What I Learned About Self-Discovery from “Heart of Darkness”
I’ve long suffered with the fear of not being well-received as a writer. It’s the kind of dreaded existential terror that haunts a prolific writer’s nightmares. As I noticed my writing becoming denser and more convoluted, I worried I’d eventually reach a point where the only person who could decipher my prose would be me. […]
My Mind is a Racetrack
My mind is a racetrack with too many open loops.Much of the time it hosts a free-for-all of racing thoughts, zooming past one another at breakneck speeds, leaving behind trails of dust, confusion, and expletives. Every corner is littered with distractions, detours, and unfinished business, waiting to be completed. The gray matter in my skull […]
You Just Do You
There’s truckloads of advice out there on how to be the best version of yourself. We’re constantly bombarded with “life hacks” and “success habits” as if we’re all malfunctioning robots just one app away from a factory reset. But, most of this advice is about as useful as an ejector seat on a helicopter. I’ve […]
How to Find Our Essential Purpose
Finding our purpose in Life is something every one of us strives to do. It seems only a tiny fraction of us ever find that purpose, though. But, it really shouldn’t be that way. More recently, I’ve been seeking what I like to call an “essential purpose.” I strongly believe each and every one of […]
Your Reality Reflects Your Frame of Reference
Ever have one of those days where you feel like the world is out to get you? Maybe your morning tea tasted like dishwater, your boss gave you that death stare, and even your favorite pair of jeans suddenly don’t fit right. Okay, before you spiral into an abyss of self-pity, let me ask you […]
Taking Flight
Years ago, I was assigned an essay about what my superpower would be if I could have just one. I don’t recall if it was for a college scholarship or something, but interestingly enough, my answer remains the same as it did back in 2005. If I could have one superpower, it would be the […]
Every Day is Noteworthy
It’s easy to assume that few days of our lives are noteworthy. Many days simply meld together in our minds without hesitation, and rarely do we regret when they’re over. Yet, I’ve learned that it’s helpful to give special attention to every day and find something in it, no matter how small, to find noteworthy. […]
Each Day is an Experiment (Or Is It An Exercise in Futility?)
I’ve come to see life as a grand experiment, in which every day is a new opportunity to try something different. Unfortunately, it’s more often like the daily grind of throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. The monotony of modern existence has left me pondering that infamous quote: “Even if you win […]
Finding Joy in Losing
Losing: the inevitable, unavoidable, soul-crushing experience that society insists we should dread like the plague. We live in a world that worships the winners, those who reach the pinnacle of success with a shiny trophy in one hand and a smug smile on their faces. Honestly, though, how often does that actually happen to any […]