Every day, middle school me spent hours practicing tennis alone against a backboard, with only my imagination to keep me company. At the time, all I focused on was perfecting my form, not realizing that I was also inadvertently training something even more important: the ability to daydream.
At first glance, nothing about me stays the same. I navigate the world, absorbing its many lessons and transforming my perspective over and over again. But if you look closer, you’ll see one constant: a golden pendant with a delicately carved compass draped around my neck at all times.
Powerless to stop these injustices when she was younger, Heaven was now fully equipped to make a tangible difference in her community. She knew plenty of people worked in the big cities, but who would advocate for people in Appalachia? Immediately, Heaven rose to the challenge.
This story starts at 5 a.m., though it easily could have begun much later. With a bus scheduled to leave at 9 a.m. from a station barely five minutes away from my hotel, a few more hours of sleep would’ve been the logical decision.
A scheme is a secret, systematic plan developed over an extended timeframe, aiming to create joy for others. It culminates in one giant “reveal” moment.
A “bit” refers to a playful routine or a humorous exchange among friends, often a series of related jokes strung together. In my experience, bits are the most fun-spirited way to encourage genuine human connection and laughter.
The value of painful emotions is twofold. First, they serve as a signal of your deeper character—for example, sadness might be a signal that you are compassionate. Second, painful emotions are a call to action.
I fundamentally disagree with the idea of “finding” happiness. I believe you should make your own happiness, no matter where you are.
I’ve always been well acquainted with boredom. When I was younger, my boredom fueled my imagination as I turned my uncle’s feather duster into a ballerina or rooted for raindrops racing across the windshield. But as I grew older, boredom became something much more meaningful: a tool for me to find a sense of home.
