Start-up Culture Is Complicit in Spreading Hate
The problem with technology platforms is rooted in start-up culture. Agile. Lean. Market size. Time-to-market. User take-up. Engagement rate. These are terms that help start-ups compete across “how much” and “by when.”
Read full story7 Things to Do Outdoors in New York in Spring 2021
(Side note - have dictionaries changed the definition of "zoom" yet?) As we've seen in 2020, falling infection rates cue a loosening of restrictions. In New York City, indoor dining has opened up to 50% capacity starting March 19, and concert and sports venues are expected to start at 20% capacity from April 1st.
Read full storyI’m Redefining “Close Relationships” in Lockdown
When I think about people close to me, I encounter a thick fog, oblivious to anything on the other side. I don’t know what it means to be “close” anymore. If you ask me who I speak to the most, I can think of the top two people.
Read full storyA Lesson in Accepting Imperfection
I’ve got a shelf full of cosmetics and nowhere to use them. What’s the point in wearing make-up if there is no one in sight to tell me, "Oh I love that color on you"?. I’ve spent years, soon to be decades, of my life doing stuff with someone’s opinion in mind.
Read full storyMy Child's Birth Day Is Uncertain
I don’t know if I want to have kids. I’m 27, but I may as well be 19 or 43. Must there be a number saying when I should consider creating offspring?. First, let’s get the elephant out of the room.
Read full storyIf Your Marriage Were a Person, What Would It Say?
I believe marriage should come with a break clause. "I take thee to be my lawful wedded person, to have and to hold, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part. Should I not work hard enough to uphold my end of the bargain, thou art free to dump me."
Read full storyI Am Dying and I Have a Greater Appreciation for Life
If you’ve arrived here expecting a dying woman’s wise take on life, I’m not going to lead you on any further. I neither purport to be wise nor am I imminently dying. But if you’d like to partake in a thought experiment, indulge my dramatic opening a while longer.
Read full storyI Am Sabotaging My Wellbeing to Care for Others
I don’t want to be productive. I don’t want to create, work, produce, do good. And whatever other terms fit snugly under the umbrella of “Should.”. But my mind won’t let me be. Sometimes I can’t fall asleep at night because random words are flying through my head. Often they’re not words — just letters, trying to form some molecular chain that can save humanity.
Read full storyMy Favourite 5 Quotes on Love: New Perspectives
I am a child of the ‘90s. I will feign not ignorance, but bliss, in having little clue what J.Lo meant by “Love Don’t Cost a Thing.”. I think love is the most expensive thing out there.
Read full storyIf You Want to Recover, Accept Fear
A year ago today, I had the scariest plane ride of my life. Not because of heavy turbulence, or even early signs of a pandemic. I wasn’t afraid of flying. I was afraid I’d never recover from a syndrome that impaired my brain functions.
Read full storyIf You Want to Improve a Habit, Remove the Shame
I find myself uttering a silent ‘oh no, not again’ when my body fails to deliver as expected. It’s not my favorite way to start the day. But it’s a common one. I’ve been struggling to wake up before 9 a.m. without a headache.
Read full story20 Reasons to Trust Blindly in Your Life’s Meaning
A man stopped me yesterday in Leicester Square with this question:. "Do you want to go to Heaven?" A preacher could be heard over the megaphone in the near distance. ‘Jehova’s Witnesses,’ I thought. ‘Maybe Evangelical.’
Read full storyI Still Trust Men Even Though Some Are Abusive
I’m in the supermarket, listening to my “Made for you” playlist. Of course, “Who Run the World” comes up. Cheering me on as I decide between tomato soups — plain or with basil.
Read full storyWhen You Don’t Feel Like Creating, Use Your Craft
Let's explore the intersection of creativity and mental health. On a Zoom coffee morning, actress Susan Wokoma recently said:. “Your creative tools come into play when you don’t feel like creating.” - Susan Wokoma.
Read full storyIf You Think Free Speech is Dying, Take Notes from Romanian Politics
My first ever hashtag was released into the Internet 6 years ago. Believe you me, I would have postponed it if I could. But I had to take a stand. My country’s democracy was up in flames and I was present when the sparks were ignited.
Read full storyYou Don’t Have to Like Someone to Love Them
In my defense, I love my sleep. I love it so much that, over the past 4 weeks, its disrupted patterns made me appreciate every second of slumber. So, naturally, when I came across a virtual retreat with calls beginning at 4 a.m. UK time —
Read full storyRecovering From Perfectionism: An Addict's Diary
My name is Ioana and I am a perfectionist. I am working hard not to be, but I accept that there may always be a grain of it left at the bottom of the jar. I won’t go into how perfectionism affects my life just yet. I might freak out and not be able to finish this piece.
Read full storyThe “Feeling Paradox” Allows Depression and Happiness to Coexist
This week was the first time I publicly admitted that I have been suffering from depression, anxiety, and a specific form of OCD. Saying “anxiety” and “OCD” wasn’t too scary — as they tend to be exonerated as the loud, hyperactive sibling of high-performance and perfectionism.
Read full storyWhite Privilege Makes It Easy to Be Silent
My white fragility is crumbling under the weight of past and current colonialism, black death, and global grief. I don’t expect consolation for my guilt and inadequacy. I expect to be called out for doing the insensitive thing. The ignorant thing. The privileged thing. The racist thing.
Read full storyI Am a Radical Feminist
There are a few places that are bound to absorb the odor of rotten utterances. The comments section of pretty much any public figure or newspaper. For the most part, I have given the first two a rest.
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