Featured articles
A few specially selected articles from each new edition will be available in this convenient space. Access all editions here.
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Trust Times of Shadow
It was my senior year of college, the year I thought I would walk across a stage and accept my diploma. I envisioned this incredible ceremony, surrounded by friends, with a job waiting me. However, reality had a different story to tell. I clearly remember the day my life changed. I woke up feeling…
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What the Heck Happened to Education?
All that writing was just ink on a page.The last trend I will ever experience is the most absurd of all.All students need rigorous, profound, well-rounded instruction. Instructors will excel in different ways at different times. I have worked at a suburban high school for over twenty years. We began with a mostly white and…
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Born Magical
We’re born magical, yet that internal gift is often squelched.When we listen, we are freed from the bondage of fear. You can regain your mission and purpose. After writing The Healing Moment: 7 Paths to Turn Messes into the Miracle of Love, people told me they never realized that they have had healing moments. Others…
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“I Love You with All My Heart”
I often told my mother that I love her with all my heart, even if that meant with only half of it. The other half of my heart never developed. I have a congenital defect called Hypoplastic Right Heart, Pulmonary Atresia with an intact ventricular septum. In simple terms, the ventricle that would normally pump blood…
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A Walk through Fire
Since Covid first began, like many people, I’ve experienced complete annihilation in certain areas of my life—the parts I’ve always considered the most important. As far as I can tell, the pandemic is a forced shift away from how we’ve been doing things and towards a New and Better Way of Existing. And not just…
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Your Dig-Down
How many people live inside my head? I do know it’s crowded, and sometimes they really get in the way of each other. I reach for the freezer door to pull out the ice cream. Voice 1 responds, “Nope, remember you’re cutting down on sugar.” Voice 2 weakly objects, “Yes but . . .” I…
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Taken Away, Again
I am Ilze Marie Madeiros, but that wasn’t always my name. I used to be Ilze […]
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Playing with Playlists
If I had a nickel for every playlist I’ve made in my life, I would just go ahead and […]
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Hanging by a Thread
As I’m about to doze off, an idea strikes me. Grumbling but excited, I grab […]
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Bring on the Party!
Yes! Bring on all the Holliday cheer that surrounds us in November and December! However, let’s not bring on the average 5-10 extra pounds everyone gains. Ever wonder why we go on diets in January? You guessed it. It’s not just to get ready for beach season. It’s also to lose the “ugh” we gained…
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Adolescent Conformity and Groupthink on Social Media
American adolescents sacrifice individuality for the social validation of assimilation. Social media promotes assimilation as the predominant manner of connecting with others. Influencers or public figures dominate digital discourse at the expense of ordinary citizens. Some digital ideas are drowned out by the most powerful members of society. Social media platforms are conformist by design…
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Criticism: Helpful or Harmful?
Criticism: the art of defining the qualities or merits of a thing; discrimination or discussion of character or quality. The creative writing teacher marked up the short story Emily turned in at the end of the semester—and it was virtually covered with red marks! Lots of sentences were crossed out and different words inserted instead.…
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Dominos
By October, panic erupted in my chest when I thought about the future. How wonderful it is to create things like this! I took a deep breath, tapping the side of my keyboard nervously, wondering if I was about to make the best decision of my life or a horrible mistake. The Common App website…
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Is It LOVE or ADDICTION?
John would lure her back, buy her presents, promise a committed future. Conflicts were fixed by sharing their true thoughts and feelings, not with sex. You are not here to struggle with anger, guilt, and resentment Surprisingly, it’s become difficult for many lovers to connect in lasting intimacy. Dating has almost become a thing of…
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Stay Safe Out There
In an emergency, Boeing directs pilots to follow these steps: Tammy Jo Shults was a U.S. Navy pilot and the captain piloting a Boeing 737 passenger aircraft when an engine blew at 32,000 feet in 2018. She relied on the steps above along with her extensive experience and training to land the plane and save…
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Effortless Effort
Ever experience a time when all the stars seem to align and everything is perfect? Most of us have had that experience. It’s a Monday morning. The night before, you had the presence of mind to select a new shirt or sweater or outfit to wear for work the next day. Perhaps you even shined…
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Life Is the Meal. Flavor It Well!
Gary Vanynerchuk is a passionate entrepreneur that leverages social media to become one of the greatest. I have been following him on Instagram and Youtube since college, in 2018. His content is enjoyable because he motivates and inspires me to achieve on another level. I just finished reading his newest book Twelve and a Half…
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The Pride of a Roar
One day, a hungry lion, resting under a tree, saw a porcupine coming out of his burrow. It’s natural to seek comfort when the world becomes unsettled. Trust is never found outside of ourselves. I hear the regret they feel for silencing their voice. Evening will soon fall upon the African plains. As the day’s…
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Patience
Summer in Thailand is monsoon season, but even as the sun sets, the air remains sticky and heavy, and the sun-bathed ground warms the soles of my bare feet. I lace my fingers together to keep from reaching for my mother. She would hold my hand if I ask, but I don’t. The room before…
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Shhh!
Lord, it happened again. I overheard not one, but TWO conversations at the same time. I nearly lost my mind. When confronted with this scenario, many people would ignore the chatter completely while others might eagerly lean in for juicy tidbits of gossip. However, those who live with developmental differences like autism or ADHD incur…
