We all come to a place in life where we realize that control is an illusion. We can plan, prepare, and organize, but no matter how diligently we try to force things to occur, life always seems to remind us that we are not in control. Instead of fighting, I am learning to yield. I... Continue Reading →
Danita Carter was drained, the kind that penetrated to the bone and tugged at the edges of her eyelids. It was nearing midnight, and she stood in her small apartment kitchen, delicately taking a cheesecake out of the oven. The plum-colored sweet potato filling was smooth, the top golden in spots, waiting for its shiny... Continue Reading →
Life has a way of revealing the truth about the people around us. You don’t always see someone’s true character when everything is going smoothly. It’s often in difficult, unexpected, or transitional moments that the masks come off and you discover who’s genuinely in your corner—and who’s been pretending all along. Hard Times Reveal True... Continue Reading →
The silence between Katina and Vette strained as tight as a rope waiting to snap. Every glance, every word was heavy with tension neither woman was daring enough to face. The office was thriving, but the sleek surface concealed a storm brewing. The agency hosted a mixer that Friday night with potential clients and community... Continue Reading →
We are wired for connection. From our earliest ancestors relying on the tribe for survival to the modern dopamine hit of a new like or follow, our brains scream one overriding command: Be liked. Belong. This deep imperative renders one of life's most common experiences into a personal failure: being disliked. We usually get ourselves... Continue Reading →
The peace of that moment in the common room felt like a perfect, fragile bubble. It was a feeling Jayla clung to, a stark contrast to the cold panic of that Tuesday notification months ago. But at Helping Hands, bubbles were made to be popped. The first pinprick came the next morning. Resa, her voice... Continue Reading →
We'd rather imagine that our enemies are distant individuals a rival in some other city, a personal flaw we'll "get right one day," a looming issue that we can see from miles away. It makes us comfortable. It gives the illusion of power. But the truth is far more sinister. Whether on some figural battlefield,... Continue Reading →
Ever spent a day feeling totally drained, but when you thought back on it, you hadn't really done anything that taxing? Or been so caught up in a project you loved that hours flew by like minutes and you finished it feeling energized, not drained? No coincidence. It's the clear reflection of a simple yet... Continue Reading →
The gentle glow of Chika Harris's three monitors was the only light still lit on the 38th floor of AetherTech. It was Friday night at 8 PM. Again. Her fingers, that blur of proficient keystrokes, were still. She looked at the lines of code, not seeing solutions, but seeing cages. Another of her brilliant ideas... Continue Reading →
The Tuesday notification. A chilly, PDF email: "Your job has been eliminated." That's it. Five years of struggling along at the marketing agency, wiped out. Jayla Davis, 32, in her apartment in Fairview, the echoing of her now-shut-off work laptop the only sound. Panic growing, a wave of heat in her chest. Rent was coming... Continue Reading →
We've all been there the suffocating burden of a past failure that repeats, the rage of a situation we have no control over, or the silent disappointment when others don't meet our expectations. It drains us. It's like trying to race with a sack of rocks on your shoulders. Imagine you could put that backpack... Continue Reading →
Have you ever found yourself saying things like “I’m not good enough,” “I’ll never get it right,” or “Nothing ever works out for me”? These thoughts may seem like simple whispers, but over time, they grow into strong beliefs that shape how we see ourselves and our future. It’s time to change your thoughts. It’s... Continue Reading →
The front door to the Macklin Youth Empowerment Center creaked shut behind Alaina Burris as she stepped into the dimly lit main room. The late afternoon sun threw long shadows across the tiled floor, catching on the faces of the children in the framed photos along the wall. Kids smiling during coding class, a dance... Continue Reading →
There’s a quiet sacred truth that so many people learn the hard way: how you treat others can determine how long your blessings last. In this unpredictable world status, money, and attention often take center stage, it's easy to forget that these things are fragile. They can feel permanent earned, deserved, even guaranteed but they’re... Continue Reading →
Family is often seen as a safe haven a place of unconditional love, support, and belonging. But what happens when the very people meant to nurture and protect you become a source of pain, confusion, and emotional manipulation? For those of us with narcissistic family members, this is a painful reality we rarely speak openly... Continue Reading →
In every community, workplace, family, or online space, there’s always one thing that spreads faster than truth: rumors. People talk about other people constantly. They whisper, assume, judge, and speculate all without having the full picture. But there’s an ancient proverb that still rings true today:“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a... Continue Reading →
Mentally, I’ve cut everyone off. And I’m okay with it. Lately, I’ve felt something shift inside me. Not suddenly, not all at once but slowly, like a fog rolling in and settling over everything. I’ve mentally cut everyone off. No angry fallouts. No dramatic announcements. Just… silence. Distance. A quiet unraveling of connections I no... Continue Reading →
Life isn’t always neat. Sometimes it unravels. Sometimes, it explodes. And sometimes, it throws us into a whirlwind where nothing seems to make sense. But what if the chaos is not here to break us… but to awaken us? There’s a strange wisdom in disorder. When things fall apart, they also fall into place. The... Continue Reading →
Moments in life when growth feels solitary when change arrives like a wave crashing against the shore of who we once were. But beneath the noise of uncertainty, a quieter truth pulses:I do not rise alone.I rise with all that has ever lived within me.Each breath I take is borrowed from generations past. It carries... Continue Reading →
There is a knowing that rises from the soul a remembrance that we were not sent here to suffer endlessly.We are not here to make altars out of agony.We are here to transmute. To liberate. To return to wholeness. I will not live in service to pain.This is a prayer. A declaration. A line drawn... Continue Reading →
I call my power. With the guidance and protection of my ancestors.Protect my spirit. Shield my soul.Let the winds of truth circle me wide,No lies may pass, no fear may hide. I summon strength from root to crown,No force may shake, no chain hold down.My heart is flame, my will is steel,What I declare, the... Continue Reading →
You’ve probably heard it before — maybe at a family dinner, in conversation with a friend, or when confronting someone about a problematic relative:“That’s just how they’ve been their whole life.”I heard this so much recently about my husband's mother and her behavior during this entire ordeal since he passed.It’s meant to be the end... Continue Reading →
There’s something beautiful about moving at your own pace. Not rushing to keep up. Not slowing down to fit in. Just listening — really listening — to your own rhythm. In a world constantly telling us how to live, what to chase, who to be… there’s power in saying: “I'm doing my own thing.” Your... Continue Reading →
Nedra Williams stood in the bustling kitchen of Soul & Sandwich, the aroma of simmering spices and freshly baked bread enveloping her like a warm hug. The deli had become her sanctuary, a place where she transformed challenges into opportunities with the unwavering support of her talented team. Yet, as the excitement of their new... Continue Reading →
Life is fleeting. We’re not here forever, and if there’s one truth we all share, it’s that we don’t know how much time we have left. But within that uncertain window, we are given a choice: to live passively, or to live purposefully — to make a difference, to leave a mark, and to inspire.... Continue Reading →
°A New Dawn in Goodwin° Nedra Williams stood at the threshold of her new life, staring at the unfamiliar skyline of Goodwin. The air was crisp, a stark contrast to the warm, laid-back breezes of her hometown on the West Coast. She remembered the moment she received the transfer notice from her company, a well-established... Continue Reading →
Have you ever just known something without knowing how? Or felt someone’s emotions as if they were your own? Maybe you’ve caught a scent that reminded you of a loved one who’s passed, even though there was no source for it. These experiences may not be coincidences—they could be signs that you're tuning in to... Continue Reading →
Hello, my wonderful community, I want to share something personal and important with you. As many of you know, I’ve been on a journey of transformation since the heartbreaking loss of my husband of 14 years. This season of life has brought deep reflection, growth, and change—inside and out. Yet, through every tear, memory, and... Continue Reading →
“I am the dream of my ancestors—walking, breathing, remembering.” I come from a people who knew freedom long before captivity. My blood carries the rhythm of warriors and midwives, landkeepers and storytellers. My spirit remembers the soil of Mississippi, the wisdom of Choctaw ancestors, and the resistance woven into the roots of North Carolina. I... Continue Reading →
*The Exit Strategy* At 54, Priscilla Simon knew the walls of her high-rise tech office better than her own living room. Sleek chrome desks, the endless hum of processors, and innovation that never slept—none of it stirred her anymore. When the firm announced it was shutting down due to a quiet acquisition, most of her... Continue Reading →
Part 1 Dondra Bevins pressed her thumb against the elevator button in the old Davenville Municipal Building, the metal scratched and dulled from decades of fingers. The thing groaned when it opened, just like always. As she stepped inside, she adjusted the straps of her tan faux-leather tote bag, crammed with pamphlets, folders, and a... Continue Reading →
The buzz around Tasheena Armstrong’s return to Newberry hadn’t died down. Her monthly event, Coloring Outside the Lines, was now hosted at the old Mayfield schoolhouse, newly leased by her nonprofit. But beneath the bright murals and community smiles, shadows stirred. One week after filing her nonprofit papers, Tasheena received an envelope with no return... Continue Reading →
We often hear a lot about self-care, boundaries, and healing. But one crucial conversation that often gets swept under the rug is about accountability — especially when it comes to how we treat others. Mistreating people and then avoiding accountability has quietly become a toxic pattern in personal relationships, workplaces, and even communities. It's when... Continue Reading →
Grace Hill, 2023. The morning mist hung low over the land, like a secret trying to stay hidden. The Gardner farm had changed, but not too much. The barn, now painted deep blue, held solar panels on its roof. The veterinary clinic was run by Dr. Kira Gardner—Janice and Eric’s only daughter, a sharp, soft-spoken... Continue Reading →
Three Years Later The office at Blakeship Corporation buzzed with the same intensity it always had—phones ringing, keyboards clicking, and the occasional laughter from the breakroom—but something inside Staci Williams felt different. She sat in her corner office, the city skyline painting the backdrop behind her, and read her resignation letter one last time. It... Continue Reading →
Tasheena Armstrong adjusted her sunglasses as the cab curved down the two-lane road leading into Newberry. The town looked both familiar and foreign. The old signs were still there: Mr. Boone’s Hardware, Miss Georgia’s Sweet Rolls, and the red-brick courthouse in the square. But now, a modern coffee shop with outdoor seating had popped up... Continue Reading →
The decision not to merge with Sameka’s company had given Drena a momentary sense of peace, but peace was fleeting in her world. SparkDigital was booming, and with that success came an overwhelming tide of responsibilities. New contracts were rolling in, including a major deal with a federal agency that would elevate the firm’s status... Continue Reading →
Spring 2025 blanketed Bloomfield Heights in magnolia blooms and a fresh wave of energy. The Reserve at Bloomfield Heights had become the talk of the town—a hotspot for food lovers, tastemakers, and celebrities alike. Aja’s curated seasonal menu, featuring dishes like miso-glazed halibut with collard green risotto and bourbon pecan peach cobbler, was lauded as... Continue Reading →
The city had changed. Or maybe Janice and Eric had. The streets that once buzzed with opportunity now echoed like empty promises. Corporate layoffs had hit Janice's finance firm hard. Eric’s clinic, once beloved, had been replaced with a trendy pet spa that barely accepted walk-ins, let alone folks who couldn’t afford a gold-tier grooming... Continue Reading →
Step into a world where spirituality, resilience, and destiny intertwine in The Veil Between Worlds, a novel that delves deep into the power of ancestral wisdom, personal reinvention, and the delicate balance between two realms. At the heart of the story is Sayge Herrington, a brilliant and spiritually gifted woman navigating life between corporate America... Continue Reading →
Larissa Fields stood in front of her beauty salon, “Fields of Elegance,” the mid-afternoon sun casting a warm glow on the vibrant sign. The salon had been a staple in this historic Black neighborhood for twenty years, a sanctuary where people came not just for haircuts and styles, but for the sense of community that... Continue Reading →
A House Full of Secrets- Dara Nix sat on the sectional in her living room, her swollen feet propped up on the ottoman. The modernized home she had inherited from her grandparents felt different these days. The laughter that once filled it had quieted, replaced by tension neither she nor Genevieve Washington wanted to speak... Continue Reading →
As I embark on a journey I once shied away from, I find myself confronting the fears that have kept me from fully embracing my identity as a writer. For years, I let the notion of being a "good writer" held by others intimidate me, causing me to silence the vivid characters and intricate stories... Continue Reading →
Tangie was ecstatic about her upcoming move to Germany, courtesy of a new promotion. With her parents having served in the military, Tangie had spent a significant portion of her life in Germany before relocating to the States in high school; however, she and her parents regularly returned to Germany to reconnect with friends. As... Continue Reading →
Nicole, Denise, and Jacinta had forged a bond in college that felt unbreakable, but as their careers took off—Nicole in marketing, Denise as a tech entrepreneur, and Jacinta as a social worker—their lives became a whirlwind of deadlines, meetings, and responsibilities. The trio decided that a week in Thailand would be the perfect remedy for... Continue Reading →
Alysha had always believed in the goodness of people, which made her ex-best friend Vee’s betrayal even harder to bear. They were childhood friends, sharing dreams and secrets. But when Vee’s jealousy spiraled out of control, she stole Alysha’s identity and drained her bank account, leaving Alysha to face the consequences. As the investigation unfolded,... Continue Reading →
Staci Williams had always been ambitious. As a young Black woman navigating the competitive corporate world, she knew the road wouldn’t be easy, but she worked tirelessly to climb the ladder. Her weeks were consumed by early mornings, late nights, and endless meetings. By the time Friday rolled around, she was often too exhausted to... Continue Reading →
Thee Juju Aura 
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