YodenTheLampLord

- Brim is so wide that I stay BONE DRY taking walks in the rain

- Brim can be positioned to block the sun from ever getting in my eyes AND keeping it off the back of my neck

- The pointed top part creates an air pocket, keeping my head from getting hot or squishing my hair as it might in a ball cap

- Hat can easily be pulled down over the tips of my ears without looking dumb, protecting them from wind chill

- Strangers say they like my hat, giving me the chance to tell them that I am a wizard

- When you’re wearing a wizard hat, ALL OTHER FASHION CHOICES become secondary, allowing you to branch out with style

Next up someone is going to claim that the Narnia series isn't kids books.

I guess God wanted the little robot to enjoy some sushi 🍣 🥲

Executive dysfunction comes from a lack of available dopamine. Common advice is wrong. You need to provide your own dopamine before you can start. Otherwise you're trying to run your car on empty.

"But what if I still don't do it" well you already weren't getting it done anyway. Now you have a little treat. Try again later.

You deserve kindness and care even when you aren't being productive.

I usually suggest this technique as a "Reverse Pomodoro." In the original Pomodoro, you work for 25 minutes and then take a break for 5 minutes (the times vary, but that's the essential ratio). People with executive dysfunction often find this insurmountable, and they get even more frustrated, and then the task seems even more difficult. So instead, flip those times.

FIRST, spend 25 minutes doing something energizing and engaging that you like to do. Not scrolling social media passively, not watching tv, not napping. Try something like colouring, doing yoga, running/walking around the block, talking about your favourite tv show with someone in real time, playing with the dog or cat, making and eating a lovely sandwich, hula hooping, something active. Having a little treat absolutely falls in this category!

(on the subject of little treats: refusing yourself food until you do work is for fucking Puritans and you can be kinder to yourself)

Then, after 25 minutes (or however long it takes to eat the sandwich or finish the yoga routine, it doesn't have to be exact), spend 5 minutes writing (or doing whatever you're struggling to start). Most people can coax themselves into doing something they find difficult for five minutes, if they have already filled up the joy/energy/engagement bucket. You can put a timer on for the 5 minutes if you want, or if you find that annoying, just work for as long as you like.

The other key is: don't push yourself to keep going when you're frustrated or tired—that will just reinforce the negative belief that you already have, which tells you that this task is painful to do, and needs to be avoided. If you've commonly had to force yourself to do this kind of task, that's likely part of why you think of it as painful and have trouble starting it now. Also, you should just, at a basic level, try not to put yourself in pain for the sake of productivity. So just do it till the good feelings run out. Then start hula hooping or colouring again for another 25 minutes. When the tank's refilled, try another 5 minutes of work, if you can. Adjust times to taste.

When you're talking about the design of the boat, you say "it".

When the boat is still being built, your say "it".

When the boat is nearing completion, you can say "it" or "she".

When the boat is floating in the water you probably say "she", unless there is still a lot of work to be done (e.g. no engine yet) then you say "it".

When the boat is officially launched and operating, you say "she". If you continue to say "it" at this point you are not incorrect but suspiciously untraditional. You are not playing the game.

If you are referring to a boat you don't really know anything about you may say "it" ("there's a big boat, it's coming this way"). But if you know its name, it's probably "she" ("there's the Waverley, she's on her way to Greenock").

If you are talking about boats in general, you say "it" ("when a boat is hit by a wave it heels over")

If you speak about a boat in complimentary terms, it's "she" ("she's a grand boat"). If you are being disparaging it may be it, but not necessarily ("it's as ugly as sin", "she's a grotty old tub").

If she has a boy's name, she's still she. "Boy James", "King Edward", "Sir David Attenborough"? The pronoun is she.

If it's a dumb barge (no engine), you say it. But if it's a rowing boat (no engine), you say she.

Idek if they know what a system is or if they'll think we're weird or wtvr (Theyre good friends but yk anxiety) and I just don't know what to saayyy

Well, you could test the waters first by bringing up plurality in other contexts! For example, if you share a fandom, you could bring up a plural character or headcanon you like, and ask what they know about plurality. Something like, "You know (character) from (media)? Recently I read a fic where they're plural/I've been thinking about a plural AU with them/I've been thinking that they would really make sense as a system/(etc.). Do you know what plurality is? Just wanna check before I go too in-depth." Or you could do what we did with a family member, and ask if they know what plurality is before sharing some funny posts about it. Hell, feel free to bring up this blog if you want!

Personally, when it comes to the actual coming out, We like to rip the band-aid off, but in a casual way. Something like, "Oh btw I'm a system. I'm telling you this because I trust you and want to share this part of my life with you. Feel free to ask questions if you want". By treating it as something casual yet important to you, you prime the other person(s) to also think of it as something casual and Important To This Person I Care About.

The exact wording might change depending on the person and when We bring it up. For one person We plan to come out to, We're probably going to bring it up as, "Hey, you know how I want to write a book with a system character? That may or may not be because I'm a system lol". Since you probably want to see what they know about plurality first, you can do something similar, and reference that conversation as a transition into your coming out.

We've also come out via PowerPoint before, but that was to a therapist, since We needed to get through a lot of information. Still, that's also a viable choice that will allow you to prepare a lot in advance! You could throw in some jokes, have a silly QnA session, whatever else you want to make it less serious and intimidating.

Regardless of which method you prefer, it's a good idea to ask yourself how many people you want to come out to at once. You could come out to everyone at the same time, or in smaller groups, or one-by-one, or in a mix of smaller groups and individuals. Whatever works best for you. Coming out to multiple people at once can be intimidating, but it's faster, and if one or some of them already know about plurality, you can let someone else explain how some of it works (especially if you let them in on the plan ahead of time). Coming out to people one-by-one can drain your energy, but it may feel safest to take it slow and see how each individual feels.

If you'd like to have some resources on hand to throw at them about what plurality is, here's some We like to provide when telling people about plurality:

A System's Guide to Plurality

The Dragonheart Collective's Primer To Plurality

more than one