significance of market research in Myanmar. Through case studies, client testimonials, and a glimpse into future trends, we uncover the depth and impact of AMT Market Research in driving success for businesses in Myanmar.
Introduction to AMT Market Research Agency in Myanmar
AMT Market Research is not your run-of-the-mill agency in Myanmar. With a knack for unraveling the mysteries of consumer behavior, they're the Sherlock Holmes of the market research world. Let's delve into what makes them tick.
Background of AMT Market Research
Founded with a passion for decoding the pulse of the market, AMT Market Research has been shaking up the industry in Myanmar. Their team of savvy researchers leaves no stone unturned in uncovering insights that drive business success.
Mission and Vision of the Agency
AMT Market Research's mission is simple yet powerful: to empower businesses with data-driven decisions that spark growth and innovation. Their vision? To be the go-to partner for companies looking to navigate the ever-evolving market landscape in Myanmar.
Services Offered by AMT Market Research
When it comes to services, AMT Market Research doesn't just dip their toes in the water—they dive in headfirst, armed with a treasure trove of strategic insights.
Market Entry Strategy
From market sizing to competitor analysis, AMT Market Research crafts bespoke market entry strategies that pave the way for success in Myanmar's dynamic business environment.
Consumer Behavior Analysis
Curious about what makes your target audience tick? AMT Market Research digs deep into the minds of consumers, decoding their preferences, habits, and aspirations to help you tailor your offerings with precision.
Competitor Analysis
In a market as competitive as Myanmar, staying ahead of the game is crucial. AMT Market Research's competitor analysis services provide a roadmap for outshining the competition and carving out your niche.
Importance of Market Research Agency in Myanmar
In the bustling landscape of Myanmar, market research isn't just a luxury—it's a necessity. Understanding the economic terrain and growth opportunities is key to thriving amidst the challenges that lie ahead.
Economic Landscape of Myanmar
Myanmar's economic landscape is a canvas of untapped potential and burgeoning opportunities. Market research serves as the compass that guides businesses through this vibrant yet complex terrain.
Growth Opportunities and Challenges
With growth opportunities aplenty, Myanmar beckons businesses with promises of success. However, navigating the challenges, be it regulatory hurdles or shifting consumer trends, requires a keen understanding of the market—enter AMT Market Research.
Methodologies Utilized by AMT Market Research
When it comes to research methodologies, AMT Market Research doesn't settle for the ordinary. Their toolbox is brimming with innovative techniques that paint a comprehensive picture of the market landscape.
Quantitative Research Techniques
Numbers don't lie, and neither do AMT Market Research's quantitative research techniques. From surveys to data analysis, they crunch the numbers to unearth patterns and trends that inform strategic decision-making.
Qualitative Research Approaches
”
”
market research agency in Myanmar
“
Marianne didn’t find it. I did. It’s safe with you, just as you are with me.” “Thank you,” she whispered, then rolled up onto her toes to press a kiss to my cheek. But I turned my head and captured her mouth. She stiffened, then melted against me, fisting my shirt in her hand. I slanted my head over hers, deepening the kiss, dipping my tongue in and tasting her. She whimpered low in her throat, and I caught her against me, holding her tight. I explored her, groaning. I slid my hand under the too-big shirt, spreading my fingers against the skin of her back. It was warm and soft. I dipped under the waistband of her pants, running my hand side to side, wanting what was under the material. She shivered, and I gathered her closer. She moaned, but this time, the sound was painful. Distressed. I released her, stepping back. “Forgive me, I forgot about your injuries.” She touched her lip, not saying a word. Then she backed up. “I-I’m sorry.” “It’s fine. I was out of line. Sit and finish your dinner.
”
”
Melanie Moreland (Roman (Men of the Falls #2))
“
Parker’s eyebrows dip, but his gaze slides back up to mine. “To love
someone that much.”
My heart seizes, my eyes stinging with fresh tears. I’m forced to look
away as I pull my lips between my teeth, holding back another mournful
cry.
“Sorry. You should go dance now.”
Swallowing, I glance back up at Parker, who has returned his attention to
the lake. He teeters on the balls of his feet, his jaw clenching. I’m startled
by his words as the chilly water laps at my toes—he’s never apologized for
anything before, but he apologizes for this. For his brush with vulnerability,
his tender curiosity. That’s nothing to be sorry for.
“It felt like completion,” I tell him, explaining it the only way that makes
sense. “It felt like a pinnacle. Like everything in your life has come full
circle, and this person is the culmination of every dream, every plea, every
dandelion wish.
“And when your dreams dissolve, and the wishes scatter, it’s hard to find
joy in anything else. How can you ever obtain completion again when
you’re missing the biggest piece?” A ragged sigh escapes me, and I watch
the emotions play across his face, a melancholy reflection pulling at his
features. “I have to believe there’s still joy in the journey—this new journey
—and that life isn’t all about the finished puzzle. There’s just as much
fulfillment in putting it together.
”
”
Jennifer Hartmann (The Wrong Heart)
“
I told Adaos he could study me and I would share everything I know about the virus and my species with him if he would share something with me,” Eliana admitted.
Dagon crossed his arms over his chest. “And what might that be?”
Pink crept up her neck and filled her cheeks as she shuffled her feet, looking sheepish as srul, and muttered something he couldn’t hear.
“What?”
Emitting a growl of her own, she spoke louder. “Information on Segonian courtship rituals and the societal do's and don'ts that surround them." She peeked up at him through long dark lashes as though trying to gauge his reaction.
Everything within him went still. “Segonian courtship rituals?” he repeated softly. “Why would you wish to know more about that?”
She sighed. “Because I couldn’t find anything about it in your informational databases, and I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time.” Reaching up, she rested her small hands on his stubbled cheeks, then rose onto her toes and drew him down for a kiss.
His heart stuttered to a halt, then began to slam against his ribs. The first gentle brush of her lips hit him like an electrical current. His breath caught. Hers did, too. She drew back a fraction to stare up at him with wide eyes that acquired an amber glow.
Then Dagon slid his arms around her and locked her against him. Dipping his head, he claimed her lips with greater urgency, letting her feel the heat that had been flaying him inside ever since she had walked onto his bridge, fully recovered from her wounds, and drawn him into a hug.
”
”
Dianne Duvall (The Segonian (Aldebarian Alliance, #2))
“
Ready to dip your toes a little deeper, baby?” she asked. “Fuck dipping,” he said with a smirk. “Just push me in.
”
”
Mx. Alex (Show Me)
“
You can think of the snatch as a clean to the point above your head. Do not even think about taking it on until you have mastered one arm swings and cleans! Stand over a kettlebell, your feet about shoulder width apart, your weight on your heels. Inhale, arch your back, push your butt back, and bend your knees. Reach for the bell with one hand, the arm straight, while keeping the other arm away from your body (initially you may help yourself by pushing with the free hand against your thigh but it is considered ‘no class’ by most gireviks). Swing the bell back and whip it straight overhead in one clean movement. Note that the pulling arm will bend and your body will shift to the side opposite to the weight. But you do not need to worry about trying to do it that way; just pull straight up and your body will find an efficient path in a short while. Do not lift with your arm, but rather with your hips. Project the force straight up, rather than back—as in a jump. You may end up airborne or at least on your toes. It is OK as long as you roll back on your heels by the time the bell comes down. Dip under the K-bell as it is flipping over the wrist. Absorb the shock the same way you did for cleans. Fix the weight overhead, in the press behind the neck position for a second, then let it free fall between your legs as you are dropping into a half squat. Keep the girya near your body when it comes down. As an option, lower the bell to your shoulder before dropping it between the legs. Ease into the one arm power snatch because even a hardcore deadlifter’s hamstrings and palms are guaranteed to take a beating. Especially if your kettlebells are rusty like the ones I trained with at the ‘courage corner’. It was a long time after my discharge before my palms finally lost their rust speckled calluses. Unlike the deadlift, the kettlebell snatch does not impose prohibitively strict requirements on spinal alignment and hamstring flexibility. If you are deadlifting with a humped over back you are generally asking for trouble; KB snatches let you get away with a slightly flexed spine. It is probably due to the fact that your connective tissues absorb shock more effectively when loaded rapidly. Your ligaments have wavy structures. A ballistic shock—as long as it is of a reasonable magnitude—is absorbed by these ‘waves’, which straighten out like springs.
”
”
Pavel Tsatsouline (The Russian Kettlebell Challenge: Xtreme Fitness for Hard Living Comrades)
“
She watched his muscled chest expand as he took a deep breath, dipping his head to rest his brow on her shoulder. “I don’t know. Maybe the king won’t care. Maybe he’ll dismiss me. Maybe worse. It’s hard to tell; he’s unpredictable like that.” She chewed her lip and ran her hands down his powerful back. She’d longed to touch him like this for so long—longer than she’d realized. “Then we’ll keep it secret. We spend enough time together that no one should notice the change.” He lifted himself again, peering into her eyes. “I don’t want you to think I’m agreeing to keep it secret because I’m ashamed in any way.” “Who said anything about shame?” She gestured down to her naked body, even though it was covered by the blanket. “Honestly, I’m surprised you’re not strutting about, boasting to everyone. I certainly would be if I’d tumbled me.” “Does your love for yourself know no bounds?” “Absolutely none.” He leaned down to nip at her ear, and her toes curled. “We can’t tell Dorian,” she said quietly. “He’ll figure it out, I bet, but … I don’t think we should tell him outright.” He paused his nibbling. “I know.” But then he pulled back, and she winced inwardly as he studied her again. “Do you still—” “No. Not for a long while.” The relief in his eyes made her kiss him. “But he’d be another complication if he knew.” And there was no telling how he’d react, given how tense things had been between them. He was important enough in Chaol’s life that she didn’t want to ruin that relationship. “So,” he said, flicking her nose, “how long have you wanted—” “I don’t see how that’s any of your business, Captain Westfall. And I won’t tell you until you tell me.” He flicked her nose again, and she batted away his fingers. He caught her hand in his, holding it up so he could look at her amethyst ring—the ring she never took off, not even to bathe. “The Yulemas ball. Maybe earlier. Maybe even Samhuinn, when I brought you this ring. But Yulemas was the first time I realized I didn’t like the idea of you with—with someone else.” He kissed the tips of her fingers. “Your turn.
”
”
Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass)
“
Many of my clients, having dipped a toe in popular psychology, believe that “positive” thoughts, like “I love my job,” make us happy, while negative thoughts, like “I hate my job,” make us unhappy. But a cheerful statement can feel like soulmurder if you know it isn’t true, while a supposedly “negative” thought can set you free to experience joy.
”
”
Martha Beck (The Way of Integrity: Finding the Path to Your True Self)
“
Love is as much fate as it is planning, as much as beauty as it is a disaster. Finding a prince might mean kissing a lot of frogs. Or kicking a lot of frogs out of your house. Falling might mean running headfirst into something you always wanted. Or dipping your toe into something you've been scared of your whole life. Happily ever after could be waiting in a field a mile wid. Or a window as narrow as seven minutes.
”
”
Kiera Cass (The Crown (The Selection, #5))
“
You know as you stare out across a desert or dip your toes in an ocean that this is the last time for this specific experience, at least for a long time, and that you need to soak it up and treasure it and remember everything about it for later. So you pause and make sure to properly take it in.” Then she sits down again, fixing her gaze firmly on Anna, and smiles, breathing heavily. “But in real life you go around thinking that everything good is going to last forever, and it takes you by surprise when it doesn’t. And when you suddenly realize that it has happened for the last time, it’s too late.
”
”
Suzy Krause (Valencia and Valentine)
“
This is what travel is for: dipping your toes into unfamiliar waters, seeing if it suits.
”
”
Chris Pavone (The Travelers)
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MONDAY: Badass Baseline Perform one round of this routine. Jumping Jacks: 75 repetitions Sit-ups: 40 repetitions Squats: 30 repetitions Push-ups: 20 repetitions Burpees: 10 repetitions Jumping Jacks: 75 repetitions WEDNESDAY: Single Jump Jump Perform three rounds of this routine. Step-ups: 15 repetitions Bench Dips: 15 repetitions Jump Rope: 50 repetitions Double-under Jump Rope: 10 repetitions (A double-under is a jump rope exercise. You turn the rope for two rotations in one single jump. So you jump once and while you are in the air the rope cycles twice instead of just once like regular jump rope.) FRIDAY: Booty Lift Perform four rounds of this routine. Lunges: 5 repetitions on each leg Inchworms: 10 repetitions Toe Touches: 10 repetitions on each leg Jump Squats: 10 repetitions MONDAY: Double Your Fun Perform four rounds of this routine. Set a timer for 16 minutes and try to do all four rounds before it goes off. Sexy Back Push-ups: 6 repetitions Jump Squats: 10 repetitions on each side Sit-ups: 20 repetitions Jumping Jacks: 40 repetitions WEDNESDAY: Let Your Hair Loose Timed sequence: Set a timer for 10 minutes and perform the following round as many times as you can before it goes off. Mountain Climbers: 20 repetitions as fast as you can Hamstring Rollouts: 7 repetitions as fast as you can Pike Push-ups: 5 repetitions FRIDAY: Get Dirty with It Perform five rounds of this routine. Floor Wipers: 5 repetitions Clapping Push-ups: 7 repetitions Jump Squats: 10 repetitions MONDAY: Sweat Like an Animal Timed sequence: Set a timer for 6 minutes and perform the following round as many times as you can before it goes off. Burpees: 5 repetitions as fast as you can Lunges: 10 repetitions as fast as you can Squats: 15 repetitions as fast as you can WEDNESDAY: Max Your Effort Perform three rounds of this routine. Rest one minute between each round. Round 1: V-ups: 30 Left Single-Leg Squat: 20 repetitions Right Single-Leg Squat: 20 repetitions Round 2: V-ups: 20 repetitions Left Single-Leg Squat: 15 repetitions Right Single-Leg Squat: 15 repetitions Round 3: V-ups: 10 repetitions Left Single-Leg Squat: 10 repetitions Right Single-Leg Squat: 10 repetitions FRIDAY: Beach Body Aspirations Perform five rounds of this routine. Sky Humpers: 10 repetitions Bench Dips: 12 repetitions Bicycle: 20 repetitions MONDAY: I Dip, You Dip, We Dip Perform five rounds of this routine. Rest 30 seconds between each round. Floor Wipers: 10 repetitions Bench Dips: 20 repetitions Lunges: One, hold lunge in the lunge position for 45 seconds. If you have to adjust, the time stops and restarts when you start your lunge again. WEDNESDAY: Core Basics Timed sequence: Set a timer for 10 minutes and perform the following round as many times as you can before it goes off. Hamstring Rollouts: 5 repetitions Pike Push-ups: 10 repetitions Sit-ups: 20 repetitions FRIDAY: Sculpt Me Booty-licious Timed sequence: Set a timer for 5 minutes and perform the following round as many times as you can before it goes off. Rest 2 minutes between each round. Jumping Lunges: 5 repetitions on each side Squats: 10 repetitions V-ups: 5 repetitions
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Christmas Abbott (The Badass Body Diet: The Breakthrough Diet and Workout for a Tight Booty, Sexy Abs, and Lean Legs (The Badass Series))
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Let’s suppose you decide to dip your toe in dreams like relocating to the Caribbean for island-hopping or taking a safari in the Serengeti. It will be wonderful and unforgettable, and you should do it. There will come a time, however—be it three weeks or three months later—when you won’t be able to drink another piña colada or photograph another red-assed baboon. That day will come. Self-criticism and existential panic attacks usually start around this time. But this is what I always wanted! How can I be bored? Oh my god, what am I gonna do with myself? Don’t freak out and fuel the fire. This is normal among all high-performers who downshift after working hard for a long time. The smarter and more goal-oriented you are, the tougher these growing pains will be. Don’t be afraid of the existential or social challenges. Freedom is like a new sport. In the beginning, the sheer newness of it is exciting enough to keep things interesting at all times. Once you have learned the basics, though, it becomes clear that having less work is easy. It’s filling the void with more life that is hard. Finding excitement, as it turns out, takes more thought than simple workaholism. But don’t fret. That’s where all the rewards are. —TIM FERRISS, 38,
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Rolf Potts (Vagabonding: An Uncommon Guide to the Art of Long-Term World Travel)