behind the blog
This blog is run by a 21-year-old girl who prides herself in happiness, inspiration, and helping others. She has been watching her friends, her followers, and people she doesn’t even know put themselves down, beat themselves up, be terribly mistreated, receive unprovoked hate, and just overall have a terrible time with their lives.
This blog is in direct response to these negative emotions. Its purpose is to, one day, reach as many people as possible, and through the media of beautiful pictures and simple graphics, inspire those who stumble across it, and maybe even help them to realize that, hey, maybe life isn’t so bad to live after all.
[Reasons to Love Being Alive @ Facebook]
My name is Jen. My other blog is a mix of personal and inspirational, and I will be happy to share it with you, if you ask un-anonymously. I run this for you (yes, you), the one reading this, not for myself, and I hope dearly that no matter what issues you may be having, how bad a day you just went through, or what traumas live in your mind, I have been able to put even a small smile on your face.
If you ever find yourself needing somebody to talk to, I will always be here for anyone who needs it. I answer every single message I get, on either blog, and do my absolute hardest to help people feel better about themselves and their lives. I am no counselor, therapist or psychologist, but I do recognize that I am better at listening and advice than most, and I will do whatever I can to help you through what’s troubling you.
You are an incredibly beautiful person. And I hope that you do indeed see that this life is truly worth living. ♥
do you want to read my story?
From February 2012 to May 2012, my life was completely flipped upside down and inside out, to the point where it affected my blogging, my life, my well-being, and almost caused me to not graduate college. For my own sake - so I wouldn’t have to recount it more than once - I wrote up a 15-page story explaining what happened, for anyone here, friend or no, who may be curious of what I had been through, and why I’ve been so inactive.
Because there are certain people who know how to find me online, and who I don’t wish to be able to read it, the story is password protected. So, if you are interested in reading it, please send me an unanonymous message saying so. I will be more than happy to answer you privately to give you the password. Any anonymous messages asking for it, I am sorry to say, will be ignored (the ONLY messages here I will ignore). There is no need to be anonymous to ask, really, since I am very clearly willing to share what happened with anyone who is open with who they are.
So. With all that said. <3 Do you want to read my story?
[My whole life story will be included in that link soon. Keep checking back if you want to read that as well. <3 ]
how it works
• This is a submission-run blog. When they’re open, you can send in as many of your own reasons as you want, and eventually, you will see them posted as graphics.
• It is only me behind it all, so things may go slowly and there may be a very long wait time in the submissions queue.
• I don’t skip a single submission when making graphics, and make them in the order I received them.
• I don’t make duplicate reasons; if it looks like I did skip one, it’s because it was already submitted by someone before you and is already posted. I always do my best to let you know if this is the case.
• I spend a very long time looking for the perfect background picture for each reason. That is why it seems to take so long for new reasons to be posted. (And, not to mention, real life. :3 )
• I always use a Creative Commons image at first, in order to post each graphic immediately after completion. In some cases, however, I may find an image I like better that requires permission to use, so I will message the owner while using the CC image in the meantime. In other words, the background images of some of the reasons may eventually change, if permission is granted.
• Each image is credited twice: in the source box of each post, and on the Photo Credits page.
• Text posts will likely be deleted after a day or so, to keep up the simplicity of the blog and to keep it decluttered.
• I am really very approachable and friendly! I don’t ignore my followers, welcome any and all comments and suggestions, and will happily answer any questions about the blog, your submission, or anything else you may have to ask.
• Please be aware, there are two separate ask boxes. One is to the main blog, the other is to the advice blog. The difference should be fairly obvious; advice-seeking messages should be kept to the advice blog, so I can reply appropriately without bothering or triggering other followers; any other types of messages, such as simple questions, comments, or showing of support can be sent to the main blog.
• I will usually answer messages privately, unless I feel there is a reason to publish it (a common issue people may be having, for example). Of course, anonymous messages need to be published. All messages I get are answered, so if you don’t see it, please be sure to check BOTH blogs; if it is on neither, check the messages archive. If you still can’t find it, then you can message me about it. It’s quite possible that Tumblr may have eaten it, if you can’t find it anywhere, since I am very meticulous in my archiving.
• After being published on either blog for 24 hours, all messages are moved to the messages archive, to be consistent with the system as I started it, and to keep everything all in one page.
