A down-on-his-luck father gets an unexpected change in perspective — I got fired from my job exactly one week before Christmas. My manager didn’t even have the decency to do it early in the day. …

Self-knowledge is the ultimate superpower. — According to legend, the Temple of Apollo in Greece bore the inscription “Know thyself.” That inscription still fascinates us because we haven’t mastered its wisdom. We make decisions we know we will regret because they’re easy and convenient. Self-awareness is a lifelong journey. If you could truly understand yourself, you’d…

The bar is shockingly low. — We love to destroy our heroes. Such is the mood of the age, we look for reasons to tear down men and women who do great things in life. If their lives don’t mesh with our modern sensibilities, we take sadistic joy in seeing them crumble. What does it take…

Stop ruminating on the old and embrace a new reality. — Most people believe that with enough time, they’ll be able to let go of the past and move on to a better future. …

“I don’t think we’re going to make it to the campsite, babe, look at those dark clouds,” said Maddie, pointing to the sky. Jake stopped a few steps ahead of her and looked at the angry cluster of clouds gathering overhead. She was right. It looked like the clouds could…

Nature fights back against a hotshot land developer — “Is she still in there?” says Norman as he gets out of his black BMW and surveys the landscape. “Yes sir, as of a few minutes ago. Several guys said they saw her,” I say, trying not to make this who debacle sound stranger than it already is. “And she…

For when the usual advice just won’t cut it — It’s easy to get stuck in a rut writing. We’ve all been there. It’s like being lost in a maze, hitting dead-end after dead-end with each paragraph you write — or don’t write. Maybe you’ve even devoured countless articles and books about ‘improving your writing,’ but you’re still banging your…

The secret all great storytellers know — Everyone loves getting lost in a good story. Whether it’s Harry Potter’s adventures, Atticus Finch’s unwavering moral compass, or Jane Eyre’s resilience, stories shape us. They open doors to understanding and empathy. Stories spotlight what it means to be human. They help us walk in someone else’s shoes, even if…

Avoid them at your own cost — You’re going to die full of regret. If you follow society’s prescribed path, it’s all but inevitable. Why? Because most people spend their lives achieving other people’s goals. It’s not that you don’t have dreams, but you stifle them in the name of being practical. Pretty soon a decades pass…