School
My First Business Venture
I’ve been reflecting on my current business project a lot lately, and I realized that my very first venture occurred when I was just ten years old in the Soviet Union. It’s a story I enjoy sharing because it illustrates that universal childhood desire to earn money and the creative lengths kids will go to achieve it.
By Baruh Polisabout a year ago in Confessions
"The Day I Learned to Shut Up and Listen
I used to think I had to have an answer for everything. If someone complained, I gave them a solution. If someone told me their problems, I tried to fix them. I thought that’s what being a man meant — solve, repair, rescue. Like life was just one long busted engine. Then one rainy Thursday, that changed. All because of a conversation I almost didn’t have. I was in this small diner off the highway, the kind that smells like burnt coffee and fried eggs no matter what time it is. I was on a business trip — stressed, tired, chewing through emails like they owed me money. I sat in a booth alone, my laptop open, pretending to be busy while waiting for my food. An old man in a navy work jacket shuffled in and asked if he could sit across from me. The place was nearly empty, but for some reason, I said, “Sure.” He didn’t order anything. Just sat there quietly, nodding every now and then while watching the rain through the window. After a few minutes, I got uncomfortable and made some dumb small talk about the weather. He smiled, said, “Been worse.” Then he looked at me and said, “You seem like the kind of guy who doesn’t listen much.” Now, I could’ve gotten defensive. Could’ve told him to mind his business. But something in his voice made me pause. It wasn’t insulting — it was just honest. “I listen,” I said, half-laughing. He shook his head. “You hear. That ain’t the same.” He told me about his daughter — how she used to call him crying when her marriage started falling apart. Said every time she called, he gave her advice. “Told her to leave him. Told her what to do. Told her everything but what she needed.” “What was that?” I asked. He leaned forward. “Someone to shut up and let her cry.” He said she eventually stopped calling. Said the last time they talked, she told him, “I didn’t need a mechanic, Dad. I needed a seatbelt.” That hit hard. Because I’d done the same thing — to friends, to my girlfriend, to people I cared about. I thought listening was waiting for my turn to talk. Or to fix. Or to prove I knew better. We sat in silence for a while. The rain got louder. The waitress refilled our coffee without asking. He stood up eventually, left a five-dollar bill on the table even though he never ordered, and said, “Sometimes the best thing you can say is nothing.” And just like that, he left. I never caught his name. I don’t know why he picked me that day, or if he said the same thing to everyone he met. But that stranger taught me something no book or podcast or TED talk ever did: Listening isn’t about waiting your turn — it’s about making space. Since then, I try to listen better. Not just with my ears, but with my face, my silence, my presence. When someone talks to me now, I don’t reach for a wrench. I reach for my attention. I try to be their seatbelt — not their repairman. And the crazy part? People open up more. They trust me more. Because I finally realized — the most powerful thing you can say in a conversation… is nothing at all.
By Rizwan about a year ago in Confessions
people who have nearly no close friends or family to lean on usually display these habits without realizing it
In today’s hyper-connected world, loneliness is a growing epidemic that often goes unnoticed. Not everyone who appears fine on the surface is truly okay inside. Some individuals have little to no emotional support—no close friends to confide in, no family members to rely on. And while they may function "normally" in society, they often display subtle, unconscious habits that point to a deeper lack of connection and support. These behaviors are not always easy to spot—even the people exhibiting them may be unaware.
By SophiaSosoabout a year ago in Confessions
10 Blatantly Sexist Remarks About Women Made by a Man
Anyone can be sexist — men, women, and people of other genders. Discrimination isn’t limited to one group. It’s horrible, disgusting, annoying, and very unfair. Unfortunately, this is something we have to encounter once in a while, because people suck. There it is, one of the most straightforward pieces of wisdom I can share with others: humans suck. Pardon my lack of scientific terminology.
By Olivia Chastityabout a year ago in Confessions
I Wish I Could Go Back.
There are certain moments in life that never fade. They don’t need photographs or videos to stay alive—they live quietly inside the heart, untouched by time. My childhood is made up of those kinds of moments. Even today, when I’m caught in traffic or scrolling endlessly on my phone, some old smell, sound, or fragment of memory brings me back—to a simpler time, to a dusty neighborhood field, and a boy who had no idea he was living the best days of his life.
By Khorshed Alomabout a year ago in Confessions
After Age 40, You Need to Stop Doing These Habits — That Speed Up Aging
Have you ever wondered if your morning routine is making you age faster? It turns out that what you do in the first hour after waking can have a big impact on how fast — or slow — you age.
By Olivia Chastityabout a year ago in Confessions
Get to Know Trichomoniasis, the Most Common Non-Viral Sexually Transmitted Infection
It was late one night in the lab when a physician from the emergency room came over. She had taken a couple of samples from a patient and wanted to read her own slides. We call it a wet mount when you read slides right after they’re collected. But this particular physician forgot one crucial step.
By Olivia Chastityabout a year ago in Confessions
I am as chalant as it gets
Oh, act like you don't care! Don't show emotions or else you will be deemed uncool, don't smile too loud, be silent about your victories, don't be so passionate about the things you love, don't text first, don't reach out first, play hard to get- oh, and the list goes on. The new trend of being the mysterious black cat is the propaganda I am not falling for, don't get me wrong, it is not something I am against or hold my grudge against. I truly believe if you are authentically like that, there is nothing wrong with being that way, but for all the ones who actually are yappers and the ones who fill the room with love and light, this trend just invalidates their existence.
By Hridya Sharmaabout a year ago in Confessions
The Love That I Was Forced to Leave
A fight is not always enough to break down a relationship. At times, the breakup happens gently, without words and even so, you feel it deeply. It’s regarding the love that I had to move on, not because I didn’t love, but because I finally did. We came together in a time of disorder. I didn’t know if I should be the person I was or the person I hoped to be. That’s when I noticed—he was warmhearted, funny and had dreams of his own. He saw me as a complete person, even on days when I felt I didn’t have anything whole in me. That look seemed like hope to me and I believed love would fix all my unresolved emotions. Everything about bookkeeping seemed simple at first. We didn’t leave until late at night, chatting about our lives, fears and memories. He made me laugh even when I had stopped smiling. He filled me with hope. And I let go of a part of me in order to give it all to him. No one ever tells you that if love is not based on truth, it will slowly reduce your own sense of who you are. I was so determined for things to work that I ignored how silent they were becoming. I wasn’t tuning in to what I needed anymore. I started making up stories why I felt more sleepy with him, instead of excited. He wasn’t mean. He handled situations calmly and didn’t change what he promised. Still, he wanted me to become a person I’m not—small and therefore easy for him to love. The person he wanted me to be didn’t seem too excited, didn’t have big dreams and asked for little. I wanted to love her too. I worked very hard to conform to how he wanted things. However, as I became smaller, I became less visible. Leaving China wasn’t something I decided at a particular instant. It was no less than a hundred separate lives. The words that made me feel less than human. The times I would cry near him, not wanting to disturb the peace he needed. When I finally realized I didn’t recognize the person looking back at me in the mirror. I didn’t make a grand exit. It was fully peaceful- no doors slammed or fault-finding accusations. Just a marathon of honest words, deep sadness and knowing the reality for both of us. I had a lot of love for him. I couldn’t hide who I was anymore, as much as it was for him. Breaking up with someone close to you is a really tough thing to do. Grief comes back in the moments when it’s quiet. The ones you jump over, because they still bring him to mind. How you can still reach out for the phone whenever something joys you. The quiet that comes with not being someone’s person anymore. In addition, there’s the benefit of space. Space to catch my breath again. Just noticing your heart working and keeping you alive. For you to choose your own experiences, not those someone assigns to you. I did little things that brought me back to life. Going outside and reading some poetry. Heading out for a walk without telling a soul where my path led. Declining an opportunity without being sorry. Writing down what I wasn’t ready to say to others. I was able to put myself back together, not through someone else’s love, but through my own. Not having him didn’t make me a failure in love. That’s why I started understanding how important it is to respect yourself first. A type of love that doesn’t require me to fade away just to be held. One that respects my choice, my hopes, my peace.
By Sun-Jinwoabout a year ago in Confessions
"From Enemies to Equals: The Tale of a Cat and Mouse"
In a dense, sun-dappled forest where the trees whispered secrets and the streams sang lullabies, lived a clever little mouse named Milo and a fierce, sleek cat named Cleo. Like every tale you've heard before, they were supposed to be enemies. After all, cats chase mice, and mice run for their lives. That was the law of the jungle—or so it had always been.
By syed waqar ahmedabout a year ago in Confessions
