I learned a surprising truth about happiness and meaning from a Harry Potter windshield sticker I saw while sitting in a traffic jam. On the sticker was a picture of the Deathly Hallows–an important symbol in the book series and films. But that sticker didn’t just tell me the driver was a Harry Potter fan. It showed me how important stories are to our lives.
Have you ever felt like you didn’t have a place to belong? You want to be part of something bigger than yourself — something that gives your life more meaning. Perhaps you’ve found some of…
How have your stress levels been this year?
Are you constantly worried about what you see on the news or social media?
Will the mere mention of “2020” elevate your heart rate and cause stress in the coming years?
Rounding out this year, the twists and turns keep coming. The reality of how little is in your control hits close to home.
If you live in the United States — like me — you’ve just lived through a tumultuous election season. The trauma this election caused is yet to be determined. …
Have you ever gotten stuck while trying to write a piece of content?
I know how you feel. You’re jamming away writing and then you hit a wall. There is more you want to say, but you don’t know how how to say it. You stare at your screen for a few minutes, then you go back and re-read what you have already written hoping to clear the path forward. Nothing.
Then the answer hits you in the face–you’re a terrible writer.
I’m only kidding, but that‘s one of the many lies your brain will fabricate when you are stuck…
A faith that never changes is not solid, it is dead.
On the first day of seminary, a professor told my incoming class “Every one of you carries around a suitcase full of your beliefs about the Christian faith. Throughout this journey, you will take everything out of your suitcase and examine it. You will choose to keep some. You will choose to replace some others. And some you may choose to discard.”
There are some beliefs and perspectives that serve you for a while. But time, experiences, and maturity force you to rethink your beliefs.
We like to think…
If you have tried journaling before and given up on it, there is a simple reason why you failed. You are overthinking it.
If you are reading this article, you already know cultivating a journaling practice is important. But a lot of people fail at journaling because they make it too complicated. You stress over what you should write about. You overthink how to journal correctly and try to force your writing into a structure.
Like you, I had tried to keep a journal in the past and got bored or quit after a few months. Then, I took journaling…
Change is bad.
At least, that is what the advertisement said when I was a kid. It was an ad for Hershey’s chocolate and was celebrating the company’s centennial birthday. The ad worked because it connected to people’s emotions. It names your fear of change and desire to avoid it.
You have gone through change before, right?
Everyone has at some point. You have experienced the unknown, wrestled with pain, and faced the uncertainty of change. …
Do you believe struggle makes you stronger?
If you do, you can thank Friedrich Nietzsche. At least in part.
Nietzsche was a German philosopher whose writing and ideas still impact the way most Westerners approach their lives.
The idea of gaining strength through adversity, the quest for personal greatness, the desire to follow your passion and live on your terms — all these are cultural currents Nietzsche helped shape. He is one of the most read (if controversial) philosophers of the Twentieth Century.
Nietzsche can be difficult to understand and has been widely misinterpreted. His critics call him everything from…
Thank you! We all have a long way to go, and we can all learn from each other. That's why this is such a great platform. Thanks for reading.
If you want to write irresistible content, you need to ask yourself the right questions.
Imagine you have finished the draft you worked on for days. At this point, you are certain all you have is a convoluted mess of words splatters across the page. Your attempts to edit your draft only confirm your suspicions, and pretty soon you are ready to quit writing forever. Do you know the feeling?
Maybe there is still hope.
You need a framework for creating clarity. Something that will help you sharpen your ideas and make your writing irresistible to readers.
I used to…
Over the door of an athletic complex in ancient Greece was a sign reading Strip or Retire.
In those days people–well, men–exercised and played sports in the nude. The sign over the door was both an invitation and a warning. If you come through these doors, you must take part in the struggle.
No spectators allowed.
The point, you might say, was to have skin in the game. Taking part in life is the only way to know if you’re going somewhere in life.
I dare you to go into the settings on your phone and see which apps you…