Introduction: When Family Trust Becomes Betrayal One thing I’ve learned about life is that some of the most disturbing crimes involve people who should be able to trust one another. That’s what makes the story of Andreaia Worthem, a 53-year-old mother from St. Louis County, Missouri, so heartbreaking. In July 2023, her own son, Andrew
Introduction: The Stories We Tell Ourselves One thing I’ve learned about life is that sometimes our emotions aren’t the biggest problem, but what we tell ourselves those emotions mean. We feel disappointed, frustrated, or worried and begin thinking we’ve failed or that things will never improve. Before long, those thoughts influence how we see ourselves
Understanding Our Emotions: Why We Don’t Have to Believe Everything We Think Read More »
Introduction: When Being Nice Comes at a Cost One thing I’ve learned about life is that trying to please everybody can eventually leave us unhappy with ourselves. Growing up, many of us were taught to be nice, avoid arguments, and respect other people’s feelings. Those are valuable lessons, but problems arise when being nice means
When Being Nice Becomes a Burden: The Difference Between Kindness and People-Pleasing Read More »
Introduction: The History We Never Knew Was Beneath Our Feet One thing I’ve learned about history is that sometimes the most remarkable discoveries are found in places nobody thinks to look. Imagine living in a house for years without knowing that an entire underground city lies beneath your neighborhood. That’s what reportedly happened in 1963
Introduction: When Personal Choice Becomes a Question of Legal Protection One thing I’ve learned about life is that the law doesn’t always reflect what most people consider right and wrong. Take the difference between agreeing to drink alcohol and agreeing to sexual activity. Those are two completely different decisions, yet some state laws have historically
Consent Is Not Complicated: Why Choosing to Drink Does Not Mean Choosing to Have Sex Read More »
Introduction: When Being Strong Becomes Exhausting One thing I’ve learned about life is that sometimes the people everyone depends on are the very ones nobody thinks to ask how they’re doing. That thought came to mind when I read a May 2026 article in Ebony magazine about Black women feeling exhausted by political uncertainty and
The Art of Giving Feedback: Why How We Communicate Matters as Much as What We Say Read More »
Introduction: The Privilege of Not Having to Worry One thing I’ve learned about life is that sometimes we have difficulty understanding other people’s struggles because we’ve never experienced them ourselves. That thought came to mind when I heard about a video featuring a man who appeared unconcerned about rising gasoline prices and the conflict involving
Introduction: Is Time What We Think It Is? One thing I’ve learned about life is that sometimes the things we take for granted are the things we understand the least. We assume yesterday is gone, today is here, and tomorrow hasn’t arrived. But what if time doesn’t work quite the way we’ve always believed? In
Is Yesterday Really Gone? What Einstein’s Theory of Time Teaches Us About Life Read More »
Introduction: When Words Hide Our True Feelings One thing I’ve learned about life is that we often use familiar words without thinking about what they really mean. Someone asks how we’re doing, and we automatically answer, “I’m fine,” even when we’re worried, disappointed, or having a difficult day. Those two words can end a conversation
The Words We Use Shape the Way We Think: The Value of Simple Language Read More »
Introduction: When Success Raises Another Question One thing I’ve learned about life is that sometimes the hardest part of reaching a goal is figuring out what to do next. We can spend years chasing a dream, making sacrifices, overcoming challenges, and believing that success will bring lasting happiness. Then one day, we finally accomplish what
What’s Next? Why Achieving One Goal Should Open the Door to Another Read More »