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13.3k · Jan 2016
kindness > intelligence
Irene Jan 2016
when i was younger, i used to admire people who were intelligent.
now that i'm older, i admire people who are kind.
there's the saying that no matter how educated, rich, talented, cool, or "smart" you are, it all comes down to how you treat others.
and it's true.
choose kindness, because a small act of kindness goes a long way.
3.5k · May 2016
focus on the positive
Irene May 2016
it's so easy to get caught up in the future or the past, but it's important to be fully present in the now. as cheesy as it sounds: don't focus on the negative. think positive! what we put into our minds and what we think really does affect how we behave and act. so **** out the negativity, and learn to be grateful for what you do have than what you don't have.
5/18/16 in a stressful time right now, but learning to breathe and focusing on the positive.
2.1k · Apr 2016
gratitude
Irene Apr 2016
i open my eyes and the light hits my face
i toss and turn in my bedsheets, stretching my arms
i inhale breaths of life
and exhale
i am grateful

i am grateful for a roof over my head
a warm bed to sleep on
clean water to drink
and food i can eat

i am grateful for blue skies and sunshine
staring up into the horizons
feeling the warmth consume my body
from the inside out

i am grateful for friends who care about me
saying i was lonely, feeling hurt, and down
giving me a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on

i am grateful for tough days
for without them, how could we be grateful?
learning to appreciate what we have
despite feeling empty and broken

i am grateful for silent moments and days where i sing at the top of my lungs
learning to embrace the still and quiet
taking the time to reflect
that even silent moments have something to teach us
and expressing my joy
dancing like nobody is watching

but most of all, i am grateful for my Savior, Jesus
who bore everything for me on that cross
pursuing me despite my messiness, failures, and sins
fully knowing me and loving me
i am eternally grateful
forever grateful
of each breath He gives me
teaching me to live this life for Him
and not myself
to give glory, honor, and praise to the One who paid my debt
count your blessings.
2.0k · Sep 2016
Letter to God | Doubt
Irene Sep 2016
God, are you listening? Because lately, I've been feeling distant from You. I feel like Peter when You called him to walk out on the water, yet he sank. But I feel like I'm drowning in this sea of doubt. A knotted ball of string I cannot seem to unravel. Slowly creeping deeper and deeper into this battlefield of questions in my mind. When You said "O you of little faith, why do you doubt?" I could not give You an answer. I do not know if I am turning into a skeptic or a cynic. Faith has doubts, but I feel as though I am longing for epiphanies to spark in response to my questions. Lord, are you there? Because I can't seem to listen to my own voice. Wanting to be heard, but feeling ignored. Waiting for answers, but left in silence. But I hear You even in the silence. Soft whispers echoing symphonies of love songs and truths. Thank You for loving me even when I have doubts. When I feel like I no longer have the strength to carry on, You are there. Always. Lord, take my hand, and don't leave me. Don't let go, for these hands are too weak to hold my own heart. Hold me, when I am falling. Despite my doubt, remind me of Your love for me that surpasses beyond all else. When I say amen, help me to believe it. Let my faith be louder than my questions.
1.1k · Jan 2016
sonder
Irene Jan 2016
sonder.
the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.

this is one of my favorite words, because it really opens your eyes in the realization that every single person you walk by really does have their own world they're living in.
each person carrying intimate moments, memories, songs, hurts, struggles, secrets, pains, and beliefs about themselves and the world they live in.
but what if we chose to extend a loving hand to people. in treating them with kindness, respect, dignity, and forgiveness. what a beautiful world we would live in.
1.0k · Mar 2016
untitled
Irene Mar 2016
the nighttime caused her to be deep in thought,
while the daytime left her daydreaming.
993 · Feb 2016
time
Irene Feb 2016
i think as we get older, time seems to go by faster.
when we were kids, we thought we had all the time in the world.
sometimes i wish i could go back to the time when i was kid.
not having a care in the world about those kind of things.
but life doesn't stop for anybody.
it just goes on.
time is fleeting.

but i think it makes you realize that time is precious.
the most precious thing you could give to someone is your time, because you can never take it back.
the time you spend by yourself alone or with people, you can't take back.
so we should choose how we spend our time wisely.
858 · Jul 2016
favorite quote #03
Irene Jul 2016
"I know God listens to my heartbeat on His iPod. It reminds Him that we still got work to do." // Rudy Francisco
845 · Sep 2016
Numb
Irene Sep 2016
She feels heaviness in her heart
What once gave her happiness
leaves her feeling empty

She tries to write out her feelings
but they remain inside her
like a bird locked in a cage
wanting to go out
but not knowing how to fly

Why do I keep on feeling this way, she asked herself
Why must I feel so deeply
It hurts
It hurts
It hurts too much
This aching in my bones
longs to hear the soft whispers of love
yet I am too consumed in my own darkness
I can't see the light
803 · Mar 2016
expectations
Irene Mar 2016
sometimes we expect so much from people, because we would be willing to do the same thing for them.
736 · Feb 2016
rain
Irene Feb 2016
i used to hate the rain...
the way it would drench my clothes
and get in my eyes
mess up my hair
and make everything gloomy

but now i think i actually like the rain
because without it
how would the grass be green
and there would be no rainbows

funny how it's like storms in life
without them we wouldn't grow

and i love listening to rain at night
the way it sounds
as it helps me drift off to sleep
pit-pat
pit-pat
it's so calming and relaxing

and you can tell how people are
by the way they react to rain
people either dance in it
or are miserable by it
wrote this as rain was pouring outside my window on a late wednesday afternoon...
718 · May 2016
the bigger picture
Irene May 2016
the little things we tend to stress about aren't as massive as we think they are. don't always stay in tunnel vision. it's important to zoom out and look at the bigger picture.
678 · Feb 2016
free your mind
Irene Feb 2016
sail over the horizons
let loose your entwined thinking
confined to walls

imagine
don't think too hard
for overthinking
can be treacherous
Irene Feb 2018
1.) life is fleeting. live in the moment.
2.) people never call anymore. call your mom. call your grandma. call your old friend that you haven't talked to in middle school but wished you knew how they were doing.
3.) one of the worst things in life is to sit at your deathbed with regrets. all those "i wish," "i could have," "i should have"...just do what you're scared to do. it means you're about to do something really brave.
4.) people can't read your mind. no matter how close you are with that other person, they are not a mind-reader. just say what you're feeling, thinking, going through.
5.) you never really know what someone else is going through. show God's love to them.
6.) we forget while we're getting older, our parents are getting older too. cherish the time you have with them while you can.
7.) it's normal to feel lonely and to feel lost, especially in your 20's.
8.) don't worry; everyone else doesn't know what they're doing either.
9.) stop thinking you need to make all these societal milestone "achievements." people grow at different rates.
10.) no one will ever fully and completely understand you like God does. there's that saying: "God loves you more in a moment than anyone could in a lifetime." it's true.
written on feb. 17, 2018.
622 · Jan 2016
5:49pm
Irene Jan 2016
i feel like i've always never been good with words
maybe that's why i talk inside my head so much
afraid to share what's on my mind
and heart
of being judged
sounding weird
or stupid
but true beauty
is meant to be felt
not seen or heard
613 · Feb 2016
note to self
Irene Feb 2016
there will always be someone who is prettier than you, smarter than you, but no one can ever be you
be you
be yourself
stop comparing yourself to others
because you are unique
you are special
you are one of a kind
be who God created you to be

you don't have to prove yourself to anyone
God accepts you fully just as you are
why do you seek approval from others
when He has already accepted you
592 · Feb 2016
acceptance
Irene Feb 2016
people who don't accept you at your worst don't deserve you at your best.
true friends accept you at your best AND your worst.
566 · Mar 2016
love
Irene Mar 2016
a few days ago, i sat on a bus going home and i noticed an elderly woman with pixie cut white hair and glasses looking out the window and blowing kisses to someone. i looked out and i saw an elderly man with white hair blowing kisses back to her. it was her husband.
i couldn't help but smile. moments later the elderly woman got out of her seat to go outside and give her husband a kiss.
isn't it beautiful that we get to grow old with another person? to be able to live life together, side by side, sticking through the good and bad times, knowing each other's flaws and mistakes yet choosing to love one another. that love isn't just a feeling, but a choice.
Irene Apr 2016
she hasn't spoken to anyone in weeks.
she sits as the world passes by,
unaware of how much heaviness she carries inside her.
her world feels as though it is caving in deeper and deeper,
and she cannot cry out for help,
so she stays silent,
feeling the weight of it all.
558 · Oct 2016
storms
Irene Oct 2016
Out of the longest rain showers breaks the brightest sunshine.
Believe that out of hurt and pain, beauty and light will come out of it...
Written on 10/31/16
531 · Feb 2016
carpe diem
Irene Feb 2016
we may feel like we have all the time in the world,
or maybe that time moves too fast.
but sometimes,
i think we don't realize that
tomorrow is not guaranteed.
we may not realize what we have
until it's gone...
so seize the day.
live your life to the fullest.
because anything can happen in a day.
note to self.
497 · Jan 2016
9 word story
Irene Jan 2016
sometimes i feel so deeply or not at all...
494 · Mar 2016
blessings
Irene Mar 2016
We don't take the time to appreciate what we have until it's gone. Count your blessings. Take nothing for granted.
485 · Jan 2016
on the surface
Irene Jan 2016
i feel like i've always known people
on the surface
and hid my true self from others for years
i crave deep relationships
but hopefully
i can let go of my fear
and just be myself
and i guess sometimes
you need those surface level friendships
to make you appreciate your deeper relationships more
479 · Nov 2016
pieces
Irene Nov 2016
why i do give pieces of myself
expecting in return to receive fullness from others
yet it always ends up in disappointment

why do i give fractions of myself to others
yet they don't even give a fraction of themselves to me
am i sounding selfish
i don't know anymore

i am tired of empty promises, fake smiles, half-hearted laughs and sleepless nights
i do not wish any longer to give pieces of myself
i will either give all of me or not at all
and this sounds harsh i know
but i have always been an all-or-nothing type of person
i can't seem to help it
maybe it is selfish of me
perhaps i will get hurt for caring too much
but i'd rather care too much than regret not having cared at all
despite everything
written at 1:30am on 11/1/16
450 · Feb 2016
tears
Irene Feb 2016
crying is not a sign of weakness
it is a sign that you are alive
pain demands to be felt
and suppressing it too much makes it worse
so let it out
those tears you've kept inside for so long
let it out
let it out
let it out
435 · Feb 2016
things i write at 9pm
Irene Feb 2016
we all carry within us a story that is aching to be told.
as maya angelou said "there is no greater agony that bearing an untold story inside you."
and it's so true.
each of us carry hurt, pain, memories, heartache, loss...
we don't know what someone may be going through each day.
you may be going through a rough time yourself, but don't forget to extend kindness to others.
even when you don't feel like it.
think of other's needs before yourself.
life is too short not to smile at the stranger at the bus stop.
who cares if they give you a weird look.
because we all need love, joy, and hope.
be kind to others.
and be kind to yourself.
inspired by taylor tippett
426 · May 2016
legacy
Irene May 2016
What makes someone extraordinary?
What makes them ordinary?
Is there anyone who's just ordinary?
Aren't we all extraordinary?
Do we just underestimate ourselves in thinking that we have to do something profound in order to be considered extraordinary?
But even the littlest acts can be extraordinary.
I guess we're all struggling with what we want our legacy to be.
What do you want yours to be?
424 · Jan 2016
Contradiction
Irene Jan 2016
We tell people to be themselves
Yet we judge them when they're being themselves
423 · May 2016
Paul, James & Kevin
Irene May 2016
I don't want to take for granted the people God has placed in my life. I don't want to regret not having said how much I appreciate the people I care about. Because we'll never know when we'll run out of time. I want to cry incantations of love notes and happy tears because of how much I loved and have been loved. Without love in this world, there would be no joy. And I want to love until my heart explodes, and although there will be aches and pains, it is better to have loved than not loved at all.
In memory of my friends who passed away...
395 · Mar 2016
escape
Irene Mar 2016
she puts in her headphones
to get away from the world
and the chaos in her mind
"music," she thought to herself, "is my escape."
how to escape time: music.
393 · Apr 2017
impact
Irene Apr 2017
we have all touched at least one other person's life
and that is alone is beautiful
we all make an impact
365 · Oct 2016
broken
Irene Oct 2016
she saw beauty in everything but herself.
written on 10/11/16
362 · Feb 2016
imperfections
Irene Feb 2016
darling,
why do you look so much
to your imperfections

when those imperfections
make up who you are

you do not need to be perfect
to feel loved
to feel whole
to feel worthy

you are already worthy
just as you are
so embrace your flaws

because behind that crinkled nose and those crooked teeth
is a heart that sees beauty when no one else can
a smile that can brighten someone else's day

don't sell yourself short
because you can't see beauty in yourself

beauty is what's on the inside
not what's on the outside
to anyone else who struggles to see beauty in themselves sometimes...
Irene Nov 2016
there are days where i do not want to write
where i leave my thoughts in the cupboards of my mind
where i lay in bed drowning in a sea of overthinking

there are days where i do not want to write
afraid that someone will find the notebook held with secrets meant only to be seen for my own eyes

there are days where i do not want to write
because i do not have the energy to pick up a pen and scribble down all the feelings and emotions from my heart
it is all too much sometimes to even think

there are days where i do not want to write
because i don't think my words will be heard, seen, or understood
so i keep silent
like i always have

there are days where i do not want to write
but i know that writing heals
so even when i'd rather do nothing and leave my thoughts in my mind
i will tell myself gently to write
to spill out the water that's been holding inside these ribcages for so long
in order for myself to heal
written on 11/2/16
338 · Sep 2016
door holder
Irene Sep 2016
she told herself to extend kindness to others
even when she could not do the same to herself

be kind
for everyone you meet
is fighting a hard battle
332 · Mar 2016
deep end
Irene Mar 2016
She has been in the shallows for so long because she is afraid to go to the deep end. But she casts that fear aside and takes her heart with her. For being in the shallowness limits oneself in what they can do.
327 · Sep 2016
honesty
Irene Sep 2016
Whether it's something heavy or light, people can feel honesty.
said by ian eastwood (dancer, choreographer, director).
324 · Jul 2017
seize the day
Irene Jul 2017
sometimes i get scared if tomorrow is my last day on earth
so i reflect to myself
all those times i felt like i wasted my time
scrolling through my phone
doing nothing
when i could have used my time more wisely

like calling my grandma
who i haven't talked to in several months
telling her that i love her and i miss her

leaving a message to an old friend
picking up a new hobby
learning a new language
reading that book i still haven't finished but could have finished a while ago

i guess i could do all these things
but what matters ultimately
is living in the now
to seize the day
and make the most of it
date: july 18, 2017
320 · Jun 2017
favorite quote #04
Irene Jun 2017
"Sometimes I'm the mess.
Sometimes I'm the broom.
On the hardest days, I have to be both."
~Rudy Francisco
319 · Oct 2016
healing
Irene Oct 2016
she began to love parts of herself she didn't know she could.
written on 10/11/16
317 · Mar 2016
159th place
Irene Mar 2016
i used to think that home was a place until i found You.
He is my home.
313 · Jan 2016
loneliness
Irene Jan 2016
the worst type of loneliness
is when you're surrounded by a sea of people
yet you feel invisible
and alone
that no one cares about you
and you sit there in pity
feeling so empty inside
310 · Mar 2018
alike
Irene Mar 2018
a lot of people put celebrities
and well-known figures
on pedestals
like they are gods or idols
but if you really think about it
they're just like you and i
as different as we all might be
all of us are more alike
than we realize
written on 03.21.18 | happy world poetry day
306 · Mar 2016
23
Irene Mar 2016
23
when you look back at your life
are you gonna regret the things you didn't do
or look back and say
i did all that i could
and be satisfied with the way you lived

don't live in your head so much
and wait for things to happen
or things to come to you
sometimes you gotta make things happen yourself

so don't get caught up in the past or the future too much
be in the present
do what you can
with what you have
stop living in the shadows
and let the light shine
written a day after my 23rd birthday.
305 · Sep 2016
4.24.16
Irene Sep 2016
her soul aches
she has never felt this empty before
inside she carries a hurt so deep
yet she puts on a mask
pretending to be happy
when she is not
at all

she feels lost
lost for words
she does not know where to go
but she continues to walk
with the little strength she has inside her
to keep going on

she fights inside herself
why must i feel so gray like this she asks herself
but life is not always sunshine and rainbows
through the hurt
through the trials
through the suffering
we build endurance
and endurance builds character
301 · Mar 2018
reasons to stay alive
Irene Mar 2018
i used to want to die
i wanted to end my life
felt like it wouldn't have made a difference
if i weren't here
felt like i had no hope

but i realize
how beautiful life is
if i ended my life today
i could've missed out on so many things

the people and friends i wouldn't have met
the songs i wouldn't have listened to
the memories i wouldn't have made
the sunsets i wouldn't have seen
the candid photographs of me and my friends
having the time of our lives
or just goofing around
the lover i might meet someday
soon i hope
with whom i'll spend the rest of my life with
if i weren't alive

this strange
yet beautiful thing
called life
there are so many reasons to stay alive
and i'm glad i'm still alive now
to be here for it all
inspired by the book "reasons to stay alive" by matt haig | written on 03.17.18
297 · May 2017
full moon
Irene May 2017
the moon does not need
to be a full moon
to shine brightly

so do you
5/9/17
297 · Jan 2016
emptiness
Irene Jan 2016
i've been feeling so numb inside lately...
black
gray
cold
when will i stop feeling this way
sometimes i feel like no cares
that i'm in this cage in my own body
and i can't get out
tired of feeling this way
but it's like i've grown accustomed to it

but i pray for healing, comfort & peace that surpasses all understanding
for myself and others
and for the boldness to show love to others even when i may not see the light myself
296 · Apr 2016
spring
Irene Apr 2016
winter passed and spring came.
she felt the warm rays of the sun,
awakening the strength within her
to  blossom.
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