The sweet reason strangers are writing on their hands to support one another.
February's all about love, and not just for others.
Jordan Corcoran has lived with anxiety and panic disorders for years, but very few people knew.
Eventually, she found a creative and emotional outlet in writing. In person, she struggled to express herself, but in writing, she was able to explain her feelings in a much clearer, healthier way.
And that's part of why she started Listen, Lucy, an outlet for people to communicate their feelings freely (and anonymously, if they'd like). Listen, Lucy's mission is simple: "To create a less judgmental, more accepting world."
"This idea of 'Your first true love should be yourself' came up, and it just clicked."
That's what Corcoran says about a new social media campaign she launched, called "Listen Lucy, Self Love," which encourages people to share the thing they like most about themselves with the world by writing it on their hands and sharing it with people across social media. Corcoran's goal is to give everyone a reason to think about the great things going on in their lives.
"[Listen, Lucy and Listen, Lucy Self Love are] about learning to love yourself, flaws and all," she told Upworthy. "It is about using your story to inspire and accept the hand you were dealt and never letting yourself become a victim of circumstance."
All images from Listen, Lucy. Used with permission.
People have a tendency to portray themselves on social media in a way that only shows their idealized selves.
Studies have shown this. Society makes us feel like we should put on a smile and a brave face, and the fact that everything is filtered through the lens of best photos, best experiences, and best everything certainly doesn't make things much easier. When we see others' public lives looking so wonderful, we tend to feel as though our own lives are worse, and this can take a toll on self-esteem.
What's cool is that the new Listen, Lucy Self Love project doesn't do that at all. Instead, it manages to encourage people to take pride in whatever it is they like about themselves while at the same time being proud of their vulnerabilities.
Interested in making your own post (or just interested in seeing other people's submissions) for #ListenLucySelfLove? Here's how.
It's as simple as writing something you like about yourself on your palm, taking a selfie, and posting it to Twitter or Instagram along with the hashtags #TheAcceptanceMovement and #ListenLucySelfLove.
Whether it's something like "My personality," "My kindness for others," or "My freckles," the responses are as wonderful and unique as the individuals posting them. What's yours?
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Not just coworkers—family, friends, strangers, kids…
Imagine having to go so badly but being out of euros. 
Anything hobbit-esque can't be wrong. 
But what if you need pain meds AND mascara?!
Imagine how this would affect childcare.
Honestly…where's the lie?
A brown buddha statue sits near a green mountain. Photo by 
Urgent dash to the bathroom! 🚪🏃♂️
Ladybug unexpectedly found during colonoscopyPhoto credit: 
Close-up of bottom of ladybug found in colonPhoto credit: 
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."