That statement, or idea, might seem too simple on paper, but give me a few minutes to explain what I mean. Then you can go ahead and poo-poo it if it still doesn’t fit. Think of that feeling when you’re stuck. Like you’re not making progress, not even a little bit. Or worse, you feel completely out of control. Your mind starts drifting into places it has no business being, and before you know it, you’ve become consumed by someone else’s foolishness. OK, I’ll give you an example of my own. I planned to edit a key chapter. Or maybe it was a blog post, or a note, even. I’d…
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The Machine Is Learning: Letβs Make Sure We Donβt Stop
Who remembers books? Just kidding! But alsoβ¦ not really.That mystical dimension before everything started finding us and we actually had to go looking for things. On the daily, I say something either out loud or just to me, within earshot of my phone, iPad, or laptop, and here goes my tech, serving up ads, articles, and videos of that thing to me all day long. I know the first few times that happened years ago, I probably thought it was luck. Nowadays we all know our devices are intentionally listening to us. Annoyingly so. Intrusively, even. And not to help us but to sell to us. And by ‘sell,’ I…
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Andropause? Suddenly Menopause Doesn’t Sound So Lonely
When the βMan-Flashesβ Enter the Chat Ladies, Babes, Luvs, we need to talkβ¦ and now! I don’t know where I’ve been, but only recently did some little internet birdies clue me into the fact that something called andropause exists. Andropause? Whatβs andropause, you say? In the simplest of words: Menopause for men, kinda. Not gonna lie, I did smirk a little. OK, beam with cheshire-cat full glee. We women, damn near since birth, have had all kinds of shit piled on us. Coming out of nowhere is what it feels like. Jumping us. Sneak-attacking us. Sliding in like skid marks. One minute weβre playing as equals with the boys, then…
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The Right Cake
(A short story by Irene B.) Kira stood in the long, winding pickup line at Bake My Day bakery, already late and already irritated. Her thick, mid-length hair was pulled into a neat, low bun, with loose curls escaping just enough to brush her warm brown cheeks. The place should have been fast. It always was when she wanted a quick sneaky treat, no latte needed, which meant she could skip the second line for the custom, overly complicated orders. Sheβd placed the cake order last week for pickup today. In the past, it took a few extra minutes to add in a few more sprinkles, encouraged by the competent…
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How to Keep Going When You Don’t Feel Like It
Stick to Your Plan, Not Your Mood Well, confession time, for most of last week, I hadn’t worked out in literally five days. Including barely jumping on my rebounder. It was a busy week, it was a short week, and it was my birthday on Monday. Happy Birthday to Meeeeeee! Side note: My birthday year had already been off to a cracking start with ‘My Boys’, Arsenal, lifting the Premier League trophy just the month before. Yeahβ¦ I’ll absolutely take that lovely gift! β€οΈπ€β€οΈ But back to this week, when the compressor thingamabob, whatchamacallit thing in our air conditioner unit broke, so it literally felt like I was sleeping in…
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As A Woman, Your Happiness Is Your Power
Why some people get uncomfortable when women are happy. Tell me if this is something youβve noticed, suspected, or outright discovered, that thereβs this special something about a rested woman. An unbothered spirit, a calm woman or even relatively steady woman that youβd think everyone would celebrate. But apparently, according to some corners of these here interwebs and in real life too, a woman who is genuinely content can make far too many people uncomfortable… strangely angered even. Freaking funny, isnβt it? Honestly, it’s a place I’d happily wallow in forever. But since life insists on life-ing, I’m learning to savor the moments, intentional and random, that I get to…