I left the track in shock, asking myself, “What did I do wrong? Is this really how the story ends?” — I had just competed in the qualifying rounds of the women's triple jump at the Tokyo Olympics. The auto-qualifying mark wasn’t one that I couldn’t have easily done any other year, yet on this day, I was far from it. No one pursues a dream for a decade and expects…

Asking Gandhi about Mental Health and Happiness — I think about the great minds, personalities, and influencers of the world and I wish that I could sit down, have tea, and casually talk with them about worldly happenings or their spiritual journeys. Lately, I’ve thought about the topic of negative self-talk. A couple of weeks ago, I competed…

Creating a Life of Love, Joy, and Mental Wellness — I remember the first time I created an ‘anthem’ for myself. I felt emotionally isolated, discouraged, and depleted. It was at a time when it seemed the nights lasted infinitely longer than the day. After weeks of this, I heard a voice whisper to me, “How much longer?” How much…

Tips to articulate your heart — I’m one of those people who sees a sunset and cries while whispering, “It’s so beautiful”. I’m someone who will get emotional if I see a child who is outrageously happy about getting pizza for lunch. …

Every day, we hear more and more stories from creatives about their fears regarding society’s use of AI. AI can mimic your voice and create million-dollar feature film ads in just a few hours. It can write scripts, novels, and plays that rival, if not surpass, the most famous works…

How spring exposes those in despair. On the morning of April 1st, I was sent a portion of a poem, The Waste Land by the famous T.S Eliot. “April is the cruelest month, breeding Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing Memory and desire, stirring Dull roots with spring rain. …

Reframing what ‘realistic’ love means to me — I’ve loved love for as long as I can remember. When we passed out store-bought valentines to our elementary school classmates, I always made sure to give the largest one to the boy I liked. In sixth grade, the boy was Sam. I anonymously wrote him handmade letters for two…

Exploring ways to brighten your mind, body, and spirit A grey looming abyss lurks outside my bedroom window. Is it dusk or dawn? It’s hard to tell just from looking outside. I haven’t seen the sun in days, maybe even weeks. Time does weird things when there is no light…

How a night at the beauty shop fueled my sense of belonging — I am an African American woman living in Athens, Greece. I’m used to going to the grocery store and seeing people that look like me. I am accustomed to attending events or bars and seeing other black people dancing and having fun. I grew up in a black Methodist church…